Company targets metabolism with therapies to restore energy stability and prevent organ dysfunction.

Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company OrsoBio has secured $60 million in Series A financing, bringing the total capital raised by the company to $97 million. OrsoBio is developing small molecule treatments for severe metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, NASH and severe dyslipidemias.

OrsoBio’s name is inspired by the metabolic adaptability of bears (“orso” in Italian), enabling them to navigate extreme environmental challenges. The company’s approach targets fundamental aspects of metabolism with therapies designed to restore energy homeostasis and prevent organ dysfunction.

The funding round was co-led by Longitude Capital and Enavate Sciences, with participation from Samsara BioCapital, NuevaBio and new investor Eli Lilly and Company. Matthew Young of Longitude Capital and Edd Fleming of Enavate Sciences will join OrsoBio’s Board of Directors.

“We have high conviction in the OrsoBio team, the company’s differentiated portfolio, and its strategy to pursue complementary approaches to meaningfully impact the burden of a range of metabolic conditions that affect substantial patient populations,” said Young.

The global obesity crisis, currently affecting over 40% of US adults, leads to various complications such as diabetes, NASH, cardiovascular diseases and more. OrsoBio plans to use the Series A funding to advance multiple programs targeting obesity and associated metabolic disorders.

“While we’ve witnessed remarkable breakthroughs in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, notably with GLP-1 receptor agonists, there remains a high unmet need for effective and safe oral therapies that are complementary to, and can be used in combination with, these agents,” said Fleming.

The funding will support the company’s mitochondrial protonophore portfolio through the clinical development of a liver-targeted protonophore through a Phase 1b study for proof of concept, and initiation of a Phase 2a study in patients with obesity.

Additionally, OrsoBio expects to complete Phase 2a studies of an ACC2 inhibitor in patients with insulin resistance/diabetes, and an LXR inverse agonist in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia and NASH, as well as preparing for Phase 2b studies in both programs.

“We are grateful for the continued trust in our team and commitment to our mission to improve clinical outcomes in patients with obesity and associated metabolic disorders,” said Dr Mani Subramanian, CEO of OrsoBio. “This financing is an important milestone for OrsoBio that will enable us to progress our portfolio of first-in-class compounds targeting fundamental aspects of energy metabolism towards key clinical milestones.”