Orbis Medicines, a Copenhagen-based drug discovery firm, has successfully raised €90M in its Series A funding round, increasing its total funding to €116M. The company focuses on developing oral macrocycle drugs using its proprietary nGen platform. With the rising demand for innovative solutions in drug therapies, this funding positions Orbis Medicines to further its pipeline, particularly targeting biologic drug challenges through oral alternatives. The announcement also coincides with the appointment of Morten Graugaard as CEO, bringing over two decades of expertise in life sciences to guide the company through its growth phase.
Why are investors backing Orbis Medicines?
The financing round was led by NEA (New Enterprise Associates) and saw participation from notable investors like Eli Lilly, Novo Holdings, and Forbion, among others. Supporting their decision, Ed Mathers, Partner at NEA, stated:
“The Orbis Medicines team has impressed us with the data supporting nGen, which we believe is the world’s leading discovery engine for oral macrocycle drugs. We are thrilled to support not only their journey to the clinic but also their longer-term vision as a leader in their field.”
The funding will be allocated to further developing the company’s oral macrocycle platform, “nCycles,” addressing long-standing challenges in delivering biologic drugs orally. The unique approach of Orbis has attracted market interest, validating the potential of its innovative platform in addressing unmet medical needs.
How does the nGen platform work?
Orbis’ nGen platform is engineered to design and optimise oral macrocycle compounds for bioavailability and intracellular targeting. The system integrates high-throughput synthesis, automated analysis, and machine learning to navigate a library of 100 billion compounds, enabling the identification of viable candidates within weeks. These efforts are aimed at creating alternatives to biologics that are typically administered through injection, offering a format more suitable for chronic disease management.
CEO Morten Graugaard expressed confidence in the company’s trajectory, saying:
“The support from this particular group of investors is further validation of the exemplary science and exciting potential of Orbis Medicines. The company is advancing the potential of macrocycles by developing orally available nCycles — a format preferred by patients, physicians and healthcare systems, particularly for chronic diseases.”
Founded in 2024, Orbis Medicines continues to operate out of Copenhagen and Lausanne, Switzerland. Prior to its latest funding, the company had raised €26M in a seed round supported by Novo Holdings and Forbion.
When compared to earlier developments in drug discovery, the emergence of Orbis’ nGen platform demonstrates a clear focus on automation and high-throughput capabilities that differentiate it from traditional methods. While earlier approaches relied heavily on manual synthesis and slower iteration cycles, Orbis’ integration of machine learning into drug discovery sets a distinct precedent in the industry.
The advancements in macrocycle drug discovery through nGen have the potential to address limitations of existing biologic therapies, including their delivery methods and accessibility. However, further proof-of-concept from clinical trials will be critical to solidify nGen’s position in the market. For patients and healthcare systems, oral macrocycle drugs may offer a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative, particularly in managing chronic conditions.
