Brad Howell’s Post

$100m in funding secured, New M&A & CAR-T approval, Here's this week's news in CGT 👇 🚨 Today, Paris-based gene therapy biotech company, Vivet Therapeutics, successfully secured EUR 4.9 million in private funding through the support of Bpifrance. 2. Adicet Bio, Inc. received a significant $98 million boost through a public follow-on offering, strengthening their commitment to advancing allogeneic gamma delta T cell therapies for autoimmune + cancer. ➡️ Regeneron bets on cell therapy, leading to a fantastic outcome for 150 talented individuals as they transition into exciting new roles within the Regeneron family. Regeneron has formed 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 through an agreement with 2seventy bio, acquiring full rights to its immune cell therapy pipeline. ✅ FDA has approved a new manufacturing process for Kite Pharma's Yescarta CAR T-cell therapy, reducing the median turnaround time from 16 to 14 days. This change streamlines the production of personalized cell therapy, crucial for patients with aggressive large B-cell lymphoma. The quicker delivery 𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬' 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥, as Yescarta has shown superior overall survival compared to standard care as a second-line treatment for these cases. 🔥 Partnerships are forming every week as Umoja Biopharma strikes a THIRD strategic collab in THREE weeks, this time with AbbVie to create innovative in-situ CAR-T cell therapies, utilising Umoja's VivoVecTM gene delivery platform and leveraging AbbVie's oncology expertise. 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘞𝘏𝘖 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬? Sign up for FREE to my 𝐂𝐆𝐓𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 newsletter and discover the newest breakthroughs and advancements, here: https://lnkd.in/etZK5kzZ #celltherapy #genetherapy #biotech #CGTweekly

I'm sorry.... but I'm back again! After a busy backend of last year coupled with paternity leave I let things slip on the monthly funding tracker within the biotech sector 😞 However, I'm pleased to start this back up again with the new and improved version now taking into consideration early stage (Seed and Series A), Growth stage (Series B & C) and later stage (Series D onwards). Moving forwards, I will be going into detail on each month but, given it's the end of Q1, I thought I'd do a Q1 summary instead! 💸 Q1 VC Biotech Funding Roundup (above $30million)💸 Overview ⭐ 14% of all funding rounds included were for Cell or Gene therapies (only 2 out of 51 companies were Gene therapy/editing space!) 🤔 Therapeutic indication breakdown - 43% Oncology/Haematology - 6% Immunology - 9% Neurology/CNS - 6% Endocrinology - Others were a mixture of rare diseases, neuropsychiatric disorders, ophthalmology and gastroenterology. 🤑 Biggest funding raised - Mirador Therapeutics - $400 million (Series A) ☝ Top raisers ☝ ▶ Mirador Therapeutics - Series A - $400 million ▶ Alumis - Series C - $259 million ▶ Sionna Therapeutics - Series C - $182 million ▶ Capstan Therapeutics - Series B - $175 million ▶ BioAge Labs - Series D - $170 million ▶ Engrail Therapeutics - Series B - $157 million 📈Funds raised for each round 📈 Seed & Series A - 54% Series B & C - 35% Series D & on - 11% 🚶♀️ Walk-away 🚶♂️ Closing the quarter with approximately $3.9 billion in funding signals a positive trajectory for the market. Comparing to Q1 2023, where funding rounds above $30 million amounted to just under $2 billion, effectively double! Early-stage funding, Seed and Series A, dominated, underscoring a robust appetite for emerging companies. Maintaining this momentum would be ideal, though stability would suffice for now 😅 Also, 50% of companies raising early stage funds raised (from this data) had funding rounds above $100 million which re-emphasises the point above. Clearly, the amount of funds you raise will be based on a number of strategic imperatives such as compelling preclinical data, large target markets, existing/likely strategic collaborative opportunities, strong management teams, etc. but, nonetheless, very promising! While advanced therapies saw a slight decline from around the 20-30% monthly average we saw in 2023 to 14% for Q1 2024, it's premature to draw conclusions. Potential factors like manufacturing challenges or valuation concerns could be at play. We have also seen some big investment over the past 5 years in the advanced therapy space and, as the market matures, we may start seeing investors becoming far more selective (stronger pre-clinical data, clearer paths to commercialisation, etc.) and, thus, could lead to slowdown in investment as the market becomes more saturated. That's all for now - feel free to follow me or send my an invite to see my monthly post on this and, as always, shout out to Fierce Biotech for the data!

AvenCell Therapeutics’ $112M Series B raise is a game-changer in the evolving CAR-T therapy landscape. With their innovative switchable CAR-T technology, AvenCell stands out in a competitive market that’s rapidly shifting toward personalized and safer cancer treatments. This strategic edge allows real-time control over CAR-T cells, addressing critical safety concerns and potentially expanding the use of these therapies in hard-to-treat cancers like acute myeloid leukemia (AML). As major players continue to invest in cell and gene therapies, the competitive landscape is intensifying, creating a race to bring next-gen treatments to market. This influx of capital will likely accelerate the biotech industry’s push toward customizable therapies. However, it also raises the stakes for talent acquisition, especially at the executive level. As companies like AvenCell expand, finding visionary leaders with the right blend of scientific expertise and strategic acumen becomes a critical challenge. In the fast-paced, high-risk world of biotech, top-tier leadership can mean the difference between breakthrough success and costly setbacks. The complexities of navigating regulatory pathways, clinical trials, and commercial strategy only amplify the demand for experienced, adaptable executives who can steer these cutting-edge technologies to market. For companies vying for talent in this competitive landscape, the need for robust recruitment strategies is clear. This is where aligning with a seasoned executive search partner can make all the difference. If you’re navigating the talent acquisition challenges in biotech, especially in cell and gene therapy, let’s connect to discuss how we can help you secure the leadership your organization needs to thrive. #BiotechInnovation #CAR_Therapy #ExecutiveSearch #LeadershipInBiotech #CellAndGeneTherapy #AMLResearch #BiotechLeadership #TalentAcquisition #LifeSciencesRecruitment #PharmaTalent #NextGenTherapies #BiotechBreakthroughs #TylerLakeConsulting

Switzerland is a biotech powerhouse, with established players in every stage along the way, from education to manufacturing going through research and development. Taking into account the country’s success last year, Switzerland is undoubtedly on an upward trajectory. Biotech companies in Switzerland are heavily invested in developing new cancer treatments and immunotherapies, with pharma giants Novartis and Roche leading this space. Switzerland is also a hub for gene and cell therapy development and contributes to research on therapies targeting the aging process and age-related diseases, exemplified by Rejuveron Life Sciences’ impressive portfolio in the field. This article in Labiotech explores eighteen biotech companies based in Switzerland worth keeping an eye on: https://lnkd.in/ehnKdaEx #Switzerland #Biotech #Talent

LucidQuest Strategic Insights (lqventures.com) >>> Gene&Cell Therapy >> CAR NK biotech Catamaran Bio to wind down, will seek partners for cell therapies: Off-the-shelf cell therapy biotech Catamaran Bio made a “recent decision to commence wind-down,” CEO Alvin Shih told Endpoints News in an email on Monday. The Boston biotech will cease day-to-day operations and seek strategic partners for its CAR NK cell therapy candidates and technology, Shih wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. Catamaran had 19 employees as of Monday morning, he told Endpoints, and a “handful” will stay on for a transition period. Alvin Shih Catamaran was unveiled in November 2020 with $42 million in funding from SV Health Investors, Sofinnova Partners, Lightstone Ventures, Takeda Ventures and Astellas Venture Management. “We still believe strongly in the potential of allogeneic therapies to address unmet needs in solid tumor indications,” Shih wrote on LinkedIn. “However, the financing environment for early stage companies like ours in the cell therapy space continues to be challenging, and the time and resources required to achieve a meaningful clinical readout made it impossible for us to proceed on our intended path.” Biotechs in the same space as Catamaran are attempting to engineer natural killer cell therapies using donor cells, rather than going through the costly and time-intensive process associated with existing CAR-T therapies that take from a patient’s own cells. Takeda is working on a program out of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and other biotechs are also operating in the space, like Fate Therapeutics, Caribou Biosciences, NKGen Biotech, Shoreline Biosciences and Nkarta, among others. Catamaran was developing its so-called TAILWIND platform, which included synthetic biology, non-viral cell engineering and other technologies. The biotech had planned on testing a CD70 cell therapy, dubbed CAT-248, in patients with renal cell carcinoma. It also envisioned studies of a HER2 cell therapy, named CAT-179, in patients with breast and gastric cancers. Shih led Catamaran as CEO after Eli Lilly bought his previous company, neuroscience startup Disarm Therapeutics, in 2020. Catamaran is chaired by Frank Lee, who recently joined Pacira BioSciences as CEO after leading Forma Therapeutics to an exit to Novo Nordisk in 2022. The company’s scientific founders include George Washington University professor Catherine Bollard and University of Minnesota professor Branden Moriarity. Other founders include Kevin Pojasek, Tim Harris and Houman Ashrafian, who recently left SV Health Investors to become EVP and head of R&D at Sanofi. #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

Denmark’s SNIPR Biome secures $5.48M funding from CARB-X for clinical trial of CRISPR therapy in cancer patients SNIPR Biome - A CRISPR Company, a Copanhagen-based clinical-stage biotech company pioneering precision medicines using CRISPR technology for microbial gene therapy, has secured $5.48 million in funding from the Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator (CARB-X) to co-fund a Phase 1b/2a clinical trial in hematological cancer patients. The trial will evaluate SNIPR001, a CRISPR-armed phage therapeutic targeting E. coli in the gut, for the prevention of E. coli bloodstream infections in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) and colonized with Fluoroquinolone Resistant (FQR) E. coli. SNIPR Biome intends to use this funding to advance SNIPR001 into clinical trials, focusing on safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics in 24 patients across Europe and the United States. https://lnkd.in/gzvHiNPz #funding #nordicmade #denmark #startups #biotech #healthttech #deeptech #trending

LucidQuest Strategic Insights (lqventures.com) >>> Gene&Cell Therapy >> Lexeo brings in $95M; FDA lifts hold on Nurix cancer trial: Plus, news about Ventyx Biosciences, CEPI, Evolus, Recursion and Sensorion: Lexeo Therapeutics raises $95M: The financing is nearly the same size as the gene therapy maker’s $100 million IPO four months ago. The new money from Novo Holdings and other investors is expected to give the clinical-stage biotech runway into 2027. — Kyle LaHucik Nurix Therapeutics gets FDA go-ahead to continue trial: The regulator lifted its partial hold on Nurix’s Phase Ia/Ib clinical trial investigating NX-2127 to treat B-cell malignancies. The FDA halted the trial in November after the company said it wanted to change the manufacturing process for the drug. NX-2127 works by degrading BTK and IMiD neosubstrates. — Anna Brown Ventyx Biosciences’ stock sinks on pipeline reorganization: The San Diego startup announced plans to shift focus to two NLRP3 inhibitor programs and partner out a third program, VTX002. Last October, VTX002 succeeded in a Phase II study in ulcerative colitis but analysts wondered whether it could compete with other programs. The reorganization follows a $100 million PIPE announced on Thursday. Ventyx shares $VTYX fell about 20% on Monday. — Max Gelman CEPI raises $57 million for Covid-19 challenge trials: The studies will examine the effectiveness of nasal and inhaled vaccines in preventing Covid-19. Researchers from Imperial College London will lead the five-year international project. — Max Gelman Evolus prices $50M offering: The California medical aesthetics company expects to raise the money to grow its neurotoxin Jeuveau business and its line of dermal fillers. — Kyle LaHucik Recursion opens a London office: The Salt Lake City biotech and its subsidiary Valence Lab are launching in London, with plans to open a new office in King’s Cross in June. The company also appointed Michael Bronstein, an artificial intelligence professor at the University of Oxford, as a scientific advisor. — Anna Brown Sensorion’s hearing preservation drug reaches proof of concept: The biotech’s SENS-401 met the primary endpoint in a Phase IIa test of 28 patients who underwent a cochlear implant. The study has now finished, and complete data are set to be published in the third quarter. SENS-401 is also in a Phase II trial for the prevention of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. — Ayisha Sharma #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

The role of the European biotech innovation ecosystem in the development of innovative medicine Advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) represent the next wave of innovation in biopharma. These products are novel therapeutics based on genes, tissues or cells, including gene therapy, somatic-cell therapy, and tissue engineering.49 These products have historically been focused on the orphan / rare disease space, although interviews with VC companies indicated that there are many companies looking to expand these therapies to reach a broader audience. ATMPs are particularly important as a signal for where innovation hubs will be concentrated in the future. However, Europe is falling behind the US regarding the development, funding and approval of these therapies. As of 2023, the EMA has approved 17 ATMPs, which are still active, while there are 21 marketed ATMPs available in the US. 50 Additionally, ATMP manufacturers face increased challenges post approval regarding market access and commercial take-up. Although Europe has historically been a leader in scientific discovery, this has not translated to this latest wave of innovation. Figure shows that the US clearly outperforms other regions, with over twice as many ATMP clinical trials taking place versus the EU between January 2020 and October 2023. In fact, the EU is also lagging China on this front, further placing emphasis on the need to accelerate the clinical trial process. ATMPs are a key measure of innovation from emerging and small biotech. Although the majority of ATMPs are owned by mature companies at launch, this does not reflect the originators of ATMPs, of which emerging and small biotech companies make up a significant portion

Gene&Cell Therapy >> CAR NK biotech Catamaran Bio to wind down, will seek partners for cell therapies: Off-the-shelf cell therapy biotech Catamaran Bio made a “recent decision to commence wind-down,” CEO Alvin Shih told Endpoints News in an email on Monday. The Boston biotech will cease day-to-day operations and seek strategic partners for its CAR NK cell therapy candidates and technology, Shih wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. Catamaran had 19 employees as of Monday morning, he told Endpoints, and a “handful” will stay on for a transition period. Alvin Shih Catamaran was unveiled in November 2020 with $42 million in funding from SV Health Investors, Sofinnova Partners, Lightstone Ventures, Takeda Ventures and Astellas Venture Management. “We still believe strongly in the potential of allogeneic therapies to address unmet needs in solid tumor indications,” Shih wrote on LinkedIn. “However, the financing environment for early stage companies like ours in the cell therapy space continues to be challenging, and the time and resources required to achieve a meaningful clinical readout made it impossible for us to proceed on our intended path.” Biotechs in the same space as Catamaran are attempting to engineer natural killer cell therapies using donor cells, rather than going through the costly and time-intensive process associated with existing CAR-T therapies that take from a patient’s own cells. Takeda is working on a program out of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and other biotechs are also operating in the space, like Fate Therapeutics, Caribou Biosciences, NKGen Biotech, Shoreline Biosciences and Nkarta, among others. Catamaran was developing its so-called TAILWIND platform, which included synthetic biology, non-viral cell engineering and other technologies. The biotech had planned on testing a CD70 cell therapy, dubbed CAT-248, in patients with renal cell carcinoma. It also envisioned studies of a HER2 cell therapy, named CAT-179, in patients with breast and gastric cancers. Shih led Catamaran as CEO after Eli Lilly bought his previous company, neuroscience startup Disarm Therapeutics, in 2020. Catamaran is chaired by Frank Lee, who recently joined Pacira BioSciences as CEO after leading Forma Therapeutics to an exit to Novo Nordisk in 2022. The company’s scientific founders include George Washington University professor Catherine Bollard and University of Minnesota professor Branden Moriarity. Other founders include Kevin Pojasek, Tim Harris and Houman Ashrafian, who recently left SV Health Investors to become EVP and head of R&D at Sanofi. #lucidquest #genetherapy #celltherapy

🔬Cell Therapy 🔬 With the emergence of cell therapy accelerating clinical development, cell therapy's impact in cancer care is growing. Take a look at the article below to see how start-ups vs large companies are able to utilize developments in cell therapy. BioPharma Dive #celltherapy #lifescience #biotech