Calciscon raises CHF 2.5M Series A to commercialize the T50 Test to drive more efficient therapies for renal patients

14.04.2021 07:30, Guillaume Tinsel

Calciscon announced the closing for its Series A financing, led by Yellowstone Holding, for CHF 2.5M. The proceeds of the financing enable the company to accelerate the introduction of its T50 test in routine clinical use in Europe and prepare for US launch. The T50 test is a modern, first-of-its-kind blood test, which measures calcification propensity. This information helps doctors to better guide therapies of kidney disease patients. Multiple studies indicate that T50-guided therapies slow down calcification propensity, and could significantly reduce cardiovascular complications, which remains the most common cause of morbidity and mortality among renal patients. We interviewed PD Dr. Andreas Pasch, founder of Calciscon, about the use of these new funds and his entrepreneurial path.

Calciscon Series A financing was raised from a group of investors led by Yellowstone Holding (Switzerland), whose parent company already owns other strategic assets in kidney disease care.  The total, cumulated equity investment in Calciscon is now CHF 5M.  

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects around 10% of the world population. The current standard of care, unfortunately, leaves most CKD patients suffering and dying from cardiovascular (CV) disease.  Since the introduction of the T50 test, studies with nearly 20,000 patients have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals, demonstrating the clinical value of T50 in predicting CV complications.
 
“The T50 immediately answers large unmet medical needs in improving the treatment of kidney disease patients” explains Chan-Yuan Lu from Yellowstone. “Our consulting kidney care experts are very interested in starting to use the T50 to address CV complications”.  Multiple intervention studies show that existing therapies can be adjusted to significantly slow down calcification propensity.  “The T50 creates an unprecedented opportunity to reduce the extensive harm and healthcare costs associated with CV complications” continues PD Dr. Andreas Pasch, nephrologist, inventor of the T50 test, and founder of Calciscon.

The T50 is currently available in Switzerland, through Labor Dr. Risch, Synlab, and the central laboratory of University Hospital Bern (Inselspital). Calciscon will extend the coverage to additional European countries while preparing for a US launch.  “The Series A funds are instrumental for bringing T50 to nephrologists to enable them to improve patient care,” said Vincent Linder Ph.D., CEO.

source: Calciscon Press Release 14.04.2021

Dr. Andreas Pasch, how will the 2.5-million-investment from the Yellowstone-led syndicate help achieve your vision?
Calciscon offers an important modern blood test for kidney patients: the T50 calcification propensity test. The current investment enables us to transition the T50 from a very successful clinical research tool, into a medical tool to be used in daily routine care for kidney patients.  

You won Venture Kick in 2014. How did it help you lay the foundation for your growth and today's achievement?
Winning Venture Kick was an early highlight for Calciscon. It was reassuring to get such positive feedback and visibility at that time. Furthermore, it helped complete the development of our T50 calcification propensity blood test and start offering T50 to a larger community of Key Opinion Leaders. This has led to multiple studies and peer-reviewed publications including nearly 20,000+ patients worldwide. 

You also were selected on the TOP 100 Swiss Startups Awards from 2014 to 2016. How did it leverage your fundraising strategy? 
We were successful in closing a large Seed round in 2015, which has carried us through – together with first sales of nearly 1 MCHF - till today. Media exposure and coverage about the Top 100 Swiss Startups Awards certainly had a very positive impact on our fundraising efforts at that time.

When, and what, was your inspiration to found Calciscon?
The motivation to found Calciscon comes from an urging medical need: the high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of kidney patients. This will be improved by our T50 calcification propensity test. As a practicing nephrologist and researcher, I invented the T50 test in 2010/11 after years of medical care to kidney disease patients. I witnessed their all too frequent cardiovascular complications. The T50 test now fills a gap by vastly improving therapy management of these patients by better coordinating available therapies to slow down disease progression.

What is your advice for the potential Medtech entrepreneurs launching companies in Switzerland today? 
You have to have a clear vision and ignore all the pessimists who try to convince you that you are chasing an impossible dream. And then it's: you have to bust your ass and work hard. This is what Arnold Schwarzenegger once answered a similar question. And we would agree.