ASTRA Therapeutics raises CHF 7.75M to advance precision parasiticides in animal health
24.07.2025
ASTRA Therapeutics, a Swiss Biotech company developing precision treatments for parasitic diseases, has raised CHF 7.75M in Seed Funding. The financing will support the advancement of the company-s ParaX® platform and accelerate the development of its lead drug candidates aimed at transforming how parasitic infections are treated in animals.
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Founded in 2022 by Dr. Natacha Gaillard and Dr. Ashwani Sharma, ASTRA Therapeutics focuses on eukaryotic pathogens—organisms that cause illness and death in animals, humans, and crops. Existing treatments in this area are increasingly limited by rising resistance and the expiry of longstanding patents. In some regions, up to 98% of heartworm cases are no longer responsive to standard therapies. ASTRA's approach targets this urgent need with a new class of therapeutics called Parabulins®, which selectively disrupt parasite-specific tubulin—a protein essential for cell division—while sparing host cells.
The company's ParaX® platform is built on more than a decade of research by its founders into the structural differences between parasite and host tubulin. This foundation allows for the creation of drugs that achieve high selectivity and efficacy, minimizing collateral effects on the animal. The company aims to set a new benchmark for precision in parasitic disease treatment, especially in the growing animal health market, where the parasiticide segment alone is valued at over USD 10 billion and expanding at an annual rate of 5.6%.
The seed round was co-led by MIG Capital and Digitalis Ventures, each contributing CHF 3 million, with additional participation from Borealis Ventures, Kickfund, and Venture Kick. With strong scientific grounding and a clear focus on addressing growing drug resistance, ASTRA Therapeutics is advancing a new generation of parasiticides with the potential to reshape standards in veterinary medicine.
The company's ParaX® platform is built on more than a decade of research by its founders into the structural differences between parasite and host tubulin. This foundation allows for the creation of drugs that achieve high selectivity and efficacy, minimizing collateral effects on the animal. The company aims to set a new benchmark for precision in parasitic disease treatment, especially in the growing animal health market, where the parasiticide segment alone is valued at over USD 10 billion and expanding at an annual rate of 5.6%.
The seed round was co-led by MIG Capital and Digitalis Ventures, each contributing CHF 3 million, with additional participation from Borealis Ventures, Kickfund, and Venture Kick. With strong scientific grounding and a clear focus on addressing growing drug resistance, ASTRA Therapeutics is advancing a new generation of parasiticides with the potential to reshape standards in veterinary medicine.