New approaches to ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s receive support as Axoltis Pharma secures €18 million

Axoltis Pharma, a French BioTech company dedicated to developing novel therapeutic solutions for neurodegenerative diseases, today announces the closing of a €18 million ($20.9 million) Series A funding round in order to develop its lead drug candidate, currently in phase 2 clinical trials in patients with ALS/Lou Gehrig’s disease.

FIDAT Ventures and Cenitz co-led this round with contributions from citizens coalesced through an equity crowdfunding campaign on the Capital Cell platform, business angels and the Le Cercle de Chiron syndicate.

Legacy investors, including Norfoalk, the Fonds Régional Avenir Industrie Auvergne Rhône-Alpes (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Regional Industry Future Fund), FaDièse 3, Simba Santé 2 (Angelor), as well as the CEO of Axoltis, also participated in the round.

“At a time when BioTech funding remains particularly challenging, the success of this round demonstrates that investors believe in our strategy,” said Dr Yann Godfrin, CEO of Axoltis Pharma. “I wish to extend my warmest thanks to the historic investors and newcomers for their trust, support and enthusiasm, and the enlightening discussions we held over the course of their thorough due diligence during the last few months.”

In 2025, several European BioTech startups working in neurodegenerative or adjacent neurological fields have secured new funding, offering context for Axoltis Pharma’s Series A.

Belgium-based Augustine Therapeutics raised €77.7 million in March to advance HDAC6-inhibitor therapies for neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. The UK’s TRIMTECH Therapeutics secured €28.6 million to develop small-molecule degraders targeting protein-aggregate-driven conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. Meanwhile, French startup EG 427 raised €27 million to progress its gene-regulation platform for chronic neurological disorders.

Together, these companies attracted approximately €133 million in 2025, highlighting sustained investor interest across Europe in new approaches to neurology and neurodegeneration.

Axoltis’s raise adds to this trend and is notable within the French context, where EG 427’s 2025 funding also underlines growing national momentum in CNS-focused BioTech.

“This fundraising allows us to maintain our head start in the clinical development of a product that restores the blood-brain barrier. It also means we can continue our discussions with world-class pharmaceutical companies, with a view to a global partnership that would help provide patients with quicker access to this treatment,” adds Dr Godfrin.

Founded in 2016, Axoltis Pharma develops drugs for neurodegenerative and neurotraumatic diseases with a high unmet medical need – such as ALS.

ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases in the world, with approximately 400,000 cases. It mainly attacks motor neurons, the nerve cells that transmit signals from the brain to the muscles and enable movement.

The progressive destruction of these neurons leads to increasing muscle weakness, loss of mobility and speech, and in advanced stages, paralysis and breathing difficulties. Most patients die within two to five years. 90% of cases are sporadic, with no identified risk factors, and there is currently no cure for ALS.

“Axoltis is developing a breakthrough treatment that could change the lives of millions of patients. If it reaches its full potential, hundreds of investors would also reap significant financial benefits. This translates into a win-win situation for society as a whole,” says Daniel Oliver Uriel, founder and CEO of Capital Cell.

It is here that the company looks to make progress as they develop NX210c, a cyclic peptide of 12 amino acids designed from the most conserved and repeated sequence of SCO-spondin, a glycoprotein that plays a crucial role in the development of the central nervous system during embryogenesis.

NX210c is a novel drug candidate for neurodegenerative or trauma-related disorders, with blood-brain barrier repair, neuroprotective and neurotransmission improvement properties.

“The enthusiasm, perseverance and resilience demonstrated by the Axoltis team over the last few months are exceptional in the current financial climate,” said Dr Gilles Avenard, chairman of the Axoltis supervisory board.

The €18 million has been raised across two tranches, the second being contingent on results from the ‘SEALS’ phase 2 clinical trial currently underway.

Launched at the end of 2024, SEALS aims to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of NX210c in 82 patients with ALS, across 16 investigation sites. The trial also measures how the drug candidate helps repair the blood-brain barrier, which becomes damaged in many neurodegenerative disorders such as ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. The last patient was enrolled in mid-November. Results are expected in Q2 2026.

The funds obtained will also help the company pursue research into other neurological indications where the properties of NX210c could deliver a significant impact, notably in repairing the blood-brain barrier.

“Axoltis Pharma combines a high-performance team, a distinctive technology and remarkable development potential; we are delighted to be working alongside the company from now on,” said Frédéric Picq, co-founder and partner at Cenitz.

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