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Biotech startup PANDA Therapeutics has obtained €160,000 (CHF 150,000) from Venture Kick to advance a new treatment for Alzheimer’s disease toward clinical development. By targeting multiple harmful protein deposits in the brain with a single therapy, the startup aims to improve treatment effectiveness and slow the progression of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease affects millions of people worldwide and places a growing burden on patients, families, and healthcare systems. Current antibody treatments primarily target amyloid-beta, one of the proteins associated with the disease, and have shown limited clinical benefit. Research indicates that several types of abnormal protein deposits, including amyloid-beta and tau, contribute to the progressive loss of cognitive function, creating a need for treatments that address the disease more broadly.
PANDA Therapeutics is developing a first-in-class antibody-based therapy designed to target several of these harmful protein deposits simultaneously. Its approach aims both to prevent them from spreading and to help the body clear them from the brain. In doing so, it aims to provide a broader and longer-lasting approach to slowing Alzheimer’s progression.
PANDA Therapeutics was founded by CEO Hui Zhang, who brings years of experience in drug discovery in Neuroscience. The company’s primary customers and strategic partners are expected to be global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with strong neuroscience and biologics capabilities, offering opportunities for licensing, co-development, and commercialisation as PANDA advances its lead program toward clinical development.
The funding from Venture Kick will primarily support PANDA Therapeutics’ company formation and business development, including establishing the company’s operational foundation, building a high-level scientific and clinical advisory board, and preparing a robust CMC strategy and manufacturing readiness for future clinical development. The funding will also support IP and regulatory planning, investor and pharma engagement, and the strategic positioning of PANDA for subsequent financing and partnering opportunities.
“Venture Kick has been instrumental in helping us translate PANDA Therapeutics from a promising scientific concept into a company with a clear development and commercialisation strategy. Beyond the financial support, the program has provided invaluable entrepreneurial guidance, access to a strong network, and critical feedback that has helped us sharpen our business model, validate our market potential, and prepare PANDA for the next stage of growth,” highlights Hui Zhang.
Lead image: Hui Zhang, CEO. PANDA Therapeutics.