ABOUT EMPROS PHARMA

Empros Pharma AB was founded in late 2013 by senior researchers and entrepreneurs at Uppsala University together with the external investor Flerie Invest. In 2020 the Board of Directors was strengthened by new members. The guiding principle has remained unchanged; to keep full focus on the obesity drug development project and all recourses are put into the progress of the project.

Most services are procured from consultants and service providers. The model (a network based drug development company) makes Empros Pharma an extremely agile and focused company and all investments go directly into the progress of the drug development project.

Arvid Söderhäll was recruited as project manager in 2013. During the first year 2014, the main focus was to establish a base of strong intellectual properties and a solid company structure. The company’s long-term strategies were developed in this phase (regulatory, clinical, IPR and business strategies). The first Scientific Advice was held at the Swedish Medicinal Products Agency (MPA) in 2014.

In 2015 development of the pharmaceutical formulation of EMP16 was in focus in parallel with continued IPR work. Empros was in the fortunate situation that pharmaceutical development was made in parallel with intellectual properties development. Hence, the advanced formulation of EMP16 is protected by a strong intellectual property.

Already during 2016, Empros Pharma entered the clinical phase by starting the first phase 2a clinical trial, EP 001. We are very proud of this achievement; to go from founding a company to clinical phase in only two-and-a-half years, and with a very complex pharmaceutical formulation innovation. A second financing round was also closed during 2016.

In 2017 the first clinical trial was reported with positive results. The experiences from the CMC manufacturing and the clinical trial led to an updated generation of EMP16 (Denoted EMP16-02).

During 2018 Empros had full focus on regulatory development resulting in Scientific Advices from regulatory bodies in Sweden, Europe and Korea. In parallel a market research investigation was made in order to better understand how to position the future clinical, pharmaceutical and business development of the EMP16 project.

Based on regulatory and market understanding, Empros closed a fully financed private equity emission on 2019, opening the possibility to conduct the phase 2a proof-of-concept trial, EP-002. A pharmaceutical manufacturing scale-up was made in the second half of 2020.  

The second clinical trial, EP-002 was initiated in May 2020. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the trial could run almost without delays. Preparations for pre-IND meeting with the FDA was initiated.