Repro Novo's co-founders invested their own money for the costly process of finding and negotiating assets. This allowed them to secure a promising candidate before approaching institutional investors, demonstrating strong conviction and de-risking the initial investment for VCs.
Repro Novo licensed a drug that did not meet its primary endpoint in a prior Phase 2b trial. They identified a positive signal in an exploratory endpoint—improved semen quality—and built their new clinical strategy around making that the primary endpoint, salvaging a potentially valuable asset.
Despite operating in the popular women's health space, Repro Novo's CEO advises founders to pitch investors on tangible commercial opportunities and critical unmet needs. This focus on market gaps and pricing potential is more compelling than simply relying on a sector-specific trend for funding.