Confo Therapeutics

Confo Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that specializes in the discovery of medicines targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The company was spun out in 2015 from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). Its foundation is based on the proprietary ConfoBody™ technology developed in the lab of Professor Jan Steyaert, a scientific founder of the company. This technology utilizes single-domain antibodies, or "ConfoBodies™," derived from camelids to stabilize GPCRs in specific, functionally relevant conformations that are otherwise inherently unstable. This stabilization allows for the identification of novel drug candidates against GPCR targets that were previously considered undruggable.

The company's CEO is Dr. Cedric Ververken, who joined in 2016 from Ablynx, bringing experience in both R&D and business development. Confo Therapeutics focuses its internal pipeline on developing treatments for metabolic and endocrine diseases, including rare diseases and obesity. One of its lead candidates, CFTX-1554, is a non-opioid treatment for neuropathic pain that targets the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R). The business model involves advancing its own pipeline of drug candidates while also engaging in strategic collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies like Roche and Lundbeck. Revenue is generated through these partnerships and the potential future commercialization of its in-house developed therapeutics.

Confo Therapeutics has secured significant funding from an international consortium of life science investors. After initial seed funding, the company raised €30 million in a Series A round in 2019 and more recently, €60 million in a Series B financing in July 2024. This funding is aimed at advancing its lead programs through clinical trials and expanding its discovery platform to include small molecules and agonistic antibodies.

Keywords: G-protein coupled receptors, GPCR drug discovery, ConfoBody technology, single-domain antibodies, VHH, structural biology, metabolic diseases, endocrine diseases, neuropathic pain, orphan diseases, small molecule discovery, therapeutic antibodies, drug development, clinical-stage biotech, CFTX-1554, AT2R inhibitor, Jan Steyaert, Cedric Ververken, VIB, Vrije Universiteit Brussel.