Interview: Faron Pharmaceuticals crosses Finnish line to increase global footprint

Having raised GBP 10 million floating on London’s AIM in November 2015, Finland’s Faron Pharmaceuticals is planning to establish a more prominent international presence over the next year and a half. President and CEO Dr. Markku Jalkanen explains to Mike Ward, Informa Pharma Insights’ global director of content, why the company chose to float in London and how it intends to use the funds to break out of Finland and build a larger global footprint.
Dr. Jalkanen’s top priority is to complete the European development of its lead program Traumakine, for the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which is in a 300- patient Phase III clinical trial. Currently there are no approved pharmacological treatments for this life-threatening medical condition which kills up to 40% of patients. He expects the pivotal trial to be complete within 18 months.
Faron also has an iron in the immuno-oncology fire with a monoclonal antibody molecule that makes tumor cells more vulnerable to the host immune system. Armed with promising animal data the company intends to put the molecule, dubbed Clevegen, into human trials within 18 months.