Back in November, David Stipp wrote about how Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals of Bedford, MA, is aiming to turn the science of fish oil into treatments for a host of inflammatory diseases, from rheumatoid arthritis to dry eyes. Today, the company announced that is has received $25 million in new financing from both existing and new investors, among them Biogen Idec, Flagship Ventures, CHL Medical Partners, and Atlas Venture, to pursue that vision.
Resolvyx was launched three years ago, focusing on resolvins, a group of substances derived from omega-3 fatty acids—the molecules behind fish oils’ many famous health benefits. Resolvins occur naturally in the body, and help switch off inflammation to protect healthy tissue. Resolvyx cofounder Charles Serhan, a professor at Harvard, has shown how the omega-3 oils are transformed into a number of different resolvins and how these act on the molecular level.
But just eating salmon sushi every day is not enough to put an end to chronic inflammation, which is being linked to an increasing number of ailments, which is why Resolvyx is focusing on resolvin-based drugs it believes can give a stronger, more concentrated effect. The company has managed to synthesize a range of resolvins which are now in preclinical tests. Resolvyx will use the new funding to start clinical trials of several of its drug candidates during 2008.
