Milan-based biotech firm NanoPhoria Bioscience has announced the successful first close of its €83.5 million Series A funding round, marking a major step forward in its mission to develop innovative treatments for heart failure. The round was led by XGEN Venture, Sofinnova Partners, and CDP Venture Capital, with Panakès Partners also participating alongside an undisclosed investor.
The funding will support the continued development of NanoPhoria’s lead candidate, NP-MP1, a first-in-class therapeutic peptide designed to treat heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF)—a life-threatening condition that affects millions worldwide and carries a five-year mortality rate of roughly 40%.
NP-MP1 works by targeting cardiac L-type calcium channels to improve ejection fraction, directly addressing one of the core dysfunctions in HFrEF. The therapy is delivered via NanoPhoria’s proprietary lung-to-heart nano-in-micro delivery platform, which enables precise delivery of therapeutic agents to heart cells. Preclinical studies have demonstrated strong efficacy in restoring cardiac function.
“This financing is a transformational milestone for NanoPhoria,” said Claudio De Luca, CEO and co-founder of the company. “It enables us to accelerate clinical development of NP-MP1 and expand our pipeline. Our innovative delivery platform allows us to target previously inaccessible cellular targets in the cardiomyocyte, bringing us closer to delivering life-changing treatments for patients living with serious cardiac and other chronic conditions.”
With the new capital, NanoPhoria will advance NP-MP1 through IND-enabling studies and into early clinical trials. The company also plans to leverage its delivery technology to pursue treatments for other underserved chronic diseases.
Investors expressed strong support for the company’s novel approach and long-term potential.
“NanoPhoria’s science provides a novel, and viable, way of delivering highly potent therapeutics directly to the heart,” said Paolo Fundarò, Managing Partner at XGEN Venture. “We look forward to working alongside such a fantastic syndicate of investors.”
Henrijette Richter, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, emphasized the company’s potential to redefine treatment paradigms: “This financing builds on the early support of my colleague Lucia Faccio, whose role was instrumental in supporting the company in its early days. The investment reflects Sofinnova’s broader commitment to backing world-class science across Europe.”
The Series A round marks a significant endorsement of NanoPhoria’s platform technology and therapeutic strategy, positioning the company as a rising innovator in cardiovascular drug development.