SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 2026 - iCFO Venture Group, LLC, a subsidiary of iCFO Capital Global, Inc., is excited to announce its partnership with NovaRhythm Biosciences through the iCFO Capital Global Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) program.
NovaRhythm Biosciences holds an exclusive worldwide license from Sanofi to SAR-297871, an orally available, selective inhibitor of the TASK-1 potassium channel, being developed as a chronic oral rhythm-control therapy for paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). AF is the most common sustained arrhythmia, affecting about 59.7 million people worldwide, and is associated with stroke, heart failure, hospitalization, cognitive decline and mortality. Existing drugs are constrained by incomplete efficacy and toxicities, and catheter ablation, while effective for many patients, is invasive and sometimes repeated. TASK-1 is enriched in the atria and upregulated in AF, supporting a rhythm-control approach that may spare ventricular side effects, in particular life threatening arrhythmias that have plagued AF rhythm control therapies for decades.
Their program is built on:
- An advanced asset, not a ground-up discovery – Sanofi selected SAR-297871 from more than 600 analogues and built its medicinal-chemistry, large-animal pharmacology, ADME/PK, exploratory safety and process-chemistry package.
- Human evidence before first dosing – Functional studies by AnaBios used hearts from 3 AF donors and 8 normal donors. In AF-donor atrial tissue, SAR-297871 suppressed triggered activity and after-contractions and restored pacing-synchronous contraction, while normal-donor ventricular preparations showed no material effect within the tested ranges.
- A selective, purpose-designed molecule – At least 20-fold selectivity across 14 other ion channels, with low brain penetration and a profile compatible with oral dosing.
- A capital-efficient virtual model – Specialist partners execute the work: AGNO in Oregon manufactures the drug substance, and KreaMedica and Pharma Medica run IND-enabling studies and Phase 1 in Canada to support U.S. FDA submissions.
- A defined path to the clinic – A U.S. IND submission targeted for Q4 2027, followed by a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 study in approximately 64 healthy volunteers, with data targeted for Q4 2028.
Their team brings continuity of scientific stewardship. Founding Partner and CSO Najah Abi Georges, PhD, led Sanofi's human-tissue evaluation of SAR-297871 at AnaBios, and Founding Partner and CMO Cooley G. Pantazis, MD, is a board-certified pathologist with more than 75 publications. Advisors include former FDA division directors Norman Stockbridge, MD, PhD, and Todd Bourcier, PhD; cardiac-rhythm authority Peter R. Kowey, MD; cardiovascular safety expert Pierre Jordaan, MD; and pharmaceutical IP counsel Shashank Upadhye, JD, LLM. Director and M&A advisor J. Kevin Buchi is the former CFO and CEO of Cephalon through its $6.8 billion acquisition by Teva.
The asset carries a documented history: Sanofi partnered with AnaBios in 2014 to translate the compound in human tissue, AnaBios acquired the program rights in 2019, the rights returned to Sanofi in 2022–2023, and NovaRhythm secured its exclusive worldwide license in 2025. The licensed patent family includes 43 maintained grants in a 46-filing family, and market exclusivity runs from approval.
Grand View Research estimates the global AF market at about $29.5 billion in 2025, rising to $65.3 billion by 2033, with the global AF antiarrhythmic drug market projected at about $13.2 billion by 2033. Sanofi's dronedarone (Multaq) sustained worldwide sales of about $356–413 million a year from 2015 to 2021, demonstrating durable demand for chronic oral rhythm control.
A scientist and business leader with more than 40 years of experience across science and business. Dr. Miller is a co-founder and former Chief Corporate Development Officer of AnaBios and co-founded and built preclinical CRO services generating more than $80 million in revenue. His direct history with the Sanofi–AnaBios collaboration provides continuity from source data through licensing and development of SAR-297871.
Watch Dr. Miller in conversation with investors on iCFO Capital Global’s Talk Show, hosted by Khris Thetsy: Watch the video
For more information about the company, please visit: www.novarhythmbio.com
Media disclaimer: Information herein is for general information purposes only. No offer or solicitation of securities is made or implied.
This communication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities. Any securities offering will be made only pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, including Regulation D, and only to accredited investors. iCFO Capital Global is not a registered broker-dealer and does not provide transaction-based compensation or investment advisory services.