Seventure Partners. (7/5/17). "Press Release: Health for Life Capital Participates in $13.2m Financing of Japanese Microbiome Leader Anaeropharma Science". Paris.

	Organisation	Health for Life Capital fund (HFL)
	Group	BPCE (Group)
	Organisation 2	Anaeropharma Science (JP)
	Product	microbial genomics
	Product 2	venture capital
	Person	de Crémoux, Isabelle (BPCE 201110– CEO of Seventure Partners)
	Person 2	de La Fortelle, Eric (Delenex 201102– CEO before Roche)

Innovative biotech company uses live bacteria to fight cancer

Seventure Partners, one of Europe’s leaders in financing innovation, and a world-leader in the venture investment in the microbiome sector, today announces that it has participated in a $13.1m financing of Japanese biotech company Anaeropharma Science. The investment is made from Seventure’s Health for Life Capital™ investment vehicle.

Anaeropharma Science, based in Tokyo, Japan, is developing novel genetically enhanced bacteria to fight tumours. The Company’s lead product APS001F (based on obligate anaerobic bacterium Bifidobacterium longum) can only proliferate in the hypoxic core of solid tumors, where it secretes the enzyme cytosine deaminase turning a systemically administered prodrug into a cytotoxic agent, which hollows out the tumor from the inside. The Company is currently conducting a Phase 1b/2a trial of APS001F in patients with advanced solid tumours in the U.S.

Health For Life Capital™ invests alongside Novartis and a number of Japanese investors. This is Seventure’s first investment in a Japanese company.

“There is a huge market opportunity for novel treatments that harness the specific capabilities of microbiome-derived bacteria. Anaeropharma Science is developing a pioneering approach to the cancer therapy, which may powerfully complement other axes of modern oncology research,” said Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO and Managing Partner of Seventure Partners. “The Company’s innovative R&D is a great fit for our Health For Life Capital™ investment vehicle.” Eric de La Fortelle, Venture Partner at Seventure Partners, will be a Board observer seat in the company.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About The Microbiome

The microbiome, which consists in all the micro-organisms that reside in and on the human body, is an exciting and fast-developing new field at the interface of pharmaceuticals and nutrition, offering abundant opportunities for developing new medicines. The composition and functionality of the bacterial ecosystem forming a large part of the microbiome, in the gut and elsewhere, has been linked to various health conditions, among which acne, psoriasis and allergies, gastrointestinal ailments, Crohn disease, obesity, diabetes, autism, depression or cancer. There are approximately 10 times more bacteria than human cells in the body, and over a hundred times more bacterial genes than human ones. The multitude of biological processes and indications affected by the bacterial ecosystem within the human microbiome, makes its balance critical to health. Understanding and maintaining and adequate balance of species within this complex ecosystem is an important goal for future medical progress, especially in the area of preventing and treating chronic diseases.

About Seventure Partners

With over €660m in assets under management as of the end of 2016, Seventure Partners is a leading venture capital firm in Europe. Since 1997, Seventure Partners has invested in innovative businesses with high growth potential in two fields: Digital technologies in France and Germany, and Life sciences across Europe, Israel, Japan and North America.

In Life sciences, the four areas of focus include biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, connected health and medtech, industrial biotechnology, and last but not least: the MICROBIOME, nutrition, foodtech and personalized medicine. Investments can range between €500k and €10m per round, or up to €20m per company, from early to late stage. Recently, Seventure Partners successfully launched Health for Life Capital™ which has attracted strategic investments from prestigious organizations including Danone, Tereos, Tornier, Lesaffre, Bel and Novartis, as well as entrepreneurs and financial institutions.

Seventure is a subsidiary of Natixis Global Asset Management. Natixis is the international corporate, investment, insurance and financial services arm of Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France

For more details: www.seventure.com / Twitter @SeventureP

About Health For Life Capital™

Seventure Partners launched Health for Life Capital™, the first venture capital fund focused mainly on investments in the microbiome and nutrition space. Europe is the primary focus of the fund, but it also invests in North America, Israel and Asia. The €160m fund attracted strategic investments from prestigious organisations including Danone, Novartis, Tereos, Tornier, Lesaffre and Bel, as well as financial institutions and entrepreneurs. Health for Life Capital™ is managed by Seventure’s Life sciences team.

For more details: www.seventure.com

Media contacts:

At the Company
Isabelle de Cremoux
CEO and Managing Partner of Seventure Partners
Tel : + 33 1 58 19 22 72
Email : isabelle.decremoux@seventure.fr

In France
Agence Yucatan
Caroline Prince-Albagnac
Tel : +33 1 53 63 27 35
Email : cprince@yucatan.fr

International
Instinctif Partners
Sue Charles/ Gemma Howe
Tel: +44 20 7866 7860
Email: seventure@instinctif.com

Record changed: 2023-06-05