Atamyo Therapeutics and the EIC Accelerator: Gene Therapy for LGMD

Atamyo Therapeutics, founded in 2020 as the first gene therapy spin-off of Genethon, the French gene therapy research centre in Évry, develops one-time gene therapies for limb-girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMD), rare inherited diseases that waste the muscles of the hips and shoulders. It was co-founded by chief executive Stéphane Degove and Isabelle Richard, a CNRS research director who heads Genethon's muscular dystrophy laboratory, according to Atamyo. The EIC selected its ATA-100 programme, a "smart, organotropic gene therapy" for LGMD-R9, for blended finance at the March 2024 cut-off. CORDIS lists no project for this award, and Atamyo's news pages do not mention it, so the grant amount, dates and deliverables are not public.

ATA-100 delivers a working copy of the FKRP gene, whose mutations cause LGMD-R9, which affects about 5,000 people in the US and Europe, the company says. In April 2025 Atamyo completed the dose-finding part of its Phase 1b/2b trial: two doses in two cohorts of three patients each, with no safety concerns according to an independent monitoring board, according to Atamyo. In the lower-dose cohort, all functional and tissue measures improved in all three patients; for the higher dose, "the same level of efficacy was not observed so far". The lower dose was chosen for the pivotal phase. ATA-100 also received a US Rare Pediatric Disease Designation.

Where Atamyo Stands Now

Atamyo's second programme, ATA-200 for LGMD-R5, is in a single-centre trial at the University of Florida funded with the Dion Foundation. Four patients have been dosed, and 12-month data from the first two showed safety and "promising efficacy", according to Atamyo in May 2026. The ATA-100 trial record lists six enrolled patients and "active, not recruiting", according to ClinicalTrials.gov; no start of the pivotal part has been announced. The French register puts its workforce at three to five employees, and its accounts are not in the public INPI dataset.

The Technology: Replacing a Missing Muscle Gene

Atamyo's therapies use an adeno-associated virus to carry a healthy gene into muscle. The EIC award describes ATA-100 as "organotropic", designed to target the right tissues for efficacy, safety and affordability. In muscle biopsies, the company reports increased glycosylation of alpha-dystroglycan, the protein chemistry that faulty FKRP disrupts.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

Without a CORDIS record or a company announcement, the EIC project's scope and status cannot be checked. The award title matches ATA-100's development. The public record shows the dose-finding phase completed with three responders on the chosen dose, which is a small base, and no pivotal-phase start two and a half years after the award.

1. Dose-finding completeDeliveredApril 2025.
2. Pivotal phase startedNot announcedTrial not recruiting.
3. Detailed results publishedConferencesNo paper found.
4. EIC project on recordMissingNot on CORDIS.

The Money

Atamyo's disclosed public funding includes €2 million of Bpifrance deeptech aid in 2022 for the first ATA-100 trial, according to Atamyo. The ATA-200 trial is backed by the Dion Foundation. No equity round, EIC grant payment or EIC Fund investment has been announced.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

There is no curative treatment for LGMD-R9, the company notes. Atamyo turns more than 25 years of LGMD research at Genethon into clinical candidates. Its next step, a pivotal trial, is the most expensive one.

The Verdict

Atamyo Therapeutics and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.