HLB Invests 1 Billion in Neurobenti for 'Brain Disease Treatment Drug Development'

HLB Group announced on the 19th that it has made a total investment of 1 billion KRW in Neuroventi, a bio venture company developing treatments for brain diseases such as autism spectrum disorder.

This investment is made through the HLB Group fund "HLBI Albam No.1 Investment Association," managed by HLB Investment. HLB Group is discovering new growth engines through its corporate venture capital (CVC), HLB Investment. HLB Investment has previously made early-stage investments using group funds in companies such as Neoken Bio, which develops treatments for epilepsy using medical cannabis, Defy, which develops diagnostic and treatment solutions for sarcopenia, and Atheon Bio, a company developing antibody-based anticancer drugs.

Neuroventi is developing pipelines for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and is conducting contract research and development (CDRO) specialized in brain neurological diseases. The company is co-led by CEOs Chan-Young Shin (professor at Konkuk University School of Medicine) and Dong-Chul Seo.

The core pipeline, NV01-A02, targets autism spectrum disorder, a neurological disease with no existing treatment. It is currently preparing for Phase 2 clinical trials. It has already been confirmed that even at low doses, NV01-A02 precisely regulates specific neurotransmitters to restore synaptic neural networks, effectively improving sociality and stereotyped behaviors. Stereotyped behaviors refer to the peculiar repetitive actions observed in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, NV01-A02 has received orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for Fragile X Syndrome (FXS).

Kim Beom-Soo, Head of Investment at HLB Investment (Vice President), stated, “Neuroventi is expected to rapidly proceed with Phase 2 clinical trials through improvements over existing drugs for autism spectrum disorder and others, and future expansion of indications as a sociality regulation treatment for major neurological diseases is also anticipated. The potential for high synergy in joint research with HLB Group was also taken into consideration.”