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Sibylla Biotech

Sibylla Biotech is a private Italian drug discovery company, now based in Bresso near Milan, that holds the PPI-FIT technology: computer simulation of how a protein folds, followed by design of small molecules that bind a short lived folding intermediate so the cell degrades the protein. It was spun out of a collaboration of INFN and the universities of Trento and Perugia co-funded by Fondazione Telethon, and the Trento prion lab head is a co-founder. PPI-FIT was first shown on the prion protein, but the 2021 paper states that the company uses it for many diseases with the exception of prion diseases. Its own work is in cancer, with partner deals with Takeda, Ono (neurological disorders) and MD Anderson (cancer). Its pipeline is preclinical. It runs no prion programme. Information only.

Key facts

  • The company describes itself as a spin-off of INFN, the University of Trento and the University of Perugia; its 2022 release adds that the founding collaboration was co-funded by Fondazione Telethon.
  • The Trento prion lab head, Emiliano Biasini (emiliano-biasini), lists himself as co-founder and scientific advisor of Sibylla since 2017, and the company site names him as one of the inventors of PPI-FIT.
  • A 2021 company release, seen as an aggregator repost, calls Sibylla the sole licensee of PPI-FIT, invented by its academic founders.
  • The 2021 Communications Biology paper that introduced PPI-FIT on the prion protein declares that five authors are co-founders and shareholders of Sibylla Biotech SRL, and that the company uses PPI-FIT for drug discovery in many human diseases with the exception of prion diseases (re-checked in the full text on 2026-10-16).
  • The Trento prion lab page says PPI-FIT is currently exploited by Sibylla and lists the company among its industrial collaborators.
  • In October 2019 the company received 2.4 million euro from the Vertis Venture 3 Tech Transfer fund (sponsored news item).
  • In October 2022 it closed a 23 million euro Series A led by V-Bio Ventures with six other funds and seed investor Vertis, to take its small molecule pipeline through preclinical work; its lead candidate degrades Cyclin D1, a cancer target.
  • In May 2021 it started a research collaboration with Takeda to apply PPI-FIT to proteins chosen by Takeda; terms were not disclosed.
  • In March 2024 Ono Pharmaceutical signed a deal for Sibylla to find folding interfering degraders against Ono chosen targets in neurological disorders, with exclusive worldwide rights for Ono, an upfront payment, research costs, milestones up to three digit millions of US dollars and royalties. No targets were named.
  • In June 2024 MD Anderson Cancer Center signed a strategic collaboration with Sibylla on cancer degraders, from target choice to candidate nomination.
  • The company site states an oncology focus, names a former Bayer CEO as board chair from 8 May 2025, and does not mention prions anywhere.

Timeline

  1. 2017Sibylla Biotech founded; the Trento prion lab head is a co-founder.
  2. 20192.4 million euro investment from Vertis Venture 3 Tech Transfer.
  3. 2021PPI-FIT paper on the prion protein published, with the declaration that Sibylla excludes prion diseases.
  4. 2021Research collaboration with Takeda announced.
  5. 202223 million euro Series A led by V-Bio Ventures.
  6. 2024Ono Pharmaceutical collaboration for neurological disorders announced.
  7. 2024MD Anderson strategic collaboration on cancer degraders announced.
  8. 2025Former Bayer CEO appointed board chair.
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