Radnor startup Palvella Therapeutics is tackling rare conditions that currently have no approved treatment, writes John George for the Philadelphia Business Journal.

The company was founded by Wes Kaupinen three years ago. Before that, he helped launch life sciences companies as a venture capitalist. Palvella means “to serve” in Finnish, a tribute to Kaupinen’s ancestry.

“When I was at Quaker Ventures, my niche was bringing together technology, people, and capital around a need in healthcare,” said Kaupinen. “That is what I am trying to do at Palvella.”

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Its new lead drug candidate, Rapatane, is an experimental therapy for a rare and chronically debilitating disease that can impair a person’s ability to walk. Pachyonychia congenita is an inherited condition that predominantly affects the nails and skin. Currently, between 2,000 and 3,000 people are estimated to suffer from this condition in the U.S.

So far, the company has raised $2.5 million. Among its backers are angel investors, Agent Capital, a biotech venture capital firm, and BioAdvance, which manages an early-stage life sciences fund of $50 million.

Kaupinen is now raising more funds for late-stage clinical studies to further test Rapatane’s effectiveness.

Read more about Palvella Therapeutics in the Philadelphia Business Journal by clicking here.

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