VIENNA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Themis announced today the close of a Series C financing round totaling EUR 10 million. Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF), a New York-based impact investment firm focused on medical innovations for major public health challenges, led the financing as a new investor in the company, together with a number of current investors, including aws Gruenderfonds, Omnes Capital, Ventech and Wellington Partners Life Sciences. Glenn Rockman, Partner at GHIF, will join Themis’ Supervisory Board. The Series C proceeds will be used to advance Themis’ clinical and pre-clinical vaccine development programs, including its most advanced vaccine against chikungunya virus, on which the company recently reported positive Phase 2 results.
“The addition of GHIF as an investor is a validation of our advanced clinical pipeline and the potential of our vaccine technology to deliver value for our investors,” said Dr. Erich Tauber, CEO and founder of Themis. “There is a close alignment between our vaccine platform technology and their philosophy to invest in companies with the potential to have meaningful near-term impact on global public health. We are excited to welcome Glenn to our Board.”
“Themis’ development pipeline includes vaccines against a number of major public health challenges that directly support our double-bottom-line strategy of pursuing both financial and social returns for our investors. We are impressed with Themis’ ability to navigate complex clinical, regulatory and manufacturing issues as it moves a number of vaccine candidates toward commercialization,” added Glenn Rockman, Partner at GHIF. “We see tremendous potential in Themis’ technology platform and we are thrilled to join the seasoned team of investors and biotechnology professionals responsible for the governance of the company.”
Mr. Rockman started his career in J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division, where he spent more than 10 years advising and raising capital for universities, research institutions and other social enterprises. After working closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to structure and launch GHIF, he left J.P. Morgan in 2014 to join the fund’s investment management team. He currently serves on the boards of a number of companies focused on innovative technologies for public health, including EuBiologics (206650:KOSDAQ), Tribendimidine Finance Company and IanTech. Mr. Rockman holds an AB from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.
Themis’ most advanced development program is a vaccine against chikungunya virus, a mosquito-transmitted disease that can have debilitating long-term effects. The disease causes fever, joint pain and muscle pain, among other symptoms, and has no current treatment or prevention options. Themis’s chikungunya vaccine is in Phase 2 clinical studies in 600 patients across the US, EU and South and Central America. The company recently presented favorable interim results from its European study at the ASTMH 2017 Annual Meeting. Leveraging its versatile technology platform, Themis is also developing vaccines against Zika virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), norovirus and cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as other applications of immune system activation.
About Global Health Investment Fund (GHIF)
GHIF is a social impact investment fund structured by JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. With an emphasis on late-stage projects, GHIF finances the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for diseases that disproportionately burden low-income populations. Key global health challenges targeted by the fund include malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, cholera and preventable causes of maternal and infant mortality, in addition to other neglected infectious diseases. GHIF’s definition of success requires meaningful improvements in the lives of those afflicted by these challenges, and the fund forecasts and measures its progress against this objective alongside traditional financial return benchmarks. For additional information about GHIF, please visit ghif.com.
About Themis
Themis is developing urgently needed vaccines to prevent death and disability around the world. We lead in the development of a vaccine against chikungunya, a serious debilitating disease with global outbreak potential. Our innovation in vaccine technology has created a powerful platform and a growing pipeline addressing a broad range of infectious diseases. Together with industrial and academic leaders we work to prevent illness across the globe. For more information, visit http://www.themisbio.com.
