Eikonizo Therapeutics Announces Investment by Novo Nordisk; Advancing Lead Candidate Toward Clinical Development

Eikonizo Therapeutics recently announced it has secured an undisclosed equity investment from Novo Nordisk through its Science2Medicine iNNvest initiative. In addition to supporting the development of Eikonizo’s lead candidate, EKZ-102, a potential first-in-class, oral, CNS-penetrant, highly selective histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) inhibitor, the Novo Nordisk investment will also enable the advancement of novel Eikonizo HDAC6 inhibitors as potential disease-modifying therapeutics for cardiorenal disease.

Concurrent with its investment, Miriam Frieden, Novo Nordisk’s Corporate Vice President of Early Innovation, Outreach and Alliances will join Eikonizo’s Board of Directors as a non-voting observer and Professor Bill Haynes, Scientific Corporate Vice President, Global Drug Discovery, Novo Nordisk, will join Eikonizo’s Scientific Advisory Board.

“We are very proud to support promising early-stage companies like Eikonizo with its novel approach to HDAC6 inhibition as potential treatments for people living with serious chronic diseases,” said Miriam Frieden.

“EKZ-102 is a highly selective, uniquely CNS-penetrant HDAC6 inhibitor with strong potential to be a first-in-class, disease-modifying therapy for ALS and other indications. This investment by Novo Nordisk through its iNNvest program will help accelerate EKZ-102 toward clinical proof of concept with a first-in-human clinical study planned in 2025,” said Rick Lundberg, President and CEO of Eikonizo. “We are equally excited to welcome several new team members with extensive industry experience, who will be instrumental in progressing EKZ-102 to clinical proof of concept and realizing the broad potential of our approach to HDAC6 inhibition for serious neurodegenerative and cardiorenal diseases.”

Eikonizo also announced key additions to strengthen its leadership with the appointment of Thomas E. Hughes, PhD, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of Navitor Pharmaceuticals, to its Board of Directors, as well as Richard A. Fisher, PhD, as Chief Scientific Officer, Jim Luterman, PhD, as Executive Vice President of Development and Jon Graves, CPA as Vice President, Finance and Controller.

“Eikonizo has established a compelling path forward for their novel HDAC6 inhibitors, and I’m honored to join the board at such a transformative time for the company,” said Tom Hughes. “I look forward to working with the Eikonizo team as they advance EKZ-102 into clinical studies.   The program fits well with the company’s mission to bring disease-modifying therapies to help people living with neurodegenerative and cardiorenal diseases.”

Thomas E. Hughes, PhD has over 30 years of industry experience in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products, currently serving as Chairperson and CEO of Navitor Pharmaceuticals and previously leading Zafgen as President and CEO as well as Chief Scientific Officer. Prior to Zafgen, Dr. Hughes held several positions at Novartis including Global Head of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Therapeutic Area at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research. Dr. Hughes currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Totus Medicines and is a member of scientific and strategic advisory boards including Ambrosia Biosciences and Broadview Ventures. He holds a PhD in nutritional biochemistry from Tufts University, an M.S. in zoology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and a B.A. in biology from Franklin and Marshall College.

Rich Fisher, PhD, brings over 40 years of biotech scientific leadership experience to Eikonizo, including serving as CSO at LuMind IDSC, Vigil Neuroscience, Proclara Biosciences and Ikano Therapeutics, SVP of R&D at GlycoFi, VP of Research at UCB Pharma and CytoMed, and Director, Molecular Biology at Biogen. Rich received his BA in zoology and PhD in microbiology and molecular genetics from the University of Iowa and UI College of Medicine, respectively, after which he was an American Cancer Society Fellow during his postdoctoral training at the University of Chicago. Rich’s drug discovery and research experience covers multiple therapeutic areas and modalities.

Jim Luterman, PhD brings over 25 years of biotech program leadership experience to Eikonizo, including serving as SVP and Head of Early-stage Development and Partnering at Enzyvant, EVP of R&D at OvaScience, Program Executive and Early Development Team Leader at Shire HGT, Program Leader at CombinatoRx and Manager of New Product Commercialization at Biogen Idec. Before joining industry, Jim was a Senior Analyst at Decision Resources and a Research Assistant at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He received his BA in Biology and Psychology from Bucknell University, his PhD in Molecular Neuroscience from Rutgers University and conducted his postdoctoral fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Jon Graves, CPA brings over 20 years of biopharma finance leadership experience to Eikonizo, including serving as VP of Finance at OncXerna Therapeutics, VP of Financial Operations at Corindus Vascular Robotics, Controller, North America at Sobi, Controller at Thermo Fisher Scientific, Finance Manager at Epix Pharmaceuticals and Senior Auditor at Arthur Andersen. Jon received his BS in Accounting at Providence College and is a licensed CPA.

Eikonizo’s lead development candidate, EKZ-102, is a first-in-class, oral, small molecule HDAC6 inhibitor with the distinctive combination of high potency, selectivity and CNS penetrance necessary to protect neuronal function while minimizing potential off-target side effects to achieve a favorable safety and tolerability profile. EKZ-102 is in IND-enabling development for the treatment of ALS with planned expansion to other neurodegenerative disorders.

 Eikonizo is developing novel, disease-modifying small molecule therapeutics targeting histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) to improve the lives of people impacted by neurodegenerative and cardiorenal diseases. Our dual mechanism approach to HDAC6 inhibition is designed to synergistically target key drivers of neurodegenerative and cardiorenal disease biology.