Enodia Nabs €20.7M to Target 'Undruggable' Diseases at Synthesis

PARIS – January 08, 2026 – Enodia Therapeutics, a Parisian biotechnology firm, has secured a significant €20.7 million (US$25 million) in Seed financing to advance a radical new approach to drug development. The funding round, co-led by deep-tech investor Elaia, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer’s venture arm Pfizer Ventures, and French national investment bank Bpifrance, signals strong confidence in the company's platform, which aims to destroy disease-causing proteins at the moment of their creation.

The investment will fuel the development of Enodia’s small-molecule therapies, which combine machine learning and proteomics to target cellular machinery that has, until now, remained largely beyond the reach of modern medicine. The company is pioneering a method to intercept and degrade harmful proteins before they can cause cellular damage, potentially unlocking treatments for a host of conditions with high unmet needs, beginning with inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

A New Frontier in Protein Degradation

For years, the field of targeted protein degradation (TPD) has been dominated by technologies like PROTACs and molecular glues. These approaches act as a cellular cleanup crew, tagging already-formed, disease-causing proteins for destruction by the cell's internal waste disposal system, the proteasome. While revolutionary, this method targets proteins that are already present and circulating within the cell.

Enodia is taking a significant step further upstream. The company’s technology focuses on a fundamental cellular gateway known as the SEC61 translocon. Located in the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum—the cell's protein factory—the SEC61 channel is the essential conduit through which all secreted and membrane-bound proteins must pass to be properly synthesized and folded. By selectively modulating this channel, Enodia aims to stop the production of specific pathogenic proteins at their source.

This “at the point of synthesis” strategy represents a paradigm shift. Instead of cleaning up a mess after it has been made, Enodia’s approach prevents the mess from happening in the first place. This could offer several key advantages over traditional TPD methods, including the potential to address a much wider array of previously “undruggable” protein targets that are difficult to bind with conventional drugs once they are fully formed. Intervening at this early stage may also offer a more precise and potentially safer therapeutic window, preventing the accumulation of toxic proteins before they can initiate disease pathology.

The Brains Behind the Brawn: AI Meets Proteomics

Targeting a universal gateway like SEC61 requires exquisite precision. A broad-spectrum inhibitor could disrupt the synthesis of thousands of essential proteins, leading to severe toxicity. This is where Enodia’s technological sophistication comes into play. The company’s platform, built upon foundational science from the world-renowned Institut Pasteur, leverages the power of machine learning to achieve remarkable selectivity.

By integrating vast datasets from a proprietary chemical library, a custom-built collection of cell lines, and deep proteomics analysis of the cellular “secretome” (the complete set of secreted proteins), Enodia’s AI algorithms can identify small molecules that modulate the SEC61 translocon in a highly specific manner. This allows the platform to selectively block the synthesis of a single pathogenic protein while leaving the production of thousands of other vital proteins untouched.

“Enodia’s rational, proteomics-enabled drug design approach provides strong confidence in the team’s ability to repeatedly translate complex SEC61 biology into truly differentiated drug candidates,” commented Florian Denis, Partner at Elaia. “The platform unlocks exceptionally deep and expandable therapeutic opportunities across a broad range of disease areas.”

This marriage of artificial intelligence and deep biological insight is central to the company’s mission. It enables a rational drug design process that aims to turn the complex biology of protein synthesis into a tractable and druggable therapeutic strategy.

A Strategic Bet on European Deep Tech

The composition of the investor syndicate underscores the perceived potential of Enodia's platform. The round brings together strategic corporate venture capital, national innovation funding, and specialized deep-tech investors, representing a powerful validation from multiple sectors. Pfizer Ventures’ involvement highlights the pharmaceutical industry's keen interest in next-generation therapeutic modalities.

“Our investment reflects strong interest in Enodia’s differentiated approach addressing disease by controlling protein secretion and enabling precise targeting of pathogenic proteins,” said Irena Melnikova, Partner at Pfizer Ventures. “We are pleased to support Enodia’s efforts to rapidly advance a broad pipeline of SEC61-targeted small-molecule medicines.”

The strong backing from Bpifrance, through its InnoBio investment strategy, and Argobio Studio, which helped create the company, anchors Enodia firmly within France’s burgeoning biotech ecosystem. “Built on strong scientific foundations from the Institut Pasteur and further developed within France’s Argobio ecosystem, the company’s selective approach…illustrates the type of rigorous, translational innovation we want to support,” noted Olivier Martinez, Senior Investment Director at Bpifrance.

Furthermore, participation from the Belgian public investor consortium including Wallonie Entreprendre, InvestSud, and Sambrinvest, demonstrates a broader European commitment to fostering breakthrough science from an early stage, creating a cross-border network of support for what could become a transformative technology.

Charting a Course from Lab to Clinic

Armed with its new funding, Enodia is focused on a clear and ambitious goal. According to Chief Executive Officer Yves Ribeill, the capital will support the company as it works to “progress our lead program toward preclinical candidate selection” over the next year. In the high-stakes world of drug development, where preclinical research can take several years, this timeline signals both the advanced state of Enodia’s platform and the team’s confidence in its ability to execute.

Successfully nominating a preclinical candidate would represent a major value inflection point, paving the way for the intensive safety and toxicology studies required before a drug can be tested in humans. The initial focus is on inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, a massive market where many patients still lack effective, long-term treatment options. Success in this area would provide powerful clinical proof-of-concept for the platform.

Beyond this initial scope, the company sees vast potential. The fundamental nature of the SEC61 translocon means the technology could theoretically be applied to any disease driven by aberrant secreted or membrane proteins, including major therapeutic areas like oncology and viral infections. By targeting the very synthesis of disease, Enodia Therapeutics is not just developing a new drug; it is pioneering a new way of thinking about how to treat disease itself.