Forbion Principal Vanessa Carle, PhD, to join Elevara’s Board of Directors
- Co-led by Forbion and Sofinnova Partners, along with founding investor Monograph Capital, and Weatherden
- Lead program, ELV001, shows strong safety and early efficacy in Phase 1b
- Elevara aims to disrupt the standard of care for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with incomplete response to methotrexate and TNF inhibitors
Naarden, The Netherlands – 22 October 2025 – Forbion, a leading life sciences venture capital firm with deep expertise in Europe, today announces that it has led a $70 million Series A financing for Elevara Medicines (“Elevara”), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative therapies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory diseases.
The proceeds from the Series A will support Elevara’s upcoming Phase 2 clinical trial of its lead program, ELV001, and fund exploratory research in additional inflammatory and women’s health indications. The START-SYNERGY Phase 2 trial will enroll approximately 180 RA patients who have had an inadequate response to methotrexate and TNF inhibitors, with recruitment expected to begin before the end of 2025.
ELV001 is a first-in-class oral CDK4/6 inhibitor that selectively targets fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS)—a key driver of RA pathology—without suppressing the immune system. By addressing local inflammation and joint damage through fibroblast targeting, Elevara aims to transform the RA treatment paradigm and achieve remission in patients who do not respond to current immune-focused therapies.
Phase 1b data for ELV001 demonstrated favorable safety and tolerability, alongside encouraging early efficacy signals, supporting its potential to be used in combination with standard-of-care therapies.
Vanessa Carle, Principal at Forbion, commented, “Elevara’s unique approach to targeting synovial fibroblasts represents a major shift in how rheumatoid arthritis can be treated. We are proud to lead this financing and to support Emma, Dominique, and the entire Elevara team as they advance ELV001 into Phase 2. The strong scientific foundation and early clinical promise of this program align closely with Forbion’s commitment to backing transformational therapies that address high unmet need.”
Emma Tinsley, CEO of Elevara Medicines, commented, “We have created Elevara together with Monograph Capital because we believe ELV001 could have a fundamental impact on RA patients who fail to achieve disease remission through immune targeted approaches. This $70 million financing provides us with the resources to rapidly advance ELV001 through Phase 2 and to expand into other chronic inflammatory indications. We are grateful for the support of our investors and are excited to take this molecule forward with Teijin Pharma.”
Professor Dominique Baeten, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer at Elevara, added, “The current standard of care isn’t achieving low disease activity and remission in a large proportion of patients with RA. Teijin has built an exceptional data package of preclinical and clinical work with the highest level of scientific rigor and discipline. By targeting the synovial fibroblast rather than immune cells, ELV001 is uniquely positioned to work with approved immunomodulators for RA in early line therapy.”
Elevara was founded by Weatherden with operational support and initial funding from Monograph Capital. The company holds exclusive global rights from Teijin Pharma, part of the Teijin Group (TSE: 3401), to develop, commercialize, and manufacture ELV001. The Elevara Board of Directors comprises: Emma Tinsley, CEO, Elevara Medicines, Tim Funnell, Monograph Capital, Vanessa Carle, Forbion and Gijs van den Brink, Independent Director.
Read the official company release here.
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Notes to Editors
About Elevara Medicines
Elevara is a clinical stage company developing new therapeutics to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic inflammatory conditions. The Company’s lead program, ELV001 is a potent, selective and well differentiated first-in-class oral CDK4/6 inhibitor which will be entering Phase 2 by the end of 2025. The ELV001 program is being positioned as an add-on oral therapy for RA patients with an incomplete response (IR) to a TNF inhibitor (TNFi), preventing cycling between multiple immunosuppressive therapies. The company was co-founded by Weatherden (a UK based clinical advisory group) and Monograph Capital. The Company raised $70m in a Series A in September 2025 and its investors are Sofinnova Partners, Forbion and Monograph Capital. For more information, visit www.elevara.com.
About Forbion
Forbion is a leading global venture capital firm with deep expertise in Europe and offices in Naarden, the Netherlands, Munich, Germany, and Boston, USA. Forbion invests in innovative biotech companies, managing approximately €5 billion across multiple fund strategies covering all stages of (bio)pharmaceutical drug development. In addition to its human health focus, Forbion also invests in planetary health solutions through its BioEconomy strategy. The firm’s team of over 30 investment professionals has a strong track record, with more than 130 investments across 11 funds, resulting in numerous approved therapies and successful exits. Forbion is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment and operates a joint venture with BGV for seed and early-stage investments in the Benelux and Germany regions.
