Dutch-based Orexa raises €485K to develop therapeutics to increase food intake

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Netherlands-based Orexa, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that develops and commercialises therapeutics to increase food intake, announced on Tuesday, January 10, that it has raised €485K in a fresh round of funding. 

The investors in the current round remain undisclosed. 

Orexa has raised €2.5M over the last 12 months. The company secured €800K and €1.2M in previous rounds.

Developing a medicine that increases food intake

Founded in 2016 by Prof Dr Ard Peeters, Orexa is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that creates treatments to boost food consumption. Its main ingredient is a human-use oral formulation that is proprietary and is based on a well-known anaesthetic.

The company has started its first phase 2a study in the prevention of Post-Operative Ileus in November 2022, with the expected first inclusion of patients in April 2023. Post-Operative ileus is a prolonged absence of bowel function following surgical treatments, usually abdominal surgery.

The company is also in preparation for studies in Anorexia nervosa and Cachexia.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by an abnormally low body weight, a strong fear of gaining weight, and a skewed sense of weight. People with anorexia maintain their weight and physical appearance often by making excessive attempts that seriously disrupt their lives. Cachexia is a wasting disease that causes the loss of skeletal muscle and fat, and is believed that up to 80 per cent of people with advanced cancer may have it.

According to Orexa, in all three indications mentioned above, increased food intake could lead to improved patient health, shorter hospital stays and significant cost savings. Orexa is, therefore, developing a drug that increases food intake. 

The company focuses primarily on the recovery of patients who have undergone surgery, anorexia patients and elderly people with malnutrition (sarcopenia).

How was Orexa born?

Prof Dr Ard Peeters claims to have made the unexpected finding that led to the creation of Orexa. He found that administering anaesthetics locally to the stomach alters how much food is consumed. To his amazement, he discovered that the test animals consumed more food than he had anticipated. Various research on healthy humans and animals has verified this effect since its first discovery.

The mechanism of action has been patented. Orexa has also filed a patent for an innovative tablet formulation and has produced a batch to conduct its clinical trials.

Capital utilisation

Orexa says it will use the funds to start its second clinical phase 2a trial in patients with Anorexia Nervosa.

Founder Prof Dr Ard Peeters says, “We are delighted that we will be able to treat patients in not one, but in two indications, and to be able to research the efficacy of our new drug more broadly. This phase 2a study will be conducted on anorexia patients who are in the recovery stage. The purpose of this study is to find out if anorexia patients can be supported in their recovery with the treatment of our drug.”

Orexa CEO, Sake Stevenhaagen, adds, “We are grateful for the broad support from our existing investors, who have subscribed for more than 80 per cent of this financing round, as well as for the subscription of the new investors. In just 4 days, we reached our target amount, which gives us the ability to start our second phase 2a trial. This gives Orexa a great position because we can research the mechanism of action in patients in multiple indications and find out in which patient population the most health benefits can be achieved. With this third successful financing round, we have created a strong base, on which we can further build out our company.”

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Vishal Singh

Vishal Singh is a News Reporter and Social Media Marketing Lead at Silicon Canals. He covers developments in the European startup ecosystem and oversees the publication's social media presence. Before joining Silicon Canals, Vishal gained experience at the Indian digital media outlet Inc42, contributing to its growth with insightful content. Despite being a college dropout, his passion for writing has driven his career in journalism.

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