Over RMB 1.3 Billion Raised! 23 Domestic Cell Therapy Companies Secure Funding and Advance Toward IPO

Jul 20, 2024 12:18 CST Updated 12:18

Landfar

Stem Cell and Immune Cell Storage Service Provider

Simnova

Innovative Cell Therapy Product Developer

UniXell

Cell Therapy Drug Developer

Disclaimer: Due to limited proficiency, errors are inevitable, and some information may not be the most up-to-date. Comments pointing out any issues are welcome. This article is only an introduction to medical and health-related drugs, not a recommendation of treatment plans (if involved); this article does not constitute any investment advice.

Cell therapy, a cell-based regenerative medicine treatment, represents the future trend of medical development. Supported by policies, funding, and talent, China's pharmaceutical market has gained favor in the capital market. The cell therapy industry has become a hotspot for Chinese capital investment, providing financial support for the development of the cell therapy industry.

According to incomplete statistics, 23 cell field companies have received financing so far in 2024. The editor summarizes as follows:

Among them, the highest financing amounts were for Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd., NanHua Bio-medicine Co., Ltd., Simnova, and UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY.

Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd.: 359 Million Yuan Angel Round+Pre-A Round Financing

Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. has completed two rounds of financing this year, totaling approximately 359 million yuan.

On April 25, Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. ("Xinyi Pharmaceutical") successfully secured a $35 million (approximately 250 million yuan) Pre-A round of financing from Goldman Sachs. This funding will provide strong financial support and strategic partnership for the development of Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D Group. This collaboration also signifies Goldman Sachs' recognition of the prospects and potential of Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D Group in the pharmaceutical field.Previously, Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences also injected 15 million US dollars (approximately 109 million yuan) in angel funding into Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. has partnered with 110 top-tier hospitals across China to advance clinical trials and cell drug research. Through close collaboration with these hospitals, Xinyi Pharmaceutical can better understand patient needs and accelerate the development and market entry of cell-based therapies. This industry-academia-research cooperation model will further promote growth and innovation in the pharmaceutical sector.

Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. has established eight major industrial clusters, covering areas such as biopharmaceuticals, cell therapy, genetic engineering, patient recruitment, medical services, drug metabolism, and more. To accelerate the research and development of cell-based drugs and their clinical trial phases, Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. has set up a green channel for patient recruitment. By collaborating with hospitals to optimize processes and shorten approval times, this initiative provides a more convenient recruitment pathway for patients needing to participate in clinical trials, allowing more patients to access advanced drugs and treatments in a timely manner.

Through the Pre-A round financing by Goldman Sachs Capital, the angel round investment by Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, and cooperation with Class III Grade A hospitals, Shanghai Xinyi Pharmaceutical R&D (Group) Co., Ltd. has made positive progress in the field of cell-based drugs. Xinyi Pharmaceutical is committed to promoting pharmaceutical science and technology innovation, providing high-quality cell drugs and treatment solutions, and contributing to human health.

NanHua Bio-medicine Co.,Ltd.: 276 Million Yuan Strategic Investment

On January 15, NanHua Bio-medicine Co., Ltd. received a strategic investment of 276 million RMB from the Caixin Industrial Fund. The amount of this round of financing ranks in the top 50% of all strategic investments this year.

NanHua Bio-medicine Co., Ltd. is a biopharmaceutical technology company based on stem cell and regenerative medicine, driven by clinical translational research and application of cell therapy. As the only state-owned enterprise-controlled main board listed company in China specializing in stem cells, immune cells, and tissue engineering, NanHua Bio-medicine has deep accumulation and rich experience in the fields of precision medicine, assisted reproduction, and health management.

The company's biopharmaceutical business mainly focuses on cell medical services, providing customers with detection and storage services for biological resources such as stem cells and immune cells. At the same time, it collaborates with multiple hospitals and clinical research institutions to offer cell preparation and testing services that meet the requirements for somatic cell clinical research. To enhance the company’s comprehensive service capabilities in the biopharmaceutical industry, it has expanded its offerings to include biopharmaceutical-related medical devices based on downstream customer needs.

Simnova:RMB 200 Million in Series A+ Financing

March 11,Simnova AnnouncesCompleted2100 Million YuanA+Round FinancingThis round of financing was led by You Mountain Capital, with participation from Yuanhe Origin, Pudao Capital, and Guochuang Qinzhi. Haoyue Capital served as the financial advisor for this round of financing.This financing willAdvance the Clinical Development of Core Pipeline, including effortsExpandCAR-NKThe Therapeutic Potential of Cell Therapy in Different Indications；Actively PromoteCompetitive Solid Tumor Project Development；WillBased onmRNAIn Vivo Cell Therapy TechnologyInto the clinical validation phase; at the same time, continue to deepen cooperation with partners, hoping that through the above multi-faceted efforts, high clinical value products can be launched as soon as possible for the benefit of patients.

Simnova, founded in 2020, is a clinical-stage cell therapy biotechnology company. The company's universal NK platform features an innovative, proprietary CAR structure design and possesses robust CMC capabilities for the large-scale, stable production of universal NK cells.

The company's first CAR-NK pipeline, SNC103, achieved positive results in the IIT phase and has entered Phase I clinical trials; the dual CAR-T cell therapy SNC109, which is based on another core platform and features a dual-arm BiTE armor, was granted "Orphan Drug Designation" by the FDA for the treatment of malignant glioma. This product has also received clinical trial approval from China's CDE and is about to commence Phase I clinical trials.

In addition, Simnova has strategically partnered with ORNA, a cutting-edge U.S. biotechnology company, to develop next-generation universal in vivo cell therapy products based on circular mRNA and targeted delivery platforms. This technology is expected to become another disruptive form of universal cell therapy drug, with broad application potential in fields such as oncology and autoimmune diseases.

UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY

UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY has completed two rounds of financing this year.

On July 11, UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY announced that after securing over 100 million yuan in Series A funding in April this year, the company has received another multi-million yuan Series A+ round of financing. This round of financing saw participation from the well-known investment institution Guoke Innovation Investment, and the funds will mainly be used to advance the company’s innovative pipeline in the field of stem cell therapy and accelerate clinical translation.

Since its establishment, UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY has been committed to developing a new generation of cell therapy drugs based on human pluripotent stem cell technology, with research pipelines covering Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. The company owns a self-developed innovative technology platform for human pluripotent stem cells, including neural differentiation technology, SISBAR lineage tracing technology, stem cell gene editing technology, and GMP-grade hiPSC construction. UniXelI BIOTECHNOLOGY has an innovation R&D center and GMP cleanroom facility covering 4,000 square meters in the Life Science Park of the Shanghai Free Trade Zone. Several research achievements have been published in top international academic journals such as Nature Methods and Cell Stem Cell. The IND clinical trial application is expected to be completed in 2024, with plans to begin patient enrollment in early 2025.

Summary

In 2024, the global cell therapy market size is estimated at USD 85.7 billion and is expected to reach approximately USD 670 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.73% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2030.With the continuous investment in scientific research and the strong promotion of the top-level in the bioeconomy, the Chinese market is one of the most active markets for cell therapy globally.In the clinical research area, the market is expected to develop rapidly in the future under the high enthusiasm for R&D.With the maturation of cell therapy technology and the increasing market awareness, it is expected that investment and financing activities in the cell therapy industry will continue to remain active in the future.。

Reference: Official websites of various companies