Company targets metabolic, immunological and neurological diseases via combination of genetic, environmental and microbiome factors.
Sau Paulo-based biotech Nintx has raised $10 million in a Series A funding round to advance new therapeutics leveraging Brazil’s vast biodiversity. The company’s drug discovery approach focuses on “multifactorial diseases” – including metabolic, immunological and neurological conditions – caused by the interplay of genetic, environmental and microbiome factors.
Harnessing plant-based natural products and advanced technologies, Nintx is advancing therapies that target multiple biological pathways simultaneously via proprietary platforms that replicate the human gastrointestinal system and map connections between plants, natural products and biological targets. The company combines the output of its platforms to develop multi-target therapies designed to simultaneously modulate human biological targets and the microbiome.
Home to 20% of the planet’s species, Brazil’s biodiversity forms the cornerstone of Nintx’s approach. While traditional pharmaceutical approaches had shifted away from natural products due to challenges in R&D and regulatory complexities, the company claims that advancements in analytical instrumentation, bioassays and ‘omics’ technologies have reinvigorated this field. Nintx leverages techniques including high-resolution x-ray crystallography and synchrotron light sources to enable precise identification of bioactive compounds for its therapeutics.
Nintx says the new funding will accelerate the research and development of eight new drug programs, conducted in collaboration with commercial and research partners. The company aims to advance its therapies to the preclinical stage before licensing them to large pharmaceutical companies for clinical development and commercialization, also plans to expand its laboratory infrastructure, integrate new technologies and recruit additional researchers.
Stressing the importance of ethical and equitable use of natural resources, Nintx also integrates agroforestry practices, supports small farmers and establishes benefit-sharing agreements with communities possessing traditional plant knowledge.
The new funding round, which follows an initial $3 million seed investment in 2022, was led by venture capital firms Pitanga, Ecoa Capital and MOV Investimentos, and supplemented by a $2.5 million grant from FINEP, a public body promoting science and innovation.
Stephani Saverio, a co-founder of Nintx and seasoned executive with over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, will assume the role of CEO in January 2025, alongside co-founders Dr Miller Freitas, who becomes Chief Development Officer, and Dr Cristiano Guimarães, who continues as Chief Scientific Officer.
