Eternygen

Eternygen operates on a virtual business model, leveraging a network of contract research organizations and industry experts to advance its development programs. This B2B-focused model allows the company to remain lean while accessing world-class drug discovery and development platforms, notably through a significant collaboration with Evotec AG. The company's primary objective is to develop and market novel small molecule inhibitors for the treatment of dietary-related metabolic diseases. Its research zeroes in on the sodium-coupled citrate transporter (NaCT), also known as INDY (I’m Not Dead Yet), a critical regulator of energy metabolism implicated in conditions like non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), diabetes, and obesity. By inhibiting NaCT, Eternygen aims to address the root metabolic failures that lead to these widespread diseases.

The company's lead candidates have demonstrated a therapeutic effect on glucose metabolism and hepatic lipid oxidation in preclinical animal models. These small molecule inhibitors have shown the ability to reverse NASH in diet-induced mouse models by significantly reducing liver injury, hepatic triglyceride accumulation, and intrahepatic immune cells. In January 2017, Eternygen successfully closed a Series A financing round of €8.0 million, led by Epidarex Capital and with participation from Evotec AG and other investors. This was followed by a Series A2 funding round in October 2020, which raised an additional €5 million to advance its lead candidate toward IND-enabling studies. The company has patented several SLC13A5 inhibitors, which have shown promise in preclinical studies for improving lipid metabolism and reducing conditions like hepatic steatosis and hypercholesterolemia.