- Funding to support the execution of a Phase 2 proof-of-concept trial of HER-096 in Parkinson’s disease, following completion of study preparations
Espoo, Finland, 19 February 2026: Herantis Pharma Plc (“Herantis”), a clinical-stage biotech company developing disease-modifying therapies to stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease, today announces that it is leading a consortium that has been selected for, pending final negotiation, an EUR 8.0 million grant from the Horizon Europe 2025 Research and Innovation program, under the ‘Boosting the translation of biotech research into innovative health therapies’ topic.
The consortium, which also includes multiple European university hospitals, will use the funding to support the execution of Herantis’ planned Phase 2, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized efficacy and safety study of subcutaneously administered HER-096 in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease. Herantis intends to initiate the study as soon as the necessary preparations, including regulatory approvals and securing additional resources, are completed.
Antti Vuolanto, CEO of Herantis Pharma, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been selected for this non-dilutive funding from Horizon Europe. This grant will make a meaningful contribution to the funding of our Phase 2 proof-of-concept study for HER-096, the resourcing of which we are continuing to discuss with potential investors and strategic partners. Being selected from a highly competitive field of innovative European companies further validates our scientific approach and underscores the potential of HER-096 to improve outcomes for people living with Parkinson’s disease. I would like to thank the European Commission for its support and look forward to providing further updates once the agreement is signed, and the study design has been finalized.”
The ‘Boosting the translation of biotech research into innovative health therapies’ topic, which forms part of the wider Horizon Europe 2025 Health initiative, is designed to accelerate the translation of promising biotech research into clinical development and aims to deliver the following outcomes:
- Faster access to innovative therapies for healthcare providers, researchers and patients
- Increased number of clinical trials evaluating novel biotech therapeutic approaches conducted within the European Union
- Strengthened competitiveness of small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in the EU and Associated Countries within the health biotech sector
More information on the Horizon Europe Health initiative can be found here.
For more information, please contact:
Herantis Pharma:
Antti Vuolanto, CEO
Tel: +358407517329
Tone Kvåle, CFO
Tel: +47 915 19576
Email: ir@herantis.com
Sarah Elton-Farr, Stephanie Cuthbert, Phillip Marriage
Tel: +44 20 3709 5700
Email: herantispharma@icrhealthcare.com
Certified Advisor:
UB Corporate Finance Ltd
Tel.: +358 9 25 380 225
E-mail: ubcf@unitedbankers.fi
About Herantis Pharma Plc
Herantis Pharma Plc is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s disease. The Company’s lead product, HER-096, is a first-in-class small peptide that combines the neuroprotective mechanism of cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), with the convenience of subcutaneous administration. In a Phase 1b clinical trial, HER 096 was shown to be generally safe and well tolerated in Parkinson’s disease patients. Herantis plans to advance HER-096 into a Phase 2 clinical trial in 2026 to evaluate efficacy, safety and tolerability in early-stage Parkinson’s patients.
Herantis is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland.
Company website: www.herantis.com
About HER-096
Herantis Pharma is developing HER-096, a first-in-class drug candidate with the potential to stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease, repair striatal damage and significantly improve both an individual’s symptoms and quality of life.
HER-096 is a small peptide molecule based on the active site of and designed to mimic the activity of cerebral dopamine neurotrophic factor (CDNF), an endogenous human protein known to promote neuronal cell survival and functional recovery.
HER-096’s multimodal mechanism of action targets key drivers of neurodegeneration in PD by modulation of the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathway, reducing aggregation of the neurotoxic protein α-synuclein, and modulation of neuroinflammation. Combined with its demonstrated brain penetration, this enables HER-096 to protect dopamine neurons from further degeneration and supports their functional restoration.
Herantis has established a strong foundation of evidence in both preclinical and clinical settings. CDNF, has demonstrated robust neuroprotective and neurorestorative effects in preclinical models. In a Phase 1 clinical trial with intracranial CDNF conducted in 17 patients with moderately advanced Parkinson’s disease, encouraging signs of clinical improvements and biological responses were observed. To overcome the need for intracranial delivery required for CDNF, Herantis developed HER-096 that has shown compelling preclinical results, demonstrating the full neurorestorative potential of CDNF. Importantly, brain penetration of HER-096 has been confirmed in Parkinson’s patients at levels comparable to those associated with optimal efficacy in preclinical models, and the compound’s safety profile following subcutaneous administration has proven highly favorable. In January 2026, biomarker data from Herantis’ Phase 1b study showed clear evidence of biological response to HER-096 in people with Parkinson’s disease, with HER-096 exposure associated with changes across key disease-related pathways, aligned with the expected mechanism of action and indicating disease modifying potential.
Forward-looking statements
This release includes forward-looking statements which are not historical facts but statements regarding future expectations instead. These forward-looking statements include without limitation, those regarding Herantis’ future financial position and results of operations, the Company’s strategy, objectives, future developments in the markets in which the Company participates or is seeking to participate or anticipated regulatory changes in the markets in which the Company operates or intends to operate. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “aim,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “projected,” “should” or “will” or the negative of such terms or other comparable terminology. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that may or may not occur in the future. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are based on numerous assumptions. The Company’s actual results of operations, including the Company’s financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which the Company operates, may differ materially from (and be more negative than) those made in, or suggested by, the forward-looking statements contained in this company release. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to risks associated with implementation of Herantis’ strategy, risks and uncertainties associated with the development and/or approval of Herantis’ drug candidates, ongoing and future clinical trials and expected trial results, the ability to commercialize drug candidates, technology changes and new products in Herantis’ potential market and industry, Herantis’ freedom to operate in respect of the products it develops (which freedom may be limited, e.g., by competitors’ patents), the ability to develop new products and enhance existing products, the impact of competition, changes in general economy and industry conditions, and legislative, regulatory and political factors. In addition, even if Herantis’ historical results of operations, including the Company’s financial condition and liquidity and the development of the industry in which the Company operates, are consistent with the forward-looking statements contained in this company release, those results or developments may not be indicative of results or developments in subsequent periods.
