Startup aims for clinical trial of lead candidate in IPF while advancing additional programs targeting CCN proteins.
Scandinavian biotech Tribune Therapeutics has raised €37 million in seed and Series A funding to advance its portfolio of next-generation anti-fibrotic therapies. The funding will support the clinical development of the company’s lead candidate, a CCN5 mimic designed to combat fibrosis at its root causes.
Characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components such as collagen, fibrosis leads to tissue hardening, scarring and organ dysfunction. The process contributes to numerous chronic diseases affecting the lungs, liver, kidneys and other organs. Aging is a key risk factor, as cellular senescence, chronic inflammation, impaired autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction all drive fibrotic progression. Current treatments for fibrotic diseases offer only symptomatic relief or modestly slow disease progression by targeting inflammatory mediators or growth factors.
Based in Oslo, Norway, and Stockholm, Sweden, Tribune is taking a different approach by focusing on the CCN family of proteins, which are central regulators of scar formation. By targeting these proteins rather than upstream inflammatory pathways, the company aims to develop broadly applicable disease-modifying therapies that can halt or even reverse fibrosis. Its lead program, called TRX-44, is designed to mimic the natural function of CCN5, an endogenous protein that counteracts the pro-fibrotic effects of other CCN family members. By restoring this natural balance, it is thought that TRX-44 could prevent excessive scar formation across multiple organ systems.
One of the primary indications for TRX-44 is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a fatal lung disease that leads to respiratory failure within three to five years of diagnosis. The new funding will enable Tribune to move TRX-44 into clinical trials while also advancing additional programs targeting CCN proteins.
“Tribune was founded on groundbreaking discoveries about the underlying drivers of fibrosis. From the beginning, it was clear that these discoveries had far-reaching therapeutic implications,” said Tribune CEO Georg Vo Beiske. “Advancing our programs towards the clinic with the backing of such a strong and prestigious investor group further increases our confidence in our innovative approach to treat fibrotic diseases, many of which are fatal.”
The announced financing includes a recent €23 million Series A round led by LifeArc Ventures, with participation from both existing and new investors, including Novo Holdings, HealthCap, Innovestor’s Life Science Fund, Inven2, Industrifonden and Investinor.
“Fibrotic diseases like IPF are devastating and often terminal,” said Novo’s João Ribas. “Tribune’s approach exploits the biology of CCNs to shut down a key pro-fibrotic pathway, and is the kind of novel strategy that can meaningfully impact the treatment of multiple fibrotic indications.”
In conjunction with the financing, LifeArc’s Chris Baker and Industrifonden’s Jonathan Ilicki, will join Tribune’s board.
“After reviewing the preclinical data for TRX-44 and meeting the impressive team behind it, we recognized the potential transformational impact of this strategy,” said Baker. “Tribune has the opportunity to pioneer a new approach to the treatment of fibrotic diseases that could make debilitating conditions like IPF manageable, improving quality of life and giving new hope to thousands of patients diagnosed each year.”
