Giovanni Amabile
CEO
Aptadir
Aptadir Therapeutics is developing RNA-based therapeutics to selectively inhibit DNMT1, an enzyme linked to aberrant DNA methylation in intractable cancers and genetic conditions. Its platform uses modified RNA oligonucleotides (aptaDiR) for global inhibition and gene-specific fusions (captaDiR) for locus-specific methylation modulation, aiming to reduce toxicity compared to existing therapies.
- Drug Discovery & Therapeutics
- Biotechnology
- Healthcare Technology
Updated 1 month ago
Funding
Raised to date
€40MRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Est. $43.6Macross 1 round
CVCV+6€40M · Seed
Announced Sep 2026
Disclosed cumulative: $43.6M
RoundDateAmountValuationInvestors
Founders
Product
Problem
Aberrant DNA methylation, often caused by DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), can lead to abnormal cell development and contribute to intractable cancers and genetic conditions. Current therapies targeting DNMT1 lack gene specificity, exhibit short-term results, and induce significant toxicity.
Solution
Aptadir Therapeutics is developing RNA-based therapeutics that selectively inhibit DNMT1 to reprogram aberrant DNA methylation associated with disease. Their platform utilizes modified RNA oligonucleotides to achieve both global and locus-specific DNMT1 inhibition. For global inhibition, short RNA oligonucleotides (aptaDiR) potently sequester DNMT1 without causing cell toxicity. For locus-specific inhibition, aptaDiR is fused with a gene-specific sequence (captaDiR) to enable targeted modulation of DNA methylation at specific genomic locations. This approach offers a more targeted therapy with potentially reduced toxicity compared to existing DNMT1 inhibitors.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients with intractable cancers and genetic conditions characterized by aberrant DNA methylation, as well as researchers and clinicians focused on epigenetic therapies.
Features
- Modified short RNA oligonucleotides (aptaDiR) for global DNMT1 inhibition
- Gene-specific sequence-fused aptaDiR (captaDiR) for locus-specific DNA methylation modulation
- Selective DNMT1 inhibition to minimize off-target effects
- Reduced toxicity compared to existing DNMT1-targeting therapies