Dianosic Raises €4.7M to Bring Treatment for Chronic Rhinitis into Clinical Trial

Dianosic, a deeptech company specializing in the development of innovative solutions for the treatment of Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) conditions, today announces that it has closed a €4.7 million ($5.1M) funding round to bring treatment for Chronic Rhinitis into Clinical Trial, with historical investors, new private investors, Wiseed (crowdfunding), Fondation Force – a non-profit organization dedicated to innovation and healthcare research (scientific board presided over by Prof. Jules Hoffmann, winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2011) – and Bpifrance’s deeptech (non-dilutive funds).

This funding will enable Dianosic to finance its preclinical in vivo study and launch the phase I clinical trial of its ARIS-R (Active Resorbable Intranasal Scaffold – Rhinitis) solution for the treatment of chronic allergic rhinitis. In parallel, the company will also continue to develop treatment options for chronic sinusitis (with its ARIS-S solution) and explore other potential applications in the field of ENT. Additionally, the new funding will be used to enhance the technical capability of the Dianosic team.

More than 250 million people across Europe and the US are affected by chronic rhinitis and sinusitis, and these numbers continue to increase as we see the impact of rising pollution levels and global warming. The European and US market is currently worth more than 25 billion dollars. Faced with these statistics, Marc Augustin, Philippe Bastide and Prof. Christian Debry joined forces in 2017 to create Dianosic. Their aim was to use their innovative ARIS platform to develop disruptive solutions for debilitating ENT conditions such as chronic rhinitis and sinusitis.

The ARIS platform is a novel technology combining a resorbable polymer insert with an active ingredient. As the insert starts to resorb, it releases a low dose of a corticosteroid in a targeted and steady manner over a period of six to twelve months. As a single administration treatment, ARIS has the potential to resolve patient compliance challenges and to improve the care of people around the world whose quality of life is severely disrupted by these chronic conditions.

“This new round of funding underlines the breakthrough nature of our platform. Our ultimate hope is that this device will secure Dianosic’s place as a leader in the treatment of debilitating ENT pathologies,” said Marc Augustin, president of Dianosic. “We would like to thank all our investors, both new and long-standing, for the confidence they have shown in our technology, our vision, the company founders and the entire Dianosic team.”

“We can’t wait to get the phase I clinical trial for ARIS-R underway and are convinced that it will considerably improve the care we offer patients living with chronic rhinitis. ENT specialists have been keenly anticipating this innovative treatment option, which is simple to administer in-office by ENT physicians. It has the much-needed potential to vastly improve the care available for patients with a condition that is currently very costly,” said Prof. Christian Debry, co-founder of Dianosic and head of the ENT – Head & Neck Surgery Department at Strasbourg University Hospital, France.

“The first-line treatments for chronic rhinitis, such as antihistamines and/or corticosteroid sprays, are not effective in 30% of cases. What’s more, only around 50% of patients take them as prescribed. Where medications fail, the only other options available are invasive treatments such as cryotherapy, radiofrequency or surgery. For patients where other treatments are not working, ARIS-R provides a long-term solution with a guaranteed compliance, which will preserve their quality of life,” said Philippe Bastide, CEO of Dianosic. “We also plan to use our research to develop treatments for other indications, notably sudden deafness, chronic facial pain and chronic migraines.”