Matisse Pharmaceuticals

What Matisse Pharmaceuticals does

Matisse Pharmaceuticals B.V. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Geleen, the Netherlands, developing therapies for diseases driven by elevated extracellular cytotoxic histones — with a primary focus on sepsis and septic shock in intensive care settings. Its lead asset, M6229 (international nonproprietary name: isupartob sodium), is a first-in-class heparin derivative designed to neutralize extracellular cytotoxic histones at the root of the inflammatory cascade rather than managing downstream symptoms. The platform has secured WHO INN recognition (December 2025), completion of a Phase 1 study with 120-hour infusion in healthy volunteers (November 2025), FDA IND clearance (May 2026), and FDA Fast Track Designation (June 2026), with Phase 2 in sepsis patients underway and regulatory submissions planned for the US, Europe, and Asia.

The company is pre-revenue and pre-commercial, with no approved products on the market. Its revenue model will be built around pharmaceutical drug sales into hospital and ICU formularies post-approval, supplemented by potential out-licensing or co-development arrangements with larger pharmaceutical partners — consistent with a planned enterprise field sales motion and medical science liaison engagement of pharmacy and therapeutics committees. Current operations are funded primarily through equity financing, including a EUR 3.6 million pre-Series A round closed in January 2024 from existing and new shareholders, with a planned Series A round to finance full clinical execution.

Matisse is supported by a strategic partnership network — Amsterdam UMC, Maastricht University, and Maastricht UMC+ for translational and clinical research, and Basic Pharma for contract manufacturing — and by an experienced management team led by CEO Bob Kool, CSO Gerry Nicolaes, and CFO Harry Relouw. With 11–50 employees and a single-asset, single-indication lead program, the company's growth depends on successful Phase 2 outcomes and execution of multi-regional regulatory filings.

Name

Matisse Pharmaceuticals

Legal name

Matisse Pharmaceuticals B.V.

Website

https://matisse-pharma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Matisse Pharmaceuticals is a Dutch clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing isupartob sodium, a first-in-class heparin derivative that neutralizes extracellular cytotoxic histones to treat sepsis and septic shock in hospital and ICU settings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sepsis Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing (32541)

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAIALAE

Clinical Development (Phase I–III Trial Design & Execution)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Pharmaceutical Research and Development

SECONDARYHLAIAAAD

Immunology & Inflammation Pharmaceuticals

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Branded (Innovator) Pharmaceuticals

Keywords

• Sepsis therapeutics
• Heparin derivatives
• Clinical stage biopharma
• Inflammatory disease drugs
• Histone neutralization therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Geleen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical drug sales: Matisse Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with no current approved products or revenue. It is developing a drug portfolio for sepsis and septic shock. Once clinical trials are complete and regulatory approvals are obtained, the company plans to commercialize its therapies — likely through direct pharmaceutical sales to hospital systems and ICUs, and/or through licensing agreements with larger pharmaceutical partners. The company raised EUR 3.6 million in a pre-Series A funding round in early 2024 to fund Phase II trials and R&D expansion.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Matisse Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing isupartob sodium (M6229), a first-in-class heparin derivative that neutralizes extracellular cytotoxic histones — the root cause of the inflammatory cascade in sepsis and septic shock. The asset has completed Phase 1 in healthy volunteers with a 120-hour infusion and is advancing into Phase 2 in sepsis patients, targeting hospital and ICU administration upon regulatory approval in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Product overview

Matisse Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a product portfolio of innovative therapies targeting extracellular cytotoxic histones. The company's lead product is M6229 (isupartob sodium), a first-in-class heparin derivative in Phase 2 clinical development for sepsis and septic shock treatment. The pipeline includes the Histoseps trial program (Phase 1/2a completed, Phase 2 in progress), with regulatory dossiers planned for submission in the US, Europe, and Asia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• M6229 (isupartob sodium) First-in-class heparin derivative drug candidate (INN: isupartob sodium) that selectively neutralizes extracellular cytotoxic histones to treat the root cause of sepsis and septic shock in hospital and ICU settings. Currently in Phase 2 clinical development following successful Phase 1 results.

Quantifiable outcome

• Phase 1 study completed: 120-hour infusion of M6229 in healthy volunteers showed favorable safety, tolerability, and predictable pharmacokinetics
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amsterdam UMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam UMC is listed as one of Matisse Pharmaceuticals' strategic partners. The partnership likely involves academic research collaboration leveraging Amsterdam UMC's clinical and scientific expertise in sepsis and critical care medicine.
• Maastricht UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaastricht University is listed as one of Matisse Pharmaceuticals' strategic partners. The partnership likely involves academic research and development collaboration in the field of cytotoxic histones and inflammatory diseases.
• Maastricht UMC+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaastricht UMC+ is listed as one of Matisse Pharmaceuticals' strategic partners. As a university medical center, the partnership is likely focused on clinical research capabilities, patient access for clinical trials, and scientific collaboration.
• Basic PharmaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBasic Pharma is listed as one of Matisse Pharmaceuticals' partners. Basic Pharma is a pharmaceutical contract manufacturer. This partnership likely supports manufacturing and production scale-up capabilities for Matisse's drug candidates.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• InflaRx: InflaRx is a German clinical-stage biotech developing vilobelimab, an anti-C5a monoclonal antibody for sepsis and other inflammatory conditions. Comparable as a clinical-stage sepsis-focused biotech with a mechanism targeting the inflammatory cascade.
• Inotrem: Inotrem is a French clinical-stage biotech developing nangibotide, a TREM-1 pathway inhibitor for septic shock. It is the most directly comparable peer to Matisse: same disease focus, similar clinical stage, and similar mechanism-driven (vs. anti-infective) approach.
• AM-Pharma: AM-Pharma is a Netherlands-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing recombinant human alkaline phosphatase for sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. Same geography, same disease focus, and similar clinical-stage biotech profile as Matisse.
• Adrenomed: Adrenomed is a German clinical-stage biotech developing adrecizumab, an antibody targeting adrenomedullin for septic shock. Same indication and clinical-stage profile as Matisse, with a similarly differentiated non-antibiotic mechanism.

Broad incumbents

• bioMérieux: bioMérieux is a global leader in in vitro diagnostics and microbial identification, with a substantial sepsis diagnostics portfolio. It is a broader incumbent operating across the sepsis care pathway rather than a single-asset sepsis therapeutic.
• Abbott: Abbott operates a large diagnostics franchise in critical-care settings, including biomarker tests relevant to sepsis diagnosis and management. It is a broad incumbent serving the same hospital/ICU customers Matisse would target post-approval.
• Roche: Roche is a global pharmaceutical and diagnostics leader with both a substantial critical-care/ICU franchise and broad sepsis-adjacent capabilities. It is a broad incumbent whose reach overlaps with the hospital/ICU customer base Matisse targets.

Emerging players

• Inflammatix: Inflammatix is a US-based host-response diagnostics company developing rapid tests to identify sepsis and appropriate antibiotic therapy. Adjacent to Matisse in the sepsis care pathway, but on the diagnostic rather than therapeutic side.
• T2 Biosystems: T2 Biosystems develops T2 Magnetic Resonance-based diagnostic panels for sepsis and other bloodstream infections. Comparable as a company addressing sepsis in hospital settings, though focused on diagnostics rather than therapeutics.
• Cytovale: Cytovale is a US-based diagnostics company developing rapid sepsis diagnostic tests for use in emergency and ICU settings. Adjacent to Matisse because it addresses the same sepsis care pathway in hospitals, though it is a diagnostics rather than therapeutics company.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/matisse-pharmaceuticals-b.v.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Matisse Pharmaceuticals