New operation by Sabadell Asabys, the investment fund specialized in the biomedical sector founded by Josep Ll. Sanfeliu and Clara Campàs, with Banco Sabadell as its main partner. The firm has just acquired a stake in Agomab, a pioneering Belgian biotechnology company in the development of novel treatments for pulmonary fibrosis, Crohn's disease, and organ failure. It so happens that a few months ago, in December 2021, Sabadell Asabys sold its stake in the Galician-Catalan company Origo Biopharma to Agomab, an operation that became the fund's first divestment. Therefore, by investing in Agomab, Asabys is now once again linked to Origo's research projects.
Asabys has subscribed to part of an investment round launched by Agomab together with the multinational pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the firm Walleye Capital. In reality, it is not a new round, but an extension of the Series B round that Agomab announced in 2021 and which now increases by 38.4 million euros (40.5 million dollars), bringing the total raised to 114 million dollars. These resources will be used to finance the clinical developments of Agomab's candidate products in its portfolio, as well as to expand this pipeline.
Pfizer has led the Series B extension through the Pfizer Breakthrough Growth Initiative program, which supports the development of promising clinical studies by biotechnology companies by providing financial resources and scientific expertise.
"With this investment, we continue to bet on products initially developed at Origo Biopharma. Agomab is a highly competitive European company, with a complementary project portfolio in the field of fibrosis and tissue regeneration. Pfizer's entry as a shareholder corroborates the pharma's interest in these therapeutic areas," explained Clara Campàs, managing partner of Asabys Partners.
Agomab is developing a portfolio of growth factor-targeting antibodies and chemical drugs to address hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß) as therapeutic targets to repair tissues, resolve fibrotic processes, and restore organ function. In parallel, Pfizer and Agomab have signed an agreement that allows Agomab to leverage Pfizer's development expertise to support its product portfolio while retaining all rights to its assets.
Agomab currently has teams in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain, where it operates through Origo's offices in Galicia and Barcelona.