Turin, 5/09/ 2023 – The Club degli Investitori announces its investment in Ilios Therapeutics, a Harvard spin-off with the goal of developing innovative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. The company synthesizes first-in-class small molecules, using validated therapeutic agents of natural origin, into a single drug capable of synergistically targeting multiple complementary mechanisms that are at the root of neuronal death.

Currently, drugs for neurodegenerative diseases show low efficacy, have several side effects and are only able to hit one target. Ilios Therapeutics’ innovative and synergistic approach allows it to focus on three complementary targets, hitting the different causes of the disease with a single drug.

Founded in 2022 by Luca Giani (CEO) and Fares Nigim, the team, supported by a high-profile advisory board, has so far worked on the chemical side to study compound synthesis. With the investment, the company is ready to start biological tests on cellular and animal models.

In addition to the Club degli Investitori, other VC players such as Exor Ventures, Innospark, Catalisi, and the American business angel Jim Bildner participated in the investment round.

Luca Giani, Co-founder and CEO of Ilios, stated: “I strongly believe that neurodegenerative diseases are caused by multiple interconnected mechanisms that require a synergistic, multi-targeted approach. Ilios is pioneering in this new field with our new chemical entities. A sincere thank you to Club degli Investitori for their confidence which will help turn this ambitious project into a reality that I hope will change the therapeutic field for the many patients affected by neurodegeneration and their families.”

Andrea Ferraris, Champion of the operation for the Club degli Investitori, commented: “I am particularly delighted to have contributed to the success of the fundraising for Ilios, where – despite being a seed operation – 45 members of the Club are involved, testifying to the ethical significance of our activity as angel investors. Indeed, this operation perfectly reflects the spirit of the Club as it aims to support health care scientific research, focusing on improving therapies for a widespread and debilitating class of disorders. It represents a cross-border project between Italy – where the chemical aspect of the drug was developed – and the USA – particularly at Harvard Medical School – where the Italian researcher, Luca Giani, operates and has assembled a team of top-notch advisors and specialists. We are well aware that the process of getting a drug approved for sale is lengthy, demanding, and requires substantial resources. However, we have great confidence in Luca Giani and his collaborators, who have already demonstrated their dedication to the project and possess the technical and organizational skills necessary to lead it to success. Therefore, I extend my gratitude to the Club members who have positively evaluated the merits of the project and to the institutional investors who contribute their funds, with whom we will share the progress of the project.“