In the past 10 years, the advances in understanding the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases have been dramatic. “The development of novel biomarkers and other tools as well are key in aiding diagnostic potential and the ability to track disease progression have been phenomenal,” Isaac Veinbergs, CEO of newly created Libra Therapeutics Inc., told BioWorld.
Synthekine Inc., a California startup developing new medicines for cancer and autoimmune disorders, has closed an $82 million series A financing. The funds will help the company move its two lead programs into the clinic, expand its discovery pipeline and hone its cytokine engineering platforms.
DUBLIN – Versant Ventures, the founding investor of Crispr Therapeutics AG, is teaming up with one of the academic founders of that company, Stanford University’s Matt Porteus, to start a new gene editing firm, Graphite Bio Inc., which is focused on targeted integration of DNA to achieve a therapeutic benefit.
Advanced diagnostics startup Coremap Inc., which is developing a technology capable of identifying the drivers of atrial fibrillation (AF), scooped up $10.5 million in a series A financing led by Qure Ventures. The funds will be used to accelerate product development and future regulatory submissions. Founded in 2016, the Burlington, Vt.-based company has raised nearly $12 million to date.
Favorable conditions in China encouraged biotech veterans Jerry Wang, Bing Yan and Lihua Zheng to co-found Anheart Therapeutics Co. Ltd. in November 2018 to focus on oncology. On Monday, the Chinese startup in-licensed a mIDH-1 inhibitor and an AXL inhibitor from Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. to expand its pipeline, less than two years after it obtained the global rights of its first asset, AB-106 (taletrectinib), from the Japanese firm to establish its footing.
LONDON – Neogene Therapeutics BV has raised $110 million in a series A round to advance development of a novel T-cell immunotherapy for treating solid tumors.
Oncomfort SA finalized a €10 million (US$11.8 million) series A fundraising round to further develop its Digital Sedation product and pursue international expansion. Debiopharm and Crédit Mutuel Innovation led the round with participation from Wallonia Innovation and Growth and previous investors.
Nessan Bermingham, Korro Bio Inc.’s co-founder and executive chair, told BioWorld that other groups are looking into adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR) – the body’s natural base editing system – but “we’re the first group, as far as I’m aware” to raise big money and bring together what could become the best technology for developing drugs based on an understanding of ADAR.
DUBLIN – Mina Therapeutics Ltd. raised £23 million (US$29.9 million) in a series A round to take forward a pipeline and a platform based on a novel regulatory RNA species, small activating RNAs, which selectively activate gene expression.
Favorable conditions in China encouraged biotech veterans Jerry Wang, Bing Yan and Lihua Zheng to co-found Anheart Therapeutics Co. Ltd. in November 2018 to focus on oncology. On Monday, the Chinese startup in-licensed a mIDH-1 inhibitor and an AXL inhibitor from Daiichi Sankyo Co. Ltd. to expand its pipeline, less than two years after it obtained the global rights of its first asset, AB-106 (taletrectinib), from the Japanese firm to establish its footing.