NETRIS Pharma Secures €7.25 Million in EU Horizon Europe Funding
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NETRIS Pharma, a clinical-stage oncology company with roots in Lyon since 2008 and a Geneva presence since 2016, has announced the award of €7.25 million under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme. The funding will support a Phase 2b randomized clinical trial of NP137 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
NP137 targets the netrin-1 / epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) axis, a mechanism believed to drive resistance to existing therapies. It is currently the only clinical-stage anti-netrin-1 therapy in development. The trial will be led by Dr. Jérôme Fayette, medical oncologist at Centre Léon Bérard in Lyon, and conducted in partnership with GORTEC — France’s leading cooperative oncology group in head and neck cancer — as well as the Spanish TTCC group and Université Libre de Bruxelles.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma remains a disease with significant unmet need, particularly with a large portion of patients relapsing under immunotherapy. The scientific rationale for targeting netrin-1 in HNSCC to alleviate resistance to immunotherapy and thus extend the survival of patients is compelling,and the clinical outcomes from the Phase2 ImmunoNET study confirms the potential of NP137 to deliver meaningful clinical benefit for our patients,” said Dr. Jérôme Fayette, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator and Medical Oncologist at Centre Léon Bérard.
Building on the encouraging results of the Phase 2 ImmunoNET study, this new trial aims to generate the robust clinical evidence needed to move NP137 closer to regulatory discussions. For CEO Patrick Mehlen, the Horizon Europe grant represents both a scientific validation and a strategic milestone: “NP137 is uniquely positioned in a disease area with significant unmet need, and this partnership provides the ideal framework to advance our work.”
A promising step forward for European oncology innovation — and for the patients who need it most.
➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 © Canva Library + Netris Pharma