Langxin Bio Completes Series B+ Financing to Advance Gene Therapy Drug Development and Industrialization

On June 11, Innostellar Biotherapeutics, an innovative gene therapy company, announced the completion of its B+ round of financing. This round was led by SHC, with follow-up investments from shareholders such as Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd.

Innostellar Biotherapeutics was founded in 2020 and is committed to the research, development, and manufacturing of innovative gene therapy drugs. Since its establishment, the company has built a GMP-compliant, scalable platform process for producing AAV products, with the capability to develop high-yield, high-quality gene therapy products at a controllable cost. This round of financing will further accelerate Innostellar Biotherapeutics' R&D and industrialization progress in the field of innovative gene therapy drugs.

Currently, the company has advanced 5 candidate molecules into clinical trials, taking the lead in conducting gene therapy clinical research in 3 indications of blinding eye diseases, and obtained 3 INDs.Among them, the first pipeline, LX101 for treating RPE65 mutation-associated inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD), has entered Phase III clinical trials; the second pipeline, LX102 for treating wet age-related macular degeneration, has entered Phase II clinical trials; and the third pipeline, LX103 for treating X-linked retinoschisis, has completed an IIT trial involving six patients, showing significant safety and efficacy.

Clinical Trial Patient Dosing

Innostellar Biotherapeutics has been dedicated to the field of gene therapy for hereditary and chronic eye diseases for many years. It has developed a foundation for the research and industrialization technology of multiple pipeline products and is closely collaborating with clinical medical scientists from renowned hospitals both domestically and internationally. The company is focused on enhancing its innovation capabilities, aiming to develop gene therapy products more efficiently, advance their clinical application, and ultimately benefit patients.

Innostellar Biotherapeutics R&D Laboratory

Innostellar Biotherapeutics Founder and CEO Wang FenghuaStated: "We are very grateful for the recognition and support from Shanghai Healthcare Capital (SHC) and Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. towards Innostellar Biotherapeutics. This round of financing will further strengthen our R&D and production capabilities in the field of gene therapy, accelerating the clinical research and industrialization process of innovative drugs. We are committed to providing more patients with efficient, safe, and affordable treatment solutions through technological innovation, making the rare seen and restarting the healthy lives of patients with genetic and chronic diseases."

Liu Dawei, President of SHCRepresentative stated: "CGT innovative therapies have broad application prospects in the field of rare diseases and even common diseases. We believe that China, relying on advantages such as efficient clinical transformation, has global industrial competitiveness in this field. Therefore, CGT innovative therapies are one of the key areas for the fund's strategic focus. Innostellar Biotherapeutics leverages the research accumulation and clinical resources in ophthalmology from Shanghai First People’s Hospital (Shanghai Clinical Medical Research Center for Gene Therapy) to continuously advance its ophthalmic gene therapy pipeline. The team's highly efficient execution has achieved the leading domestic clinical progress across multiple pipelines. Its core pipeline, aimed at treating wet age-related macular degeneration, marks the first application of gene therapy in a common ophthalmic disease, targeting a population in the millions. The development progress is advanced, and the clinical data is excellent. We will fully explore the potential for the transformation of ophthalmic gene therapy research results in Shanghai and provide long-term support for Innostellar Biotherapeutics' local clinical development and future international growth."

Shen Siyu, General Manager of the Third Investment Department of Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd.Stated: "In its global investment layout in the biopharmaceutical field, Shanghai Alliance Investment Ltd. always adheres to a patient-centric approach and clinical value as the guiding principle. The Innostellar Biotherapeutics team’s rigorous scientific attitude, extensive clinical experience, and highly efficient execution capabilities have led to the development of multiple innovative gene therapies for ophthalmic patients, bringing new 'hope of light' to those suffering from blinding eye diseases. Currently, Innostellar Biotherapeutics ranks first in China in terms of clinical progress across multiple R&D pipelines, with outstanding clinical data performance. For instance, the rescue treatment rate for its product targeting wet age-related macular degeneration is 0%, significantly surpassing other similar competing products globally. We fully understand that the development of innovative drugs requires long time cycles, faces numerous unforeseen challenges, and entails high R&D risks—especially in the case of gene therapies. Therefore, we will provide long-term support to Innostellar Biotherapeutics to advance these products that bring 'hope of light' to patients into real-world clinical applications."