Vivoryon touts DKD kidney data as it hunts Phase 2b partner
Vivoryon Therapeutics has reported Q1 2026 financial results alongside a clinical update on varoglutamstat, its lead candidate in diabetic kidney disease, as the Euronext Amsterdam-listed company presses ahead with efforts to secure a development partner before its cash reserves run dry.
The company said a poster presentation at the World Congress of Nephrology in Yokohama in late March reinforced the case for a dedicated Phase 2b study. A meta-analysis of data from its two completed Phase 2 programmes, VIVIAD and VIVA-MIND, showed that varoglutamstat produced a more pronounced improvement in estimated glomerular filtration rate in participants with diabetes and lower baseline kidney function than in the wider trial population. In a subgroup with a mean baseline eGFR of 60 mL/min/1.73m², the treatment effect was said to be comparable to, or greater than, that seen across all diabetic participants.
Clinical rationale
Varoglutamstat works by inhibiting glutaminyl cyclase enzymes, known as QPCT and QPCTL, which Vivoryon says play a role in driving both inflammation and fibrosis in the kidney. Preclinical data published alongside the WCN presentation included new findings on the enzymes' role in collagen maturation, a process the company argues is central to the fibrotic progression that ultimately destroys kidney function. Additional data showed positive effects on podocytes, the specialised cells responsible for blood filtration in the glomerulus. Chief executive Frank Weber said the accumulating dataset "gives us further confidence" in varoglutamstat's differentiated mechanism of action and its potential to slow or stabilise disease progression in a patient population with limited treatment options.
The planned Phase 2b study would enrol patients with stage 3b or 4 DKD, a more advanced population than those enrolled in the earlier trials. However, Vivoryon has been explicit that no study can begin without additional funding or a commercial partner, and the company acknowledged in its financial statements that its ability to continue as a going concern in 2026 is contingent on securing that support.
Financial position and partnering outlook
The financial picture underlines the urgency. Vivoryon held EUR 4.0 million in cash at 31 March 2026, down from EUR 5.6 million at the end of December 2025. Research and development expenditure fell to EUR 0.9 million in Q1 from EUR 1.2 million a year earlier, largely reflecting the wind-down of costs from the completed Phase 2 studies. General and administrative costs also fell, from EUR 1.3 million to EUR 0.9 million, owing to lower personnel and legal expenses. The net loss for the quarter was EUR 1.8 million, compared with EUR 2.5 million in Q1 2025.
Vivoryon confirmed that its cash is expected to fund operations into Q4 2026, a guidance line reiterated without change from its April annual report. The company said due diligence processes are active with multiple potential partners under confidentiality agreements, though no names or timelines were disclosed.
Diabetic kidney disease is an increasingly competitive therapeutic area. Large-volume clinical programmes from SGLT2 inhibitors such as dapagliflozin and empagliflozin have already demonstrated meaningful reductions in kidney disease progression, and several companies are investigating selective endothelin receptor antagonists, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists, and novel anti-fibrotic biologics in the same population. Vivoryon's argument is that QPCT/L inhibition addresses a mechanistically distinct pathway and could complement rather than compete with existing standards of care, though that hypothesis remains to be tested in a dedicated DKD cohort. The H1 2026 results, expected in August, will be the next formal update on partnering progress and cash consumption.