Desentum secures €28M for faster allergy immunotherapy
Finnish biotech Desentum has raised €28 million in an oversubscribed equity round to advance three allergy immunotherapy programs, with Phase 2 results for its lead birch pollen candidate expected before year-end.
Why it matters: Desentum wants to shorten treatment that typically requires years of repeated allergen exposure. Its lead candidate, DM-101PX, produced a strong antibody response after 10 weekly injections in Phase 1. The next test is whether that response translates into fewer allergy symptoms.
- CEO Pekka Mattila said the financing would support the company’s birch, peanut and cat allergy programs. The latter two remain preclinical.
How it works: Desentum engineers allergen proteins to reduce their ability to trigger allergic reactions while preserving the structure needed to train the immune system to recognize the natural allergen.
- DM-101PX combines a modified version of Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, with a temperature-sensitive hydrogel designed to release it gradually after injection. The aim is to build tolerance with fewer injections and a lower risk of reactions during treatment.
Zoom in: A randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 study published in Clinical & Experimental Allergy enrolled 30 adults, including 24 who received DM-101PX.
- After 10 weekly injections, treated participants developed increased levels of allergen-specific IgG4 antibodies, which can block allergic responses. Laboratory tests using their post-treatment blood serum showed average blocking activity ranging from 80.8% to 90.3% across the three dose groups against activation of basophils, the immune cells involved in allergic reactions.
Yes, but: Treatment-related adverse events occurred in 22 of 24 treated participants, although all were mild or moderate and mostly involved injection-site reactions. Five treated participants experienced systemic allergic reactions; no serious adverse events were reported.
The funding: Finnish investment firm Springvest arranged the round. According to the company’s announcement, the round is “one of the largest ever raised by a private Finnish drug development company.” Springvest has arranged a total of €54 million for Desentum to date and is also a major shareholder in the company.
What’s next: The ongoing Phase 2 BASIT study is testing efficacy in about 100 patients, with results expected before the end of 2026.
- “On the business side, our aim is to take the product through Phase II and then move towards licensing, an M&A deal or an IPO,” Mattila said.
