AM-Pharma is a Dutch clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a treatment for acute kidney injury (AKI) that could be lifesaving. The Company does not produce face masks or other medical equipment.
AM-Pharma is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, leading in the development of a treatment for AKI with its innovative recombinant human Alkaline Phosphatase therapeutic (recAP). AKI is a devastating disease with high mortality rate that affects millions of patients worldwide. There is no approved pharmacological treatment for AKI and our biologic, recAP, has the potential to be a first-in-class medicine.
In addition to our lead AKI program, we have also explored the development of recAP as a potential treatment option for other indications including Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Hypophosphatasia (HPP).
AM-Pharma has completed its STOP-AKI adaptive Phase II study in 301 sepsis patients with AKI, the largest therapeutic study in AKI to date. The study demonstrated a significant relative reduction in mortality of more than 40% in the treatment group compared to the placebo group, and a long-term improvement in kidney function. Throughout the study, recAP was shown to be safe and well tolerated.
To support regulatory approval from the US Federal Drug Association (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA), a Phase III pivotal study will be conducted.
Founded in 2001, AM-Pharma is a private company that is based in the Netherlands. The Company is backed by a strong syndicate of international investors, both Venture Capital funds and Corporate Venture Funds, and has raised €195M in equity and debt to date.
Martijn Kleijwegt, MSc
Martijn Kleijwegt, is a Managing Partner and Founder at LSP and a pioneer in the European life sciences arena. He was instrumental in the successes of Prosensa (NL, IPO in 2013, sold to Biomarin for €548 million in 2015), Movetis (BEL, IPO in 2009, sold to Shire for €428 million in 2010), Crucell (NL, IPO in 2000, sold to Johnson & Johnson for €1.75 billion in 2011), Rhein Biotech (NL, IPO in 1999, sold to Berna Biotech for €279 million in 2002), and Qiagen (GER, IPO in 1996, valued 30 June 2017 at €6.6 billion).
After starting his career at Philips, he gained extensive experience in the life sciences sector as General Partner of Euroventures Benelux, one of the first venture funds in Europe with life sciences in its investment scope. Martijn led the life sciences investment strategy and built the Euroventures Life Sciences (ELS) fund. In 1998, Martijn founded LSP and together with the other general partners built it into what it is today. Martijn currently represents LSP on the supervisory boards of Kiadis Pharma (NL), OxThera (SE), Orphazyme (DK), Pharvaris (GER), Arvelle therapeutics (NL/CH) and Eloxx Pharmaceuticals (USA/IS).
He holds a Master’s degree in Economics from Amsterdam University.
Felice Verduyn-van Weegen, MSc, MBS
Felice Verduyn-van Weegen, is an Investment Manager at LSP. She joined the Company in 2015.
Felice serves on the Boards of Pharvaris (GER) and OxThera (SE) as an Observer and was a driving force behind the investments of Arvelle Therapeutics (NL/CH), Orphazyme (DK), Eloxx Pharmaceuticals (USA/IS), Simplify Medical (USA) and G-Therapeutics (NL).
Prior to joining LSP, Felice was a consultant at McKinsey & Company with a primary focus on healthcare. Before McKinsey, she was a neuroscientist and statistical geneticist, working with the prestigious complex traits genetics group at the Broad Institute and Harvard Medical School in Cambridge, USA. Prior to that, she worked at the department of Biological Psychology at the VU University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Felice authored a number of scientific articles in prestigious journals.
Felice was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Psychology and a Master’s degree in Neuroscience from the VU University, Amsterdam. In addition, she was awarded an MBA from Columbia Business School, New York USA.
Raphaël Wisniewski, MSc
Raphaël Wisniewskiis a Partner and joined the Life Sciences Team of Andera Partners (formerly Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners) in 2001.
Raphaël serves as a DIrector on the Board of ReViral, MedDay Pharmaceuticals, Artios Pharma, Dynacure, Grey Wolf, Axonics Modulation and as an observer on the Boards of Poxel and Enyo.
Previously, he worked in Healthcare Corporate Finance at Goldman Sachs starting at Salomon Smith Barney. He was also in the Finance Departments of Health in London and in the Department of General Healthcare in London, the private hospital group.
Raphaël is a graduate of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales, Paris and holds a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP), Paris.
Geert-Jan Mulder, MD
Geert-Jan Mulder, is a Managing Partner at Forbion and co-founded the fund in 2006. He currently serves on the Board of several Forbion portfolio companies. In addition, Geert-Jan led the firm’s successful investment in bluebirdbio (NASDAQ: BLUE), which went public in 2013, where he supported the Company in clinical development and served as the chairman for several years. Other investments include Acorda Therapeutics (NASDAQ:ACOR), which went public in 2006 where he was part of the AMPYRA®(dalfampridine) board panel to evaluate a new regulatory endpoint in Multiple Sclerosis; PanGenetics B.V. which sold to Abbott, where he led the Series B financing round; Transave, where he supported the Company’s clinical development for ARIKAYCE®(liposomal amikacin for inhalation) partly as interim CMO, he also served on the Board of Directors till the merger with Insmed (NASDAQ:INSM) in 2010; and Exosome Diagnostics, the leading liquid biopsy company spun out of MGH, where he led the Series A and C, and in his role of director worked together with management to position the Company for its successful acquisition by Bio-Techne (NASDAQ:TECH) in 2018. In addition he is a co-author of several Forbion and Forbion portfolio related scientific publications.
Prior to joining ABN AMRO Capital Life Sciences (Forbion’s predecessor) in 2001, Geert-Jan received his Medical Degree from the University of Utrecht (NL) and spent two years as a clinician in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Medical Center of Utrecht (UMC). He then joined Searle (now Pfizer) working in the field of Arthritis & Pain, involved in clinical development as well as in the European Advocacy Development for the pre-launch of Celebrex®. After transitioning to Byk Gulden (now Takeda) he became Clinical Research Manager, where his department was responsible for the design and execution of numerous early and late stage clinical trials that formed the basis for two global product registrations, i.e. Daxas®and Alvesco®in the field of Respiratory Medicine (asthma and COPD). He was a member of the Global Medical Marketing group of their Respiratory Franchise and was involved in the line extension program for Pantozol®.
Rémi Droller, MSc
Rémi is a Managing Partner of Kurma Partners.
Prior to that, he held positions at CDC Innovation from 2000 to 2003 and at AGF Private Equity (now Idinvest Partners) from 2003 to 2010, where he was in charge of developing the life sciences investment activity.
Remi serves on the Board of Dynacure (France), ImCheck Therapeutics (France), Orphazyme (Denmark – listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange), Oxthera (France) and Pharvaris (the Netherlands).
Remi has an MSc in molecular biology (Paris VI University) and an MSc in finance and innovation management (AgroPariTech).
Joël Jean-Mairet, PhD (Board Observer)
Joël is Managing Partner and Co-founder of Ysios Capital.
Previously, he co-founded GLYCART Biotechnology AG in 2001 and was its CEO until the Company was successfully sold to F. Hoffmann La-Roche in 2005. GLYCART’s lead product, obinituzumab (anti-CD20 antibody), was approved by FDA in 2013 for B-CLL. Obinituzumab (Gazyva®) was the first drug ever approved under the Breakthrough Therapy Designation program. Joël is currently on the Boards of Aura Biosciences Inc, Sanifit Therapeutics S.A., Rainier Therapeutics Inc. and Chairman of Inbiomotion S.L. He has been Chairman of the Board of Cellerix (now Tigenix NYSE Euronext TIG) and Board Observer at Boston-based Biovex Inc. (now Amgen).
He has earned numerous awards, including the Wall Street Journal Europe Innovation Award in 2001. Joël holds a PhD in the fields of cell biology and immunotherapy from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zürich.
Rita Jain, MD
Rita Jain, M.D., Former Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Akebia Therapeutics, joined our Supervisory Board since April 2020. She is also a member of the Board of Directors for Chemocentryx. Previously, Dr. Jain served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Akebia Therapeutics, Inc and had management roles at AbbVie, Inc and prior to the split of AbbVie from Abbott, at Abbott Laboratories. Most recently, as Vice President of Men’s and Women’s Health and Metabolic Development at AbbVie, Inc., and she held various positions including Divisional Vice President at Abbott Laboratories. Dr. Jain also led activities in pain, respiratory, cystic fibrosis development, arthritis, inflammation and pain. Dr. Jain was a faculty member at North Shore University Hospital in New York, with an academic appointment as Assistant Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine.
Dr. Jain received her B.S. in biology from LIU/C.W. Post and her M.D. from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine. Dr. Jain completed her medical training in internal medicine at Staten Island University Hospital followed by a Fellowship in Rheumatology at North Shore University Hospital and a Clinical Research Fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.
