SeaBeLife secures US$3.26M to advance acute liver disease drug in France
The programme includes a Phase I trial in healthy volunteers, followed by a Phase Ib trial in hospitalised patients with acute liver injury, acute liver failure or acute-on-chronic liver failure.
FRANCE— French biotechnology company SeaBeLife has secured €2.9 million (US$3.26 million) in France 2030 funding to advance SBL01, its investigational drug candidate for acute liver damage, towards clinical trials between 2026 and 2028.
The funding, awarded through Bpifrance, the French public investment bank, will support the SeaBeLIVER project, which aims to prepare SBL01 for clinical development and assess its potential to treat severe liver conditions.
Advancing SBL01 towards clinical trials
Led by SeaBeLife, the project will cover manufacturing development, regulatory preclinical studies and the application for clinical trial authorisation.
The programme includes a Phase I trial in healthy volunteers, followed by a Phase Ib trial in hospitalised patients with acute liver injury, acute liver failure or acute-on-chronic liver failure.
These studies will provide initial data on the drug’s biological activity in humans.
The programme targets conditions associated with high mortality and limited treatment options.
In a prospective cohort of patients with acute liver failure, transplant-free survival at 21 days was 56.2%.
Meanwhile, 28-day mortality in the most severe cases of acute-on-chronic liver failure can reach 76%.
Morgane Rousselot, CEO and co-founder of SeaBeLife, said the funding would help the company advance SBL01 towards its first clinical data.
She added that the project would also support clinical evaluation of its approach to inhibiting necroptosis and ferroptosis, two regulated cell death pathways, with potential applications in other acute diseases affecting vital organs.
Dual-pathway approach targets cell damage
SBL01 is designed to inhibit necroptosis and ferroptosis simultaneously.
Research into the interaction between these pathways has highlighted their potential role in pathological cell death, providing a scientific basis for investigating dual inhibition as a treatment strategy for acute diseases.
SeaBeLife reports that SBL01 has shown activity in several preclinical models, with preliminary safety findings supporting further development.
In 2024, the European Union granted the candidate orphan drug designation for the prevention of acute liver failure.
France 2030 backs domestic drug development
The project is expected to support employment and economic activity in France from 2026 to 2028 through contracts with contract research organisations (CROs) and contract development and manufacturing organisations (CDMOs).
These partners will contribute expertise in preclinical research, clinical development and drug manufacturing.
Virginie Fontaine, health sector innovation manager at Bpifrance, said the institution was supporting SeaBeLife’s clinical development programme because it addresses a significant medical need through a distinct therapeutic approach.
She highlighted the involvement of French service providers with complementary expertise and said the project aligned with France 2030’s goal of advancing health innovations with industrial and international potential.
France 2030 is a €54 billion (US$60.7 billion) government investment plan designed to strengthen strategic industries, accelerate technological innovation and support the transition from research to industrial production.
Bpifrance is among the public institutions responsible for implementing the programme, which supports projects intended to improve France’s industrial competitiveness and develop new technologies.
Be the first to leave a comment