Fountain Healthcare Partners invests in Dutch biotech Calypso

Irish life sciences venture capital group Fountain Healthcare Partners has invested in biotech Calypso Biotech as part of an €8 million extension to the Dutch company's Series A round.

It brings the total raised to €28 million, the company said, and will be used to speed up the development of its monoclonal antibody treatment for auto-immune diseases including coeliac disease, eosinophilic oesophagitis and dermatology.

Fountain Healthcare joins Gilde Healthcare, Inkef Capital, Johnson & Johnson Innovation and M Ventures as investors in the company, which develops novel biologics to address immunological diseases.

As part of the deal Dr Ena Prosser from Fountain's Dublin office has joined Calypso's board. The company has appointed Dr Jos Houbiers as chief medical officer.

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Calypso has also announced the completion of dosing of the first coeliac disease patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial using a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralise Interleukin-15 (IL-15).

"We are delighted to welcome Dr Jos Houbiers to the team and to announce the extension of the Series A syndicate with Fountain Healthcare Partners," said Alain Vicari, chief executive of Calypso Biotech. "This further validates our ability to attract high-quality investors and bodes well for our future fundraising campaign.

“These funds will accelerate the development of CALY-002 and bring us one step closer to propose a new treatment paradigm for auto-immune diseases to patients in need.”