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2015, 02, 18 — New method gives hope of treatment of diabetes

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Press release 2015-02-18

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New method gives hope of treatment of diabetes

More and more adults’ get type 2 diabetes. Today, more than 8% of the earths grown-up population have the disease and the negative development increases by 7,5% per year. Today treatment is mainly focused on delaying the time to treatment of the life long disease with insulin. PILA PHARMA, which has been established at Medeon Science Park in Malmø, is dedicated to develop a novel approach of the treatment of type 2 diabetes, and is currently in the process of starting a project, which already has showed promising pre-clinical results. Almi Invest has made an investment in PILA PHARMA.

– PILA PHARMA has concluded pre-clinical trials and demonstrated some very positive and exiting results. For obvious reasons investments in the development of pharmaceutical products is extremely high risk. However, this is exactly the mission for Almi Invest to invest in high-risk projects, and this project needs a decent chance to be seriously examined. So even if it will be a long journey to a safe and efficient pharmaceutical product or treatment method, the need is immense and the market is huge says Per Antonsson, Investment Manager at Almi Invest.

New class of an oral pharmaceutical product for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

The objective of the project is to develop a new class of an oral pharmaceutical product to treat newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients in combination with other glucose regulating pharmaceutical products hereby delaying the treatment with insulin to delay and possible avoid the late complications and debilitating diseases associated with diabetes.

The woman behind the Company

Dorte Xenia Gram is the owner of PILA PHARMA.

– The investment from Almi Invest confirms that they believe in our concept, which is extremely important for us. The investment from Almi Invest enable us to continue our development and ultimately investigate how a smaller number of patients will react in an acute glucose tolerance study says Dorte Xenia Gram, CEO at PILA PHARMA.

Dorte X. Gram has an extensive network of experts and diabetes competences linked to her company and bring herself diabetes expertise from her previous position within diabetes at the Danish diabetes company Novo Nordisk. When Novo Nordisk, for strategic reasons, decided to focus their research and development on proteins, Dorte X. Gram had the chance to acquire the use patent for the active ingredient, which is the cornerstone of the development to an active oral pharmaceutical product for the treatment of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetic patients.

Professionalism in the Board of Directors

In association with Almi Invest’s investment, the Board of Directors has been expanded with individuals with a broad-based experience from public life science companies. In addition to Per Antonsson, which represents Almi Invest, Axel Nemetz and Mogens Vang Rasmussen have been added to the company’s Board of Directors. Axel has a background as Global Head of m-health at Vodafone and before that he was European Head of Strategy at Novo Nordisk. Mogens has a background as Finance Director, Planning and Investor Relations, Novo Nordisk of North America, New York, USA and later he served as CEO and CFO/COO at Zealand Pharma, a biotech company with diabetes products.

For further information please contact:

  • Maria Kessling, Head of Communication Almi Invest; +4676-880 88 10, maria@kessling @ almi.se
  • Per Antonsson, Investment Manager Almi Invest; +4670-872 87 17, per.antonsson@almi.se
  • Dorte Xenia Gram, CEO, PILA PHARMA +46 (0) 73 903 6969; dxg@pilapharma.com

About Almi Invest:

Almi Invest invests in Swedish companies with scalable business concepts and prospects for long-term capital growth. Through the support of our experienced investment managers, capital and networks, we create opportunities for businesses to grow and compete in a global market. We invest from the seed phase to the expansion phase. We are located across the whole of Sweden, with regional knowledge and an international perspective. Our portfolio consists of 400 growth companies in many different industries. Almi Invest is a subsidiary of the Almi Group.
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