EQT Life Sciences has invested in Asceneuron, a clinical-stage biotech company developing therapies for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s.

EQT Life Sciences is one of Europe’s largest and most experienced healthcare investors and has raised over €3 billion and invested in more than 150 private companies. The LSP Dementia team, which was created in 2020, has a dedicated team of neurologists and neuroscientists focused on investing in therapeutics targeting neurodegenerative diseases. This latest investment could prove to be an exciting opportunity to impact the future of healthcare.

Professor Philip Scheltens, the Head of the LSP Dementia strategy and a new Asceneuron board member said: “Dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases are some of the greatest healthcare challenges of our time. With the LSP Dementia strategy, EQT’s Life Sciences team can invest in innovative companies across the neurodegenerative spectrum. Asceneuron is exactly this kind of company. Its clinical pipeline has the potential to change patients’ lives for the better and we’re delighted to be joining Asceneuron on its journey.”

Asceneuron was founded in 2012 and is a privately held company operating in Switzerland, with a clinical team located in the U.S. The company’s goal is to deliver effective therapeutics for neurodivergent diseases and, in doing so, to transform the lives of patients. Asceneuron does this by developing orally administered, small molecules that penetrate the brain and slow down abnormal protein aggregation.

These inhibitors – ASN90 and ASN51 – have completed clinical studies and have shown signs of being effective against diseases including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy Body dementia, as well as the motor neuron disease ALS, and the rare neurological condition, progressive supranuclear palsy.

Barbara Angehrn Pavik, the CEO of Asceneuron, said: “[This] investor syndicate further validates the potential of our OGA inhibitor pipeline and leadership in the field of tauopathies.”

She adds, “We are excited to be working with the team behind the LSP Dementia strategy as we advance our lead asset ASN51 into Phase 2 clinical development, recognizing its potential to significantly expand treatment options for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Now that the deal is formally closed, EQT and Asceneuron expect Phase 2 Clinical trials to begin in 2025.