Augustine Therapeutics Awarded VLAIO Grant for Research on Novel HDAC6 Inhibitor Therapeutics in Cardiometabolic and Neuromuscular Diseases

• Grant supports efforts to advance research in HDAC6 biology and potential therapeutic applications of Augustine’s novel HDAC6 inhibitors

LEUVEN, Belgium – 13 May 2026 – Augustine Therapeutics NV (“Augustine” or “the Company”), a biotechnology company focused on developing new therapies for cardiometabolic, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative diseases through the inhibition of the cytosolic Histone DeACetylase 6 (HDAC6) enzyme, today announced that the Flanders Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) has awarded a EUR 3 million grant to advance research and development of novel HDAC6 inhibitors (HDAC6i) for potential application in a range of chronic diseases with significant unmet medical need. The three-year project will feature collaboration with leading European partners and focus on broadening the Company’s insights into HDAC6 biology across different organs and tissues in order to help guide the future clinical development of Augustine’s portfolio of next-generation selective HDAC6i molecules.

Gerhard Koenig, PhD, CEO of Augustine, said: “Building on our prior grant from VLAIO, this new award is testament to our continued leadership in developing novel HDAC6i for the potential treatment of cardiometabolic, neuromuscular and neurologic diseases where considerable unmet need remains. We are very grateful to VLAIO for their continued support of our efforts to further understand HDAC6 biology as we advance our HDAC6i programs towards clinical studies, as well as for their broader support of innovation across the Flanders region.”

Rie Schultz Hansen, PhD, CSO of Augustine, added: “HDAC6 inhibitors employing novel chemistry to overcome the liabilities of previous generations of molecules are critical to unlocking the therapeutic potential of targeting HDAC6, a well-validated molecular target with strong biological rationale for the treatment of a broad range of diseases. We are grateful for the contributions of our academic collaborators who were instrumental in supporting our successful application.  This funding will help us gain further perspectives on the range of human diseases where HDAC6i has therapeutic potential.”

Augustine’s proprietary pipeline of HDAC6i is built on a novel non-hydroxamate, non-hydrazide producing chemotype differentiated from other small molecule approaches. Selective HDAC6 inhibition offers a promising avenue to reverse or prevent the underlying cellular damage seen in a range of diseases, including many cardiometabolic, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Media Contacts:

Augustine Therapeutics

Gerhard Koenig, CEO

E-mail: info@augustinetx.com 

ICR Healthcare 

Amber Fennell, Ashley Tapp

E-mail: augustinetx@icrhealthcare.com 

About Augustine Therapeutics

Augustine Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on the treatment of cardiometabolic, neuromuscular, and neurodegenerative diseases through its next-generation approach to selectively inhibit HDAC6. Augustine’s HDAC6 inhibitors have been purposefully designed to selectively inhibit HDAC6 while preserving its beneficial non-catalytic functions. With its novel non-hydroxamate, non-hydrazide producing chemotype, Augustine’s HDAC6 approach is selective, avoids the limitations of other chemotypes, and built for chronic diseases. Augustine Therapeutics was founded on the ground-breaking research of Prof. Ludo Van Den Bosch from the VIB-KU Leuven in Belgium. The Company raised an oversubscribed EUR 78 million / USD 85 million Series A financing round in March 2025, led by Novo Holdings and Jeito Capital and supported by Asabys Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, AdBio partners, V-Bio Ventures, PMV, VIB, Gemma Frisius Fund, the US-based Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Research Foundation and Newton Biocapital. For more information visit www.augustinetx.com

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