In one of the few series B fundraisings to take place in Europe so far this year, the Ferring Pharmaceuticals' spin out, Vantia Therapeutics Ltd., has raised £4 million ($6.5 million) from existing investors to fund the continuing development of its two lead compounds, a potential nocturia therapy, VA106483, and a potential dysmenorrhea therapy, VA111913.

Both compounds are in Phase II clinical studies, and the new funds will go towards finishing the clinical trials and giving U.K.-based Vantia options, said CEO Andrew Crockett. The company has not decided on its future development plans, although its underlying strategy is to seek partnerships after completing Phase II studies.

Novo A/S and SV Life Sciences led the series B round, which included MVM Life Science Partners, all existing investors in Vantia. There has been a dearth of series B rounds in Europe this year, with some exceptions, such as the €15 million raised by the Germany company f-Star GmbH.

Swiss-headquartered Ferring spun out Vantia in 2008, following the former's decision to focus on peptide and biological research. Vantia took over Ferring's small molecule assets, initially raising £19 million ($30.4 million) from an investor syndicate Also see "Vantia Therapeutics Ltd." - Scrip, 1 October, 2009.).

Nocturia In The Elderly: An Unmet Need

VA106483 is currently being investigated in the treatment of nocturia in 30 men aged over 65 years with benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH). There are few marketed products specifically addressing nocturia in the elderly, noted Crockett in an interview.

Products containing desmopressin, for example, have been associated with side effect concerns like hyponatremia when used to treat nocturia, and alpha blockers and other therapies for BPH have little effect on nocturia, Crockett noted. Desmopressin is widely marketed by Ferring and generic companies for various indications, including diabetes insipidus and for use in hemophilia.

Results from the VA106483 trial in nocturia are expected in the second half of 2011, and will be used to support the design of pivotal clinical trials. VA106483 is a small molecule that binds to vasopressin V2 receptors in the collecting ducts in the kidney.

One of the few potential competitors to VA106483 is Allergan Inc.'s SER-120, which is in Phase III clinical trials. The U.S. company licensed development and marketing rights to SER-120 in April 2010 from Serenity Pharmaceuticals LLC Also see "Allergan Buys Global Rights To Serenity's Phase III Drug For Frequent Nighttime Urination" - Pink Sheet, 2 April, 2010.). SER-120 is a low-dose intranasally administered desmopressin formulation, for which an approval filing is slated for this year.

First Targeted Drug Is For Dysmenorrhea

Vantia's second lead product, VA111913, has the potential to become one of the first drugs directly targeting vasopressin V1a receptors in the uterus wall, Crockett said. Via this new mechanism of action, VA111913 prevents abnormal contractions of the uterus during menstruation, which cause severe and often debilitating pain.

"There has not been a lot of innovation in the treatment of dysmenorrhea," noted Crockett. The condition lacks a gold standard therapy, with patients and physicians trying oral contraceptives or a variety of marketed NSAIDs and analgesics. A targeted approach to this condition would be novel, and few other companies appear to be interested in this area, Crockett said. An exploratory Phase II trial showed promising evidence of reduced dysmenorrhea pain in patients receiving VA111913, and the product was well tolerated.

Vantia also has a pipeline of novel preclinical programs; in its tissue kallikrein program, it has a library of small molecule inhibitors with potential to become first-in-class oral therapies for inflammatory diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. It is also evaluating inhibitors of fibroblast activation protein (FAP), with potential in cancer and fibrotic diseases.

- John Davis (j.davis@elsevier.com)

Vantia Tops Up With £4 mill Series B To Pursue Nocturia And Dysmenorrhea

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