NEVA SGR INVESTS IN NOUSCOM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEXT-GENERATION IMMUNOTHERAPIES AGAINST CANCER

• Thanks to the capital raised, Nouscom will continue the advancement of NOUS-209, an investigational off-the-shelf neoantigen-based cancer immunotherapy, for cancer interception in hereditary Lynch Syndrome carriers.
• Marina Udier: “This financing, alongside the data we are presenting at ESMO, puts us closer to a world where cancer is stopped before it starts.”
• Mario Costantini: “We are particularly proud to support Nouscom, both because of the encouraging clinical results it has achieved and because its research and production activities are carried out mainly in Italy.”

Turin, 19 October 2026 – Neva SGR, the Intesa Sanpaolo Group venture capital company wholly owned by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, has invested through its Neva II Fund in Nouscom, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on cancer interception, for the development of next-generation immunotherapies.

With its headquarters in Switzerland and research and production laboratories in Italy, at the Castel Romano Tecnopolo, Nouscom has recently closed a Series D fundraising round (the advanced stage for already mature companies) of €120 million, which saw demand exceeding supply.

Neva SGR participated in the round by co-investing alongside leading international funds, the pharmaceutical company Angelini Industries (through Angelini Investments) and the European Investment Bank (through Aurea, its co-investment fund with Angelini Ventures). All of Nouscom’s existing international life sciences investors also participated in the round.

Thanks to the capital raised, Nouscom will continue the advancement of NOUS-209, an investigational off-the-shelf neoantigen-based cancer immunotherapy, through a single, global, registration-enabling clinical trial for cancer interception in hereditary Lynch Syndrome (LS) carriers, for which the Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track designation.

The results of a recent clinical study of NOUS-209 c will be presented in the coming days at the Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO). According to the study, all evaluable LS carriers dosed with NOUS-209 remained free of advanced adenomas and colorectal cancer after years 1 and 2, representing an encouraging signal of durable clinical activity. These data were strengthened by broad, potent, and durable anti-neoantigen T-cell responses driven by NOUS-209 that were further enhanced following annual re-treatment.

Cancer interception is an innovative approach that aims to stop cancer in its earliest stages before tumors fully develop and spread. Unlike traditional therapies that target established cancers, interception strategies harness advancements in immuno-oncology that can train the immune system to recognize and eliminate precancerous and cancerous cells. This approach is particularly relevant for those with high-risk genetic conditions such as LS, who have high predisposition to developing MSI-associated cancers.

“Over two million LS carriers live with up to an 80% lifetime cancer risk and nothing to offer them but surveillance and surgery”, said Marina Udier, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Nouscom. “We built Nouscom to change that equation. This financing, alongside the data we are presenting at ESMO, puts us closer to a world where cancer is stopped before it starts. I am grateful to our new and existing investors for backing that conviction, and to the team behind NOUS-209.”

“We are particularly proud to support Nouscom in the development of a next-generation immunotherapy for cancer interception, both because of the encouraging clinical results achieved and because its research and production activities are mainly carried out in Italy,” says Mario Costantini, CEO and General Manager of Neva SGR. “Venture capital is proving to be a key tool for the growth of companies with great potential, such as Nouscom, and can help to retain and attract talent to our country in a sector of great importance for the future of the planet, namely Life Sciences.”

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Nouscom

Nouscom is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering next-generation neoantigen-targeted immunotherapies to treat cancer at all stages, from early cancer interception to late-stage metastatic disease. Its proprietary viral vector platform enables broad and durable immune activation by delivering optimized neoantigens that train the immune system to recognize and fight cancer. Nouscom’s lead program, NOUS-209, is an off-the-shelf immunotherapy in advanced clinical development for cancer interception in LS and the treatment of MSI mCRC. The company’s clinical stage portfolio also includes NOUS-PEV, a personalized neoantigen immunotherapy, with published data from a successfully completed Phase 1b trial10. Nouscom’s current investors include 5AM Ventures, Andera Partners, Angelini Industries (through Angelini Investments), Angelini Ventures, Bpifrance, CDP Venture Capital Large Ventures, EQT Life Sciences, European Investment Bank (EIB, through Aurea, its co-investment fund with Angelini Ventures), Indaco Venture Partners SGR, M Ventures, Neva SGR (Intesa Sanpaolo Group), Panakes Partners, Revelation Partners, Versant Ventures and XGEN Ventures.

For more information on Nouscom, please visit the company’s website at www.nouscom.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

 

Neva SGR

Neva SGR, part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group and wholly owned by Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center, designs and manages investment funds for professional investors seeking diversification and high-return opportunities through Venture Capital investments. Neva SGR benefits from the strength, financial resources, expertise, and extensive network of Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center and the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, providing a unique source of value in the market. This privileged position enables Neva SGR to track emerging trends and markets while operating with the strength and responsibility of Italy’s leading banking group.

Neva SGR combines the strength, reputation, and stability of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group with the best practices of international venture capital firms. Its mission is to contribute to the growth of the Italian economy through investments in innovative technologies and to act as a market maker for the Venture Capital asset class in Italy.

www.nevasgr.com

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Intesa Sanpaolo

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