Aplagon Announces EUR 5 Million Financing to Broaden Phase 2 Trials of its APAC Therapy in Thrombo-Inflammatory Diseases
Financing Supports Phase 2 Clinical Trial for Arteriovenous Fistula Maturation Failure in End Stage Kidney Disease
HELSINKI, June 16, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aplagon, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing APAC, a first-in-class antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy for treating thrombo-inflammatory diseases, today announced the close of a EUR 4.8 million (approx. USD 5.6 million) financing round to support its expansion into a new Phase 2 clinical programme in arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure in end stage kidney disease.
The financing was led by existing investors Fåhraeus Startup and Growth AB (FSG) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Fund, alongside continued support from Finnish investors including the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Innovestor, and the Gösta Serlachius Fine Arts Foundation.
Aki Prihti, CEO at Aplagon, said, “This financing represents another important milestone for Aplagon as we continue to build momentum around APAC and its potential across a broad range of serious thrombo-inflammatory diseases. The financing supports the expansion of our clinical development plans in Phase 2 in Europe for AVF, having recently filed our CTA with the EMA. The continued backing from our experienced healthcare investors validates both the strength of our clinical progress and the growing recognition of APAC’s differentiated mechanism of action that overcomes the limits of current treatments.”
Johanna Asklin, General Partner at FSG, said, “Aplagon is addressing a major unmet need in thrombo-inflammatory disease with a highly differentiated therapeutic approach that has the potential to transform outcomes across several vascular indications. Since our initial investment, the company has continued to execute strongly, advancing clinical development while further demonstrating the broad applicability of APAC. We are pleased to continue supporting the team as they move toward important clinical and strategic milestones.”
By mimicking naturally occurring mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans, APAC is designed to localise directly to sites of vascular injury, delivering sustained antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory activity where it is needed most. Importantly, APAC’s dual antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory activity offers advantages over conventional antithrombotics in vascular diseases driven by both thrombosis and inflammation. More than 70 participants have received APAC to date with no significant safety concerns observed.
AVF maturation failure represents a major unmet need in patients with end-stage kidney disease requiring haemodialysis. Approximately 130,000 new AVFs are created annually in the United States alone, yet around half fail to mature adequately for long-term dialysis use, often leading to repeat procedures, hospitalisation and increased healthcare costs.
Aplagon believes APAC’s localised vascular protective effects could significantly improve AVF maturation outcomes by reducing platelet activation and vascular injury immediately following surgery. The company sees substantial potential for APAC not only in AVF maturation failure, but more broadly across vascular interventions where thrombosis and inflammation drive poor clinical outcomes.
The company previously announced here that the first patient had been dosed in its Phase 2a ‘HEALING’ clinical trial in peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) leading to chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI).
About Aplagon Oy
Aplagon is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing APAC, a first-in-class antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapeutic platform to target thrombo-inflammatory diseases.
The company’s lead clinical programmes are for the prevention of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure in end stage kidney disease patients and for chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI), with broader applications across cardiovascular and vascular intervention settings. By mimicking naturally occurring mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans, APAC targets arterial injury sites providing long-lasting antithrombotic and anti-inflammatory action in situ. APAC is intended for in-hospital use and can be administered either locally or by IV infusion, creating flexibility across multiple clinical settings.
APAC is based on the pioneering research on mast cell-derived heparin proteoglycans performed by Prof. Riitta Lassila and associates at Wihuri Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland.
To date, the company has raised over EUR 20 million through equity financing and non-dilutive funding from leading Nordic investors including Fåhraeus Startup and Growth AB and the European Innovation Council. The company is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland.
For more information see our website and LinkedIn.
About Fåhraeus Startup and Growth
Fåhraeus Startup & Growth FSG Fund II (FSG) is a leading Nordic venture capital fund specializing in supporting high-impact startups and growth-stage companies in technology and life sciences. FSG combines strategic investments with deep industry expertise to empower transformative innovations. FSG Fund II is supported by the European Investment Fund (EIF) under the InvestEU programme.
About EIC Fund
The European Innovation Council Fund from the European Commission is a deep tech investor across all technologies. The EIC Fund aims to fill a critical financing gap, to support companies in the development and commercialisation of disruptive technologies. With its large network of capital providers and strategic partners it shares risk and crowds in market players.
Media Contacts
Aplagon
Aki Prihti, CEO
aki.prihti@aplagon.com
Scius Communications
Katja Stout +44 7789435990
katja@sciuscommunications.com
Daniel Gooch +44 7747875479
daniel@sciuscommunications.com
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