Seven Chinese Cell and Gene Therapy Companies Secure New Funding Rounds

Oct 22, 2024 10:43 CST Updated 10:43

XsellSmart

Stem Cell Therapy New Drug Developer

Rigerna

Innovative Small Nucleic Acid Drug Developer

RecentlyIn China, multiple companies focusing on cell and gene therapy (CGT) have announced financing progress. This article will share basic information on seven of these companies based on publicly available data.

1、XsellSmart Completes Over 100 Million Yuan in B1 Round Market-Oriented Financing to Advance Clinical-Grade iPS-Derived Cell Drug Development

On October 21, 2024, XsellSmart officially announced the completion of a market-driven financing round exceeding 100 million yuan for its Series B1. This round was led by Tylon/Taikun Capital, with co-investments from Qisheng Capital and Tianhui Capital. Existing shareholders, including Frees Fund, Qiming Venture Partners, Lilly Asia Ventures, and Sequoia China, also participated in the follow-up investment. The proceeds from this round will be used to enhance XsellSmart's clinical-grade iPS-derived cell therapy pipeline for neurological diseases, further advance clinical research, and promote multiple registration clinical trials.

XsellSmart was founded by Dr. Li Xiang, who returned to China full-time. The company has long been dedicated to the applied independent research and industrialization of iPS-derived cell therapies for neurological diseases. XsellSmart has independently designed and established a foundational technology platform, covering key technological platforms such as iPSC reprogramming and banking, gene editing of iPSCs, differentiation of iPSCs into subtype-specific neural cells, and the construction and evaluation of preclinical disease animal models. The company collaborates on technical research and clinical development with several renowned research institutions and leading hospitals, and undertakes key projects in cell therapy at the National Biomedicine Innovation Center.

2、Rigerna Completes Over 100 Million Yuan in Angel+ Round Financing

On October 21, 2024, Rigerna announced the completion of an angel+ round of financing exceeding RMB 100 million. This round was co-led by Shanghai Science Investment Co., Ltd. and Qihang Investment, with follow-on investments from Xincheng Fund, JLP Runpu, Yuanxi Haihe, and others. Existing shareholder Sanyi Innovation Investment also increased its investment. The proceeds will mainly be used for the clinical research of the company's first siRNA drug RG002C0106, the advancement of multiple preclinical pipelines, and the rapid development of non-liver tissue in vivo delivery technology and related pipelines.

Rigerna was founded in 2022 and led by Dr. Huang Yuanyu, who has over 16 years of expertise in the nucleic acid pharmaceuticals field. Dr. Huang previously worked for many years at a leading small nucleic acid pharmaceutical company, where he led the establishment of several small nucleic acid pharmaceutical technology platforms, advanced the development of multiple pipelines, and brought them to the clinical stage. He is one of the earliest pioneers globally in nucleic acid drug research and one of the trailblazers in China’s small nucleic acid pharmaceuticals sector. The company has built a small nucleic acid drug development platform with global independent intellectual property rights, featuring design and screening technology RIHOST®, chemical modification technology RICMO®, and in vivo delivery technology LICOD®. Based on this, the company efficiently advances the development of innovative drug candidates targeting both intrahepatic and extrahepatic indications with global rights. Key milestones achieved so far include: (i) Establishing the second-generation GalNAc conjugation delivery technology globally; (ii) Preclinical studies of the lead pipeline RG002C0106 have demonstrated excellent efficacy and safety. Clinical trials in China and Australia have been approved, with patient enrollment already initiated, positioning it as a potential First-in-Class small nucleic acid drug; (iii) Developing multiple non-liver tissue delivery technologies based on various proprietary strategies, among which the renal tissue delivery technology is the first and only one globally to complete non-human primate testing, achieving over 70% inhibition efficiency.

3、XsellSmart Completes Pre-A Round Financing

On October 17, 2024, XsellSmart (Shanghai) Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. announced the completion of a Pre-A round of financing worth tens of millions of RMB. This round of financing was jointly completed by Zeyu Capital and Semir Venture Capital. The proceeds will mainly be used to advance the clinical trials of the NP001 project and support the research and development of other products in the pipeline, with the aim of accelerating the clinical translation and commercialization process of Treg therapy.

Rigerna has been focusing on the development of Treg cell therapy drugs. With a fully independent and innovative Treg pipeline layout, an experienced management (or collaboration) team, and several key R&D projects advancing rapidly, it has become an important force in the field of Treg drug research and development. Compared with traditional Treg research approaches, Rigerna’s development strategy is more distinctive and advantageous, offering more treatment options for patients with neurodegenerative diseases and autoimmune diseases. Currently, Rigerna has four Treg cell therapy drugs under development. The NP001 project is the most advanced, having already obtained ethical approval for investigator-initiated (IIT) clinical trials from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Meanwhile, CMC development and non-clinical studies that meet IND submission requirements are nearing completion, with plans to file IND applications with the U.S. FDA and China's NMPA by the end of this year. The targeted Treg product NC001 is expected to confirm its candidate molecule by the end of this year and enter the formal CMC development stage early next year. The allogeneic NP005 project is also being developed concurrently.

4、Heliu New Map Secures Additional Financing

On October 15, 2024, Heliotech announced the completion of a new round of financing. The proceeds from this fundraising will mainly be used to advance the optimization of Heliotech’s clinical-grade regenerative platelet cell production process and the initiation of clinical trials, while accelerating the research and development of other innovative products and pipelines.

Helo Biotech has currently applied for and been granted multiple self-developed patents. It is one of the main drafting organizations of China's first group standard, "General Requirements for Human-Derived Cell Storage Services." In September 2023, it won the "Silver Talent Award" in the entrepreneurial track of the finals of the "Global Talent Gathering" Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. In the same year, it received the Shanghai Outstanding Enterprise Award and the National Excellent Award in China’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. In July 2024, it officially became a resident organization of the Pudong New Area Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base in Shanghai. Additionally, Helo Biotech established a strategic cooperation alliance with Aopu Mai, a STAR Market listed company, this year to jointly tackle and fully localize the upstream raw materials and culture media in the company’s main pipeline, accelerating the industrial layout of regenerative platelets.

5、Rigerna Completes Over 100 Million Yuan in Series B Financing

On October 14, 2024, Wuhan Rigerna Therapeutics Co., Ltd. ("Rigerna" or "the Company"), a company dedicated to becoming a globally leading universal chemically induced cell therapy drug enterprise, announced the completion of an over RMB 100 million Series B financing round. This round was jointly led by Ceyuan Capital and Guosheng Capital, with participation from well-known industry investment institutions and Wuhan Optics Valley Industrial Investment. The proceeds from this financing will be used to accelerate the Sino-US clinical advancement of the Company's Parkinson's disease treatment products NouvNeu001/NouvNeu003 and ophthalmic treatment product NouvSight001, strengthen the R&D progress of multiple innovative pipelines and the construction of clinical capabilities, as well as enhance the Company's industrialization efforts.

Rigerna was founded in 2017 as an international innovative biopharmaceutical company focused on the field of regenerative medicine. By leveraging a unique technology platform, the company specializes in small-molecule chemical transcriptional regulation of iPSC. Its core team originates from the University of Cambridge and the Roslin Institute in the UK. At the same time, the company is deeply rooted in China, collaborating extensively with top-tier Chinese research institutions to establish the world’s first one-stop cell drug development platform based on "Artificial Intelligence (AI) + Chemical Induction." Rigerna has a robust pipeline of First-in-Class (FIC) products targeting neurodegenerative diseases, ophthalmology, and more.

6、Akeso Successfully Raised HKD 1.942 Billion in Financing

On October 13, 2024, Akeso, Inc. (9926.HK) announced that the company has completed a new round of share placement, successfully raising approximately HKD 1.942 billion. This share placement gained widespread recognition from international investment institutions, with the final actual subscribers being primarily international long-term funds and specialized healthcare funds. This marks Akeso's second successful share placement in 2024. Upon completion of this share placement, Akeso is expected to have total cash, other short-term financial assets, and fixed deposits exceeding HKD 8.2 billion (approximately RMB 7.5 billion). Seventy percent of the proceeds from this financing will be used to accelerate the global clinical development of Akeso’s self-developed new drugs, focusing on the clinical development of core products in China and globally.

Akeso Biopharma (9926.HK) is a leading company integrating the research, development, production, and commercialization of globally pioneering or best-in-class innovative biologics. Since its establishment in 2012, the company has built its unique end-to-end Akeso Comprehensive Empowerment (ACE) Platform for new drug R&D. It has developed an innovation-driven R&D system centered on Tetrabody bispecific antibody technology, Antibody-Drug Conjugate (ADC) technology, mRNA technology, and cell therapy technology. Additionally, it has established a GMP production system meeting international standards and an advanced commercial operation model, positioning itself as a competitive biopharmaceutical innovator on a global scale.

7、GenEditBio Completes New Round of Strategic Financing

GenEditBio recently announced that it has received strategic investment from the AEF Greater Bay Area Venture Fund managed by Gobi Greater Bay Area. The investment amount was not disclosed. This round of funding will be used to further develop and enhance gene editing and delivery technologies, advance in vivo research projects, and initiate clinical studies on in vivo safety and efficacy.

(The following introduction is incorrect, please do not refer to it.) Rigerna was founded in 2021 as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical technology company focused on developing cutting-edge gene-editing technologies. The company utilizes base editing technology, particularly base editor technology, to develop precise therapies for patients with severe diseases, aiming to improve human health. Currently, the company has projects in multiple fields including genetic diseases, metabolic diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Among them, -101, the company’s first pipeline, has shown some efficacy in patients with β-thalassemia, successfully helping patients eliminate their dependence on blood transfusions, and has entered the IND clinical trial stage.

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Disclaimer: The content is sourced from the official WeChat account "Cell and Gene Therapy Field," the aforementioned companies' official websites, and other sources. This article aims to share knowledge, all content is for reference only, and does not constitute any recommendations.