Breath Therapeutics cashes in €43,5m

Gilde Healthcare acted as co-investor for Breath Therapeutics’ orphan drug programme. The spin-off company of the Munich-headquartered nebulisation expert PARI Pharma, part of the global Pari Group, said it will use the funds for financing of Phase III trials and US/EU commercialisation.

Breath Therapeutics’ lead programme is a first-in-class therapeutic/med-tech device combination to treat the Bronchiolitis Obliterans Syndrome (BOS), a life-threatening disease that occurs after 65% of lung transplantations. The company managed to administer a liposomal formulation of the immunesuppressant drug cyclosporin A, using an optimised version of PARI Pharma’s eFlow nebulisator, which can monitor therapy compliance, online.

Breath Therapeutics founders and managers have a well-documented track record in immunesuppressant drug development and nebulisation technology: Jens Stegemann (CEO), Anne Burger (CFO), Gerhard Boerner (CSO), Oliver Denk (COO). Graziano Seghezzi, partner at Sofinnova, Karl Nägler, partner at Gimv, and Arthur Franken, partner at Gilde Healthcare will be on the board of directors.