History

DNage was founded in 2004 as a spin off from the Department of Genetics of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Genetics department is chaired by Prof J. Hoeijmakers, a world-renowned scientist focusing on DNA repair and genome stability who established a link between DNA repair and ageing. DNage aims at commercialising these findings and intends to identify therapeutics and nutritional products preventing and/or interfering with ageing or ageing related disorders.

DNage was co-founded by the Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and a Dutch venture capital firm Life Science Partners (LSP). Together with the scientific founders LSP and Erasmus MC defined the initial concept, identified a CEO and incorporated the Company.

In September 2004 Rein Strijker joined DNage to become CEO. DNage was seeded through subsidies of Biopartner (Dutch government) amounting to € 250 thousand and a grant of the Erasmus MC.

In December 2004 the Erasmus MC granted DNage the worldwide, exclusive royalty-free rights to IP in the field of DNA repair and ageing. In return for these IP rights the Erasmus MC received founder shares. At the same time LSP together with Inventages (CH) invested € 1.2 mln through a series A equity financing.

In October 2006 DNage was acquired by Pharming Group N.V. and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Pharming.

In 2008 DNage started its first human trial in which pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of prodarsan® were tested in a group of human volunteers.

In 2009 DNage received an Orphan Drug Designation for Prodarsan® as a potential therapeutic product to treat patients suffering from a specific form of premature ageing called Cockayne Syndrome. Also in 2009, DNage obtained approval from the US-FDA to start clinical testing of the product in patients (under a Investigational New Drug (IND) status). In the second half of 2009 the Company also initiated an observational study in these patients to establish baselines of the progression of the disease.

Late in 2009 DNage started its first nutritional project sponsored by a Dutch national program called ‘Food and Nutrition Delta’.

In 2010 the Company will be partially spun out from Pharming in order to be able to raise new capital independent from Pharming.


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History Founders Management BOSD Scientific Adv. Board Medical Adv. Board Careers DNA-repair and Aging Publications IP Pharmaceutical Non-Pharma Shareholders Press announcements Links Contact Information form Archive Strategy Partnering	History DNage was founded in 2004 as a spin off from the Department of Genetics of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. The Genetics department is chaired by Prof J. Hoeijmakers, a world-renowned scientist focusing on DNA repair and genome stability who established a link between DNA repair and ageing. DNage aims at commercialising these findings and intends to identify therapeutics and nutritional products preventing and/or interfering with ageing or ageing related disorders. DNage was co-founded by the Erasmus University Medical Center (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands) and a Dutch venture capital firm Life Science Partners (LSP). Together with the scientific founders LSP and Erasmus MC defined the initial concept, identified a CEO and incorporated the Company. In September 2004 Rein Strijker joined DNage to become CEO. DNage was seeded through subsidies of Biopartner (Dutch government) amounting to € 250 thousand and a grant of the Erasmus MC. In December 2004 the Erasmus MC granted DNage the worldwide, exclusive royalty-free rights to IP in the field of DNA repair and ageing. In return for these IP rights the Erasmus MC received founder shares. At the same time LSP together with Inventages (CH) invested € 1.2 mln through a series A equity financing. In October 2006 DNage was acquired by Pharming Group N.V. and became a wholly owned subsidiary of Pharming. In 2008 DNage started its first human trial in which pharmacokinetics, safety and tolerability of prodarsan® were tested in a group of human volunteers. In 2009 DNage received an Orphan Drug Designation for Prodarsan® as a potential therapeutic product to treat patients suffering from a specific form of premature ageing called Cockayne Syndrome. Also in 2009, DNage obtained approval from the US-FDA to start clinical testing of the product in patients (under a Investigational New Drug (IND) status). In the second half of 2009 the Company also initiated an observational study in these patients to establish baselines of the progression of the disease. Late in 2009 DNage started its first nutritional project sponsored by a Dutch national program called ‘Food and Nutrition Delta’. In 2010 the Company will be partially spun out from Pharming in order to be able to raise new capital independent from Pharming.
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