€90 million Series A for Orbis Medicines

Novo Holdings invests in €90 million financing round for Orbis Medicines - focus on oral macrocycle drugs

Copenhagen, January 6, 2025 - Novo Holdings has announced its participation in a €90 million Series A financing round for biotechnology company Orbis Medicines. The round was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with contributions from new investors including Eli Lilly and Company, Cormorant and the Danish Export and Investment Fund. Existing investors such as Novo Holdings and Forbion also participated.

With the investment, Orbis Medicines aims to expand its platform for the discovery and development of oral macrocycle drugs. This so-called nGen platform combines automated chemical synthesis with machine learning to develop bioavailable macrocycle drugs that were previously difficult to deliver orally. The focus is on target molecules that are currently covered by biologically based drugs and often require injections.

Morten Graugaard becomes CEO

Morten Graugaard, previously a partner at Novo Holdings and Executive Chair of the Board of Orbis Medicines for three years, takes on the role of Chief Executive Officer. His appointment will lead the company's next phase of growth.

The benefits of oral delivery include better dose control, greater ease of use and access for broader patient populations. We look forward to aligning our capabilities with the strong demand for macrocyclic alternatives to established biologics.

Morten Graugaard, CEO Orbis Medicines

Innovations in the field of macrocycle drugs

Orbis Medicines was founded in 2021 by Novo Holdings Seed Investments, based on the research of Prof. Christian Heinis and Sevan Habeshian at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL). The company specializes in developing nCycle macrocycles with optimized oral bioavailability. The pipeline initially focuses on target molecules that have been validated by blockbuster biological drugs. Initial scientific breakthroughs have already been published in "Nature Communications" and "Nature Chemical Biology".

Strategic importance of the nGen platform

The nGen platform combines automated chemistry with high-throughput assays and artificial intelligence to systematically explore the design principles for oral macrocycles. This technology is crucial to overcoming the barriers that have so far hampered the use of macrocyclic compounds as orally administered drugs. "We see tremendous potential to make the benefits of macrocycles more accessible to patients worldwide," said João Ribas, Principal at Novo Holdings.

Significance for the healthcare sector

Series A funding marks a significant step for the future of drug development. Automated processes and machine learning could open up personalized and more efficient treatment options for various diseases. Macrocycles offer great potential for the treatment of complex diseases due to their molecular flexibility and precision targeting.

Background Novo Holdings

Novo Holdings is known for its role as a global investor in the life sciences sector. The company manages the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation and invests in innovative technologies to improve people's health and society's sustainability. At the end of 2023, assets under management amounted to 149 billion euros.