HMNC developed personalized therapies in psychiatry, in which drugs are used in conjunction with proprietary genetic companion diagnoses. The startup uses existing pharmaceuticals and does not develop its own products. The focus is on major depressive disorder (MDD) and treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
With the now completed financing round of 14.2 million euros, the Total funding of HMNC to 42.3 million euros. The new funds come from existing investors, including the Jahr Group, Guntard Gutmann, and Carsten Maschmeyer, who is also a co-founder and board member of HMNC Brain Health. New investors include Josef Ackermann (former CEO of Deutsche Bank), Toni Kroos (Real Madrid), Wilhelm Beier (owner of the pharmaceutical company Dermapharm), and Hans Kompernaß (Managing Director of Kompernaß Handelsgesellschaft).
The startup plans to launch the multinational Phase 2 trial of its Nelivabon program in early 2023, for which part of the funding round is earmarked. The funds will also be used to advance the development of its Ketabon program, which already entered a Phase 2 clinical trial in June 2022.
Maximilian Doebler, Chief Business Officer of HMNC Brain Health, says:
"We are very pleased to receive support from new and existing investors. This funding will enable us to accelerate the development of our personalized therapies to address serious, unmet mental health needs around the world. Raising additional capital is a tremendous vote of confidence in the promise of our clinical trial candidates, the power of precision medicine in psychiatry, and our team's ability to deliver on its strategic priorities."
Toni Kroos: “Mental health is a serious issue”
Toni Kroos also explains his commitment with personal experiences:
"Mental health is a serious issue that affects millions of people around the world. I've witnessed how mental health is underestimated, especially in competitive sports, despite the incredible physical and mental pressure. The team at HMNC Brain Health is a true pioneer in this field, combating mental illness with tailored, individualized treatments. That's why I'm excited to be on board."
Josef Ackermann says:
"I've always been fascinated by groundbreaking innovations that improve people's lives, especially in the area of health. That's why I decided to support HMNC as an investor and be part of the revolution in precision psychiatry. By investing in HMNC's programs, I want to make an important societal contribution in the fight against anxiety disorders and depression."
Carsten Maschmeyer adds:
"We are very encouraged by the progress of HMNC Brain Health's activities to date and equally confident in the team's ability to achieve further success. In recent months, HMNC has recruited key experts to the team and made significant progress in developing drugs and companion diagnostics. Not surprisingly, within a short period of time, we have attracted several new, renowned investors who support the maturation of HMNC Brain Health and who, like me, believe in the important role HMNC will play in treating patients with mental illness worldwide."
