Venture Investors Health Fund Backs Milwaukee Biotech Company Sanacor to Address Cardiometabolic Disease
Madison, WI — January 9, 2025 — Venture Investors Health Fund (VI), a Midwest-based venture capital firm dedicated to advancing transformative healthcare innovations, proudly announces its investment in Sanacor, Inc. (Sanacor), a biotechnology company focused on mitochondrial dysfunction in cardiometabolic diseases. Their lead program focuses on reversing diabetic cardiovascular disease for which there are no diabetes-specific effective treatments. The funding underscores VI’s commitment to fostering solutions for underserved markets and tackling the most pressing challenges in patient care.
Dr. Michael Widlansky, Professor and Director at the Medical College of Wisconsin is Sanacor’s co-founder and chief executive officer. Sanacor’s scientific foundation is based on nearly two decades of Dr. Widlansky’s research and has been supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and American Heart Association (AHA). Sanacor also has begun early work to explore other areas where their biology is relevant such as diabetic kidney and eye disease, neurodegeneration, oncology and rare mitochondrial diseases.
Sanacor’s leadership team also includes Saira Ramasastry, co-founder and chief operating officer, who is a seasoned biotechnology executive with over 25 years of industry experience and Dr. Alexander Arnold, chief chemistry officer, who is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Director of the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery at University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
“We are thrilled to receive this investment from VI, marking a significant milestone for Sanacor,” said Dr. Widlansky. “This funding will allow us to move our lead program forward towards human clinical studies and expand our biological foundation. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the world, and we are committed to finding disease modifying treatments for patients in need.”
“Sanacor epitomizes the type of early-stage investment we strive to make at Venture Investors Health Fund,” said Paul Weiss, PhD, Managing Director of VI. “With a world-class founding team, cutting-edge science, and a clear path to clinical development, this company has the potential to transform care for diabetic patients in a very capital efficient manner. Investing in Sanacor also reinforces our belief that innovation in underserved regions, such as the Midwest, can compete on a global stage.”
About Venture Investors Health Fund
Founded 40 years ago, Venture Investors Health Fund (VI) is a Midwest-based venture capital firm focused on healthcare innovation. With over $275 million in assets under management (AUM), the firm’s mission is to invest in early-stage healthcare innovations with the potential to dramatically improve patient lives. VI is known for supporting university spinouts and other research-driven innovations and offers its portfolio companies an unparalleled combination of strategic guidance, industry expertise, and access to a broad network of healthcare leaders.
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