From Cardiovascular Research to a Biotech Company: REVIER Therapeutics Launches with €6 Million

Heidelberg-based biotech company REVIER Therapeutics has officially launched. The company, which emerged from research conducted at the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) and Heidelberg University, is developing a novel therapeutic approach for cardiometabolic diseases. REVIER has raised €6 million in seed funding to advance its development programs.

At the heart of REVIER’s approach are class IIa histone deacetylases (HDACs). These enzymes are involved in various cellular processes and also play a role in cardiovascular disease. REVIER is developing compounds designed to selectively inhibit the enzymatic activity of these HDACs. The company’s initial indications are heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

The scientific foundation for this approach is based on many years of research by Johannes Backs and his team at Heidelberg University and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research. Backs is Director of the Institute of Experimental Cardiology at Heidelberg University and a DZHK Professor at the Heidelberg/Mannheim site.

From Research to Drug Development

The DZHK supported Backs particularly in the translational development of his research, including through a Translational Research Project. This enabled him and his team to gain experience in drug development and screening methods and to establish a collaboration with the Lead Discovery Center in Dortmund.

“The DZHK supported us in advancing findings from basic research toward drug development. This enabled us not only to take important scientific steps, but also to build the necessary expertise and collaborations for drug development,” says Johannes Backs. “For us, the founding of REVIER is the next step in translating these findings into new therapeutic approaches for patients.”

A New Approach to HFpEF

One of REVIER’s main areas of focus is HFpEF. In this form of heart failure, the heart is unable to relax sufficiently and fill with blood between beats, even though its pumping function is preserved. The condition frequently occurs alongside metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. To date, there is a lack of therapies that specifically target the underlying disease mechanisms.

Backs and his team discovered that the enzymatic activity of class IIa HDACs is selectively increased in HFpEF. HDACs are enzymes that influence, among other things, protein activity and thus important cellular processes. HDAC4 plays a particularly important role in cardiomyocytes. The increased enzymatic activity directly alters certain metabolic processes without substantially affecting gene activity. This appears to alter communication between cardiac muscle cells and vascular cells, contributing to increased cardiac stiffness.

Across numerous experimental models, the researchers demonstrated that selective inhibition of class IIa HDACs can improve the heart’s ability to relax as well as exercise capacity, while preserving other important functions of the proteins. This approach is intended to avoid the side effects associated with earlier, less selective HDAC inhibitors.

REVIER plans to use the €6 million raised to complete preclinical development before progressing into clinical testing. In addition to its lead HFpEF program, the company is developing a second program targeting atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

Alongside Johannes Backs, the company’s leadership team includes molecular cardiologist Eva van Rooij of University Medical Center Utrecht as CEO; DZHK scientist Matthias Dewenter as Chief Scientific Officer; Mike Nolan of Boston as Chief Technology Officer; and Professor Norbert Frey as Chief Medical Officer. Frey is Medical Director of the Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pulmonology at Heidelberg University Hospital and succeeded Backs in 2024 as spokesperson for the DZHK Heidelberg/Mannheim site.

Further information:

Webseite REVIER Therapeutics:
https://revier.bio/

REVIER Therapeutics press release:
https://revier.bio/revier-therapeutics-launches-6-million-seed-financing/