LUMC spin-off RougeTx secures €50 million to advance HHT treatment
RougeTx, a biotech spin-off from Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), has secured €50 million in funding to advance research into hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). The investment brings the company closer to developing a targeted treatment for people living with this inherited vascular condition.
HHT affects the way blood vessels develop, leading to frequent bleeding and potentially serious complications. Despite its significant impact on patients, a treatment addressing the underlying vascular abnormalities is not yet available.
Development of RTX-001
The funding will support the continued development of RTX-001, a drug candidate designed to stabilise blood vessels. It will enable RougeTx to move the treatment towards clinical studies, marking an important next step in translating scientific research into a potential therapy.
The development builds on more than two decades of research led by Franck Lebrin, LUMC researcher and co-founder of RougeTx. His work began at the French research institute Inserm before continuing at LUMC over the past ten years. For Lebrin, the investment represents an opportunity to bring years of scientific discoveries closer to benefiting the HHT patient community.
RougeTx was founded by Lebrin, Jérémy Thalgott, Starfish Innovations, ROM Region Utrecht and BioGeneration Ventures, with later support from Libertatis Ergo Holding BV. The underlying research also received funding from reNEW and Health~Holland. The company's progress demonstrates how sustained scientific research can lay the foundations for new medical treatments.