Revier launches with €6M to develop novel cardiometabolic approach
Heidelberg-based Revier Therapeutics has raised €6 million in seed financing to develop selective class IIa histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors for cardiometabolic diseases.
Why it matters: Revier says it is the first company to selectively target this HDAC class in cardiometabolic disease. The approach could revive the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibition while avoiding the tolerability problems associated with earlier, broader inhibitors.
By the numbers: KHAN Technology Transfer Fund II led the round, joined by High-Tech Gründerfonds, VORNvc and private investors through Revier Invest Heidelberg. The funding will support Revier’s preclinical pipeline and the expansion of its scientific, clinical and operational teams.
Zoom in: Revier’s lead programme targets heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, or HFpEF, a complex condition associated with obesity, inflammation, fibrosis and metabolic dysfunction. A second programme focuses on atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). The company has not disclosed its development candidates or a timeline for entering clinical trials.
How it works: HDACs regulate the acetylation of proteins involved in gene expression and other cellular processes. Earlier HDAC inhibitors generally blocked several enzyme classes, producing broad biological effects and dose-limiting toxicities.
- Revier is developing orally available small molecules designed to block the disease-associated enzymatic activity of class IIa HDACs while preserving their other biological functions. The compounds are also intended to spare class I HDACs, which are affected by many older inhibitors.
- That distinction is central to Revier’s strategy: class IIa HDACs can perform beneficial structural and regulatory functions even when one part of their enzymatic activity contributes to disease.
Backstory: The company builds on cardiovascular research led by scientific founder Johannes Backs at Heidelberg University. Recent preclinical work linked class IIa HDAC activity to HFpEF and found that selective inhibition could reverse diastolic dysfunction and exercise intolerance in animal models.
The team: Revier also used the opportunity to unveil its leadership team. Eva van Rooij, a professor of molecular cardiology at University Medical Center Utrecht and biotechnology entrepreneur, is CEO. On the scientific side, Backs is joined by CTO Mike Nolan, who contributed to early publications on selective class IIa HDAC inhibitors; CSO Matthias Dewenter; and CMO Norbert Frey, director of cardiology, angiology and pneumology at Heidelberg University Hospital.
What’s next: Revier will use the seed funding to move its HFpEF and ASCVD programmes toward the clinic. The critical tests will be whether its selectivity translates into durable efficacy and a safety profile suitable for long-term treatment.
