Jiyin Bio Secures Tens of Millions in Angel+ Round to Advance In Vivo CAR-T Therapy Development

VCBeat learned at the first time,Shenzhen Jiinno Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Jiinno Bio"), completing tens of millions of yuan in angel+ round financing, byTianjin Venture Capital Management Co.,ltd.Exclusive Investment. The funds from this round will mainly be used for the optimization and upgrade of the core technology platform, as well as the advancement of the in vivo CAR-T pipeline into clinical stages.

Jiyin Bio is an innovative company dedicated to providing affordable universal cell therapy drugs for cancer patients. Its in vivo CAR-T therapeutic drug has completed preclinical development and is actively advancing investigator-initiated clinical trials (IIT).

Despite the excellent anti-tumor effects demonstrated by traditional CAR-T therapy in clinical settings, its personalized cell preparation and complex processes result in high end-product costs, thereby limiting its clinical promotion and commercialization. Therefore, developing universal cell therapy products that maintain superior anti-tumor efficacy while effectively reducing production costs has become an industry consensus. Universal cell therapies can be divided into two categories: one is allogeneic cell-based universal cell therapy, including UCAR-T, peripheral blood/umbilical cord blood CAR-NK, and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived CAR-iNK; the other is autologous cell-based universal cell therapy, such as in vivo CAR-T.

Allogeneic universal cell therapy involves modifying allogeneic immune cells through a series of processes to create products that can be used to treat multiple patients. Therefore, allogeneic universal cell therapy eliminates the need for personalized cell collection and modification for each patient, theoretically significantly reducing manufacturing costs and alleviating the treatment burden on patients. However, due to the use of allogeneic cells, challenges such as graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and immune rejection may arise in patients, impacting the persistence and efficacy of the therapy within the body.

In vivo CAR-T, as an autologous universal cell therapy, refers to the treatment where CAR molecules are precisely delivered to T cells within the patient's body via specific vectors, thereby directly producing CAR-T in vivo. Since in vivo CAR-T does not require ex vivo manipulation or preparation of the patient’s or donor’s cells and only involves vector production, the manufacturing process is greatly simplified, and production costs can be significantly reduced. Additionally, because in vivo CAR-T utilizes the patient’s own T cells, it can effectively avoid the poor persistence issue associated with allogeneic cell therapies. Therefore, in vivo CAR-T is considered by the industry to be a highly valuable next-generation universal cell therapy. Specific vectors used for preparing in vivo CAR-T include lentiviral vectors (LV), adeno-associated virus vectors (AAV), synthetic polymer nanocarriers (NC), and lipid nanoparticles (LNP). Among these, lentiviral vectors (LV), with their low immunogenicity, high transduction efficiency, large gene capacity, and sustained expression, have become the preferred choice of Ji Yin Biotechnology.

Jiyin Bio's in vivo CAR-T technology platform VivoExpress is a proprietary in vivo targeted delivery system for CAR-T preparation based on lentivirus development.The technology platform has the following characteristics:

(1) It can precisely and efficiently target and infect T cells while effectively avoiding the infection of bystander cells;

(2) Avoid infection of tumor target cells leading to antigen escape;

(3) It can effectively infect non-proliferating T cells in the body, thereby preparing CAR-T in vivo.

In the early non-clinical experiments, the in vivo CAR-T based on VivoExpress demonstrated good safety and excellent efficacy both in vitro and in vivo; currently, JiYin Bio is advancing the clinical safety and efficacy validation of its leading in vivo CAR-T pipeline.

Jiyin Bio has long focused on universal cell therapy and laid out the in vivo CAR-T direction at the establishment of the company. It has now completed the development of related core platforms, patent layout, and preclinical research, advancing to the IIT stage. Looking ahead, the company is expected to use this round of funding to accelerate the IIT clinical research of its products, promote the optimization and iteration of in vivo CAR-T technology, and hopes to provide more effective and economical treatment options for cancer patients worldwide through innovative in vivo CAR-T therapies.

For this round of financing,Jiyin BioExpressed: Deep gratitude to the investors for their high recognition and strong support of Jiin Bio's team and core technology. This round of financing will help Jiin Bio complete the clinical validation of its in vivo CAR-T lead pipeline and provide robust support for further optimization and iteration of in vivo CAR-T. Jiin Bio will continue to actively advance the research and development of universal cell therapy products that are patient-centered and driven by clinical value, contributing to the provision of accessible and affordable medicines for patients covered by medical insurance.

Dr. Tu Fan, Investment Director of Tianjin Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd.Indicates: The precise delivery of genes in vivo is a current research hotspot, and once a breakthrough is achieved, it is likely to be the next milestone development. Viral vectors have been utilized for many years, with benefits far outweighing risks in numerous indications. The viral vector adopted by JiinBio has demonstrated tremendous potential in preclinical trials, enabling precise in vivo gene delivery to specific cells and holding vast application prospects.

Tianjin Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Tianchuang Capital") was established in 2003. Relying on its deep industry accumulation and government background since the start of commercial operations, it is based in Tianjin and extends its reach throughout China. With twenty years of dedication to the venture capital field, it has cumulatively managed a fund size of 10 billion yuan, invested in over 120 technology enterprises, and nearly 20% of its invested companies have gone public.

Tianjin Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd. has successfully invested in companies such as Sugon, Hygon, Vanchip, Dark Side of the Moon, Aerospace Hongtu, and Yutai Micro in the information technology innovation sector; in the healthcare sector, it has successfully invested in companies like Asymchem, Baotai Biotech, Huahao Zhongtian, Red Sun Pharmaceutical, and Fenh Healthcare; in the intelligent manufacturing sector, it has successfully invested in companies including Changrong Co., Ltd., Jianke Machinery, and Feixuan Technology; in the new energy and new materials sector, it has successfully invested in companies such as Yihuatong, Rianlon, Kelin Electric, Jiuri New Materials, and Zhongtai Materials. In the future, Tianjin Venture Capital Management Co., Ltd. will precisely focus on sectors like information technology innovation, healthcare, and intelligent manufacturing, working with investors to empower more outstanding companies to grow rapidly.