AnaCardio secured a €62.5 million ($70.5 million) Series B to advance AC01, its oral calcium-sensitizing contractile agent for chronic advanced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The company said it will fully fund Phase IIb development and target Phase III readiness by 2028. AC01, a ghrelin mimetic small molecule, was originally in-licensed from Helsinn in 2022 and is designed to improve cardiac contractility through a differentiated pathway. AnaCardio cited encouraging Phase Ib/IIa results published in The Lancet to support the move to a larger patient population. Regulatory engagement was also highlighted, with positive scientific advice referenced from both the FDA and EMA, while co-leads Novo Holdings and the Ljungström family office brought in additional investors including Helsinn and Innovestor Life Science.