Leiden-based biotech company VarmX has received two industry award nominations recognising its scientific approach and strategic partnership with CSL.
VarmX has been shortlisted for the 2026 Prix Galien USA “Best Startup” Award, which recognises early-stage companies developing novel therapeutic approaches. The nomination follows the company’s progress with VMX-C001, its lead programme for patients taking oral Factor Xa inhibitors who require urgent surgery or treatment for severe bleeding.
VMX-C001 is designed to rapidly restore normal blood coagulation in patients receiving Factor Xa inhibitors. The programme received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and in August 2026 VarmX enrolled the first participant in its global Phase 3 EquilibriX-S trial. The randomised, controlled study is evaluating whether a single intravenous dose of VMX-C001 can reliably and rapidly restore haemostasis during urgent surgical procedures.
VarmX has also been shortlisted together with CSL for “Deal of the Year (< EUR 500M)” at the 2026 European Lifestars Awards. The nomination recognises the strategic collaboration and option agreement between the two companies, signed in September 2025, to support the late-stage development, manufacturing and potential commercialisation of VMX-C001.
The Prix Galien USA winners will be announced on 29 October in New York, while the European Lifestars Awards will take place on 16 November in London.
VarmX was spun out of Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) in 2016 and continues to develop its lead programme from its base in Leiden. The company’s progress highlights the strength of the Leiden life sciences ecosystem in translating academic research into clinical-stage biotechnology programmes.
