Askgene Pharma Inc., which less than two weeks ago reported positive initial data from an ongoing phase I/II trial testing its claudin 18.2-targeting candidate, ASKB-589, added $20 million in a series A round, intended to advance the company’s clinical pipeline and support further development of its Smartkine cytokine drug platform.
SK Biopharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. has launched a central nervous system-focused biotech company called Ignis Therapeutics Ltd. with a $180 million series A round led by 6 Dimensions Capital L.P. The financing of the new Shanghai-based company represents the largest series A investment in China’s biopharma industry in 2021, according to the two founding companies. KB Investment Co. Ltd, WTT investment Ltd., HBM Healthcare Investments AG and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also participated in the round.
Aculys Pharma Inc. closed its $60 million series A financing round, with the funds to be used to develop pitolisant (Wakix), a selective histamine H3 receptor antagonist/inverse agonist, in Japan.
Aum Biosciences Pte. Ltd., a company developing targeted cancer therapies, has closed a $27 million series A funding round. The Singapore-based company plans to use the proceeds to advance clinical development of its portfolio with immediate initiation of two phase II programs for MNK and tropomyosin receptor kinase inhibitors.
Cell therapy developer Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. (CBMG) completed a $120 million series A financing, its first since becoming a private company. The funds will benefit the U.S. and China-based firm’s CAR T pipeline.
Cell therapy company Zhuhai Grit Biotechnology Inc. completed a series A+ financing of undisclosed value to advance its lead tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) program, GT-101 for advanced solid tumors, into the clinic by year end while also developing other TIL candidates in its pipeline.
Arrivent Biopharma Inc. has raised a series A financing worth up to $150 million to in-license compounds from China and bring them to the rest of the world. Arrivent’s focus is in oncology and its first in-licensed asset is furmonertinib, a third-generation EFGR tyrosine kinase inhibitor from Shanghai-based Allist Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd.
PERTH, Australia – Startup Currus Biologics Pty Ltd. has launched with a AU$10 million (US$7.5 million) series A round with the mission of improving the success of CAR T-cell therapies against solid tumors such as breast, ovarian and pancreatic cancers.
Genhouse Bio Co. Ltd. closed a series A financing round to raise more than ¥200 million (US$31 million) to support phase I studies of KRAS inhibitor GH-35 and SHP2 inhibitor GH-21 in China. The startup expects to enroll patients in trials testing the two compounds in the second half of this year, CEO Wang Kuifeng told BioWorld in an exclusive interview.
LONDON – Iksuda Therapeutics Ltd. sealed its transition from technology licensing company to antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) development specialist, closing a $47 million series A financing to move the lead program, IKS-03, into the clinic.
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