Danish biotech start-up raises €5m to develop non-hormonal fertility treatment

The Danish biotech start-up Notify Therapeutics has raised €5m in funding to develop a hormone-free fertility treatment for women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR).

Notify Therapeutics, which emerged from Professor Karin Lykke-Hartmann’s research into female infertility, aims to offer a novel approach to fertility treatment targeting the hormone-independent phase of ovarian follicle development.

Focusing on the early development of ovarian follicles to help infertile women, who do not benefit from today’s standard hormone therapy, the company is developing a drug that is hoped to induce factors that regulate the intracellular NRF2 pathway, a major driver of follicle activation and a signalling pathway that promotes survival and growth in response to extracellular signals.

“Our genetic studies have identified a previously unknown role played by the NRF2 protein in the maturation process of eggs in the ovaries,” explained Professor Karin Lykke-Hartmann, founder and CEO of Notify Therapeutics.

“In early experiments, we activated NRF2 in mice and in ovarian tissue from women with DOR, which stimulated egg maturation. In the rodent study, this significantly increased the number of successful pregnancies.

“We know that the number of mature eggs determines the success rate of fertility treatment, and we hope to develop a treatment that can improve – or even replace – standard hormone treatment and thereby increase chances of conceiving.

“This new seed investment gives us the necessary resources to pick the best suited molecule that can then enter clinical phases,” she added.

It is estimated that more than 25 million people in Europe are affected by infertility. Around one in six couples of reproductive age have trouble conceiving.

In the US, more than 10 per cent of women aged 15-49 seek fertility treatment at some point, around 30 per cent of whom have DOR.

Jacob Falck Hansen, partner in Lundbeckfonden BioCapital who invested in the Danish start-up, said: “Notify and Karin Lykke-Hartmann stand for top-quality research in an area with a large unmet need.

“More than one in ten couples seek help to have children. Unfortunately, many are unsuccessful despite today’s treatment options.

“The investment also entails an active operational and strategic commitment on our part. We will work with the Notify team to develop a treatment that can bring new hope to families.”

Klaus Dugi, venture partner in +ND Capital and chairman at Notify, added: “Reduced ovarian function and subsequent infertility is one of the earliest conditions associated with ageing.

“At +ND Capital we would be delighted to help women build families and to enjoy life to the fullest.”