Helsinn Investment Fund S.A, a fund focused on early-stage investment opportunities in areas of high unmet patient need, today announces that it has made a $2 million investment in Aadi Bioscience, Inc., U.S., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company led by Dr. Neil Desai.

The investment of $2 million was made by Helsinn Investment Fund as part of a series A financing round totaling $23 million. It will be used to support Aadi in the development of ABI-009, a nanoparticle albumin-bound mTOR inhibitor based on sirolimus (rapamycin). AADi's goal is to develop this molecule for rare diseases that are driven by mTOR activation or where the available mTOR inhibitors cannot effectively be exploited.

ABI-009 is currently being evaluated in a clinical trial for the treatment of patients with advanced perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa), an extremely rare form of sarcoma. This trial will form the basis of Aadi's registration strategy in the US. Aadi is investigating a number of other disease indications in its clinical programs that include pulmonary hypertension, early stage bladder cancer and pediatric cancers.

This investment is one of a series of early-stage investments made by Helsinn Investment Fund. The Fund invests in companies working across a range of areas in healthcare to develop early-stage technologies and commercial solutions that will impact health-related quality of life of patients. Alongside ongoing investments, the Fund will provide scientific and clinical strategy guidance, operational and board support, in order to provide new solutions for patients.

Riccardo Braglia, Helsinn Group Vice Chairman and CEO, commented: "We have been impressed by Aadi and by Dr. Desai's work and we believe Aadi is an example of the sort of dynamic, young company that can benefit most from the investment and strategic support which the Helsinn Investment Fund can offer.

"The goal of the Helsinn Investment Fund is to support companies to bring innovation that can help with conditions and disease in areas of high unmet patient need. We have made a number of key strategic investments, of which Aadi is the latest example, and look forward to helping support all of these companies as they move their technologies forward and ultimately benefit patients."

Dr. Neil Desai, Founder and CEO of AADi, said: "We believe our unique mTOR inhibitor technology has the potential to unlock solutions for a range of cancers and other indications. We're delighted to welcome the Helsinn Investment Fund as an investor as we believe they have a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities of early-stage innovation, and we look forward to working with them to take ABI-009 forward through clinical development."