Pepscope Secures Investment to Radically Improve Development and Application of Kinase Inhibitor Therapies

NIJMEGEN, the Netherlands, December 14, 2020 / B3C newswire / -- Pepscope is a Dutch biotechnology company offering innovative endogenous protein kinase activity profiling technologies. Today, Pepscope announces a 4.3-million-euro funding round, led by KIKK Capital, together with Oost NL and the Netherlands Enterprise Agency to further develop and commercialize her lead product QuantaKinome™.

QuantaKinome™ is the first technology to provide direct insights into the activities of hundreds of protein kinases simultaneously inside the cells of diseased tissues. Pepscope offers QuantaKinome™ to the pharmaceutical industry and academic researchers to improve the discovery and development of novel kinase inhibitors and other therapeutic compounds, to find new applications of existing compounds, and in due course to select optimal therapies for individual patients.

Kinase inhibitors represent an essential class of targeted therapies that exert their effects by influencing signaling networks inside cells, governed by protein kinases. Despite impressive scientific progress, little is known about the complex effects of drugs on these networks inside tissues. QuantaKinome™ is perfectly positioned to fill this gap.

Anna Ressa, CEO & co-founder of Pepscope, comments: “With this investment, we are fully equipped to expand our business globally and work on novel solutions for drug development with pharmaceutical partners. I am very proud of the strong and dedicated Pepscope team that brings QuantaKinome™ to the market.”

“Pepscope solves a crucial problem with an enormous, untapped market potential”, says Johan Sebregts, Managing Partner of lead investor KIKK Capital, “We are proud to join Pepscope together with our partners and bring our combined financial and business resources to the table to help the company grow.”

"Pepscope has a promising solution for improving drug development, leading to personalized treatment plans and more effective care," says Thomas Hensel, Investment Manager at Oost NL. Oost NL provides a loan to Pepscope from the new fund ION+.

“We’re delighted that we can finally offer a solution for the lack of insight in kinase activities in cells and tissues”, adds Jos Joore, co-founder of Pepscope, “QuantaKinome™ is bound to transform kinase inhibitors and other therapies. We can’t wait to start making an impact on patient lives.”

About Pepscope
Pepscope B.V. is an innovative, privately-owned biotech company based in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, with R&D laboratories in Utrecht. The company develops and markets kinase and protein activity profiling technologies to the pharmaceutical industry and academic research groups. The Pepscope team is made up of experts in the field of kinase biology, mass spectrometry, and phosphoproteomics, and has extensive, multi-year expertise in the kinome profiling field.

About KIKK Capital
KIKK Capital invests in young companies that have recently developed and launched new products, processes or services. Her shareholders and fund management contribute not only capital but also valuable knowledge, skills and their extensive networks. The KIKK Capital shareholders each bring their unique expertise to the table, gained from holding leading positions in national and international businesses. KIKK Capital plays an active role in its participations, taking responsibility for their success.

About Oost NL
Oost NL (East Netherlands Development Agency) is an agency that focuses its activities and projects on strengthening and stimulating the economy of the provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel, the Netherlands. With our investments, we support starting and growth-phase SMEs. We do this partly with risk capital from various revolving innovation funds, and partly through our knowledge, networks and personal contacts. Through the revolving funds, we provide for direct as well as indirect investment and take care of the fund management. In addition, we stimulate and support public and private investors. The result: growth through financing.

Contacts

Pepscope
Anna Ressa, CEO
anna@pepscope.com
+31 85 888 7655

KIKK Capital
Johan Sebregts
j.sebregts@kikkcapital.com

Oost NL
Thomas Hensel
thomas.hensel@oostnl.nl

Keywords: Humans; Protein Kinases; Drug Industry; Drug Discovery; Drug Development; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Biotechnology; Investments; Netherlands

Published by B3C newswire