Ambros Therapeutic, a new biotechnology company, has launched with $125 million in Series A funding. The company plans to introduce neridronate, a non-opioid pain medication developed by Italy’s Abiogen Pharma, to the U.S. market. Neridronate is already approved for use in Italy.
Ambros intends to move directly into Phase III clinical trials at the beginning of next year. The drug targets bisphosphonate pathways and is thought to play a role in preventing soft tissue calcification and regulating bone mineralization.
The recent funding round was supported by RA Capital Management and Enavate Sciences, which is part of Patient Square Capital. This financial backing will help advance a Phase III trial focused on treating complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS-1), a chronic pain disorder that can develop after an injury without nerve damage. In Italy, neridronate is also approved for osteogenesis imperfecta and Paget’s disease but has not received approval for these conditions outside of Italy.
Ambros noted that the FDA has granted neridronate breakthrough therapy, fast track, and orphan drug designations for CRPS-1. The company licensed the therapy from Abiogen Pharma; terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Jay Hagan, previously CEO of Regulus Therapeutics—which was acquired by Novartis earlier this year—will lead Ambros Therapeutic. Vivek Ramaswamy, founder of Roivant Sciences and former presidential candidate who later endorsed President Donald Trump, is also associated with the new venture.
Interest in non-addictive pain treatments has grown in the biopharma industry following increased attention to the opioid crisis. Earlier this year, Vertex gained approval for its non-opioid painkiller Journavx. Other companies working on similar therapies include Eli Lilly, Lexicon Therapeutics, and Sangamo Therapeutics.
