Biotech EG 427 Raises €27 Million in Series B Funding to Advance Lead Genetic Medicine Candidate

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EG 427, a French biotechnology company specializing in genetic medicines for treating chronic neurological diseases, announced on Feb. 20, 2025 that it has successfully closed €27 million (US$28 million) in a Series B financing round (1). Co-led by Andera Partners and Bpifrance (as part of Bpifrance’s InnoBio investment strategy [2]), the financing will be used to fund the Phase Ib/IIa clinical study of EG 427’s lead genetic medicine product, EG110A, in the United States for treating neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. This US study can potentially lead to clinical development across a series of medically important but neglected neuro-urology pathologies, EG 427 noted in a company press release.

In addition to advancing the clinical development of EG110A, the financing will also support the expansion of EG 427’s pipeline, which includes several therapeutic vectors based on the company’s Herpes Modular Expression System (HERMES) technology. The HERMES platform has the ability to maintain long-term activity and achieve low cost of goods in these neuro-urology-targeted diseases, according to the company.

“The successful closing of this Series B financing is a major milestone for EG 427, which brings us the strong support of two major institutional investors, Andera Partners and Bpifrance, participation of the specialist fund, SCI Ventures, and the continuous support of our existing investors,” said Philippe Chambon, MD, PhD, chief executive officer at EG 427, in the press release (1). “Genetic medicine solutions have the potential to address major medical needs affecting large patient population[s] with chronic diseases. Initially, our focus is on pathologies in neuro-urology. This field is currently underserved and lacks significant recent medical innovations, despite its huge costs to the healthcare systems. This funding allows us to advance our first program focused on dysfunctions of the bladder, such as neurogenic bladder, through its initial clinical trial. This first human study, currently in progress, will provide a read on safety and possibly early efficacy.”

EG110A is a genetic medicine that uses a non-replicating herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) vector. This HSV-1 vector has been designed to selectively silence the signals sent by key bladder sensory neurons that are responsible for overactivity of bladder muscle, while at the same time preserving the bladder’s voiding function. SCI can cause NDO, a common urinary bladder dysfunction in people suffering such an injury or in people with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.

“As a world leader in developing non-replicative HSV vectors in neurology, EG 427 has the potential to significantly advance the applications of genetic medicine through highly targeted delivery and local administration. In addition, EG 427’s platform could enable repeated dosing and more affordable production costs compared to AAV [adeno-associated virus]-based vectors. If successful, this approach could offer a better and longer-term therapeutic solution for patients who suffer from chronic neurological diseases,” said Benoît Barteau, investment director at Bpifrance—InnoBio funds, in the press release.

“EG 427’s technology has the potential to significantly disrupt current treatment paradigms. The lead program, EG110A, could significantly improve treatment options for a range of underserved neuro-urology indications. We are thrilled to have co-led this financing round to advance EG110A in the clinic and EG 427’s broader genetic medicine pipeline,” said Raphaël Wisniewski, partner at Andera Partners, in the release.

References

1. EG 427. EG 427 Raises €27 Million in Successful Series B Co-Led by Andera Partners and Bpifrance to Finance On-Going Clinical Study and Platform Development. Press Release. Feb. 20, 2025.
2. Bpifrance. Biotech and Medtech VC funds. bpifrance.com (accessed Feb. 24, 2025).