Resalis Therapeutics Raises €10M in Series A Financing Round

Resalis Therapeutics just raised a €10M ($11 million) Series A funding round led by Sunstone Life Science Ventures. Existing investors, like Claris Ventures and angel investors, also took part. The money will go towards starting and completing the first human trial for RES-010, Resalis’ main program for treating obesity.

RES-010 uses a non-coding RNA-based compound to modify obesity, aiming for longer-lasting weight reduction when combined with other approved treatments like GLP-1 receptor agonists. Claus Andersson, PhD, from Sunstone Life Science Ventures, will now join Resalis’ Board of Directors as part of this funding.

Alessandro Toniolo, CEO of Resalis Therapeutics, said in a statement:

“The successful close of our Series A is an important milestone for Resalis because it will enable us to reach the clinic and to achieve the next significant inflection point with our lead candidate, RES-010. With RES-010 we aim to provide a therapeutic that precisely reduces fat mass in obesity with the potential to extend the durability of existing therapies. We value the trust and support of our new and current investors, and eagerly look forward to this next phase of development.”

Resalis specializes in understanding non-coding RNAs and RNA-targeted treatments for health and metabolic issues. Their main candidate, RES-010, is a type of treatment that targets miR-22, a key player in controlling lipid metabolism and energy use. In various studies on both large and small animals, RES-010 has shown potential as a safe and long-lasting therapy, either alone or combined with approved drugs. Resalis plans to start a Phase 1 clinical study testing RES-010’s safety and effectiveness in the first half of 2024. The treatment is protected by patents in the US, Japan, and China, with pending patents in the EU.

Pietro Puglisi, Managing Partner at Claris Ventures and Chairman of the Board at Resalis Therapeutics, added:

“In recent years, there has been remarkable progress in the treatment of metabolic disorders. Yet, there persists a critical need for innovative solutions that can both provide orthogonal therapeutic effects and pave the way for combination therapies. I look forward to the continued collaboration with the outstanding Resalis team and welcoming Claus as a new member of the Resalis Board.”