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Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) is the next generation of precision medicine following small molecule and large molecule targeted therapies, leading a new wave in biopharmaceuticals.According to incomplete statistics, from January to February 2024, a total of 18 CGT companies completed financing, as follows:
In terms of financing amount, the total financing of 18 companies exceeded 2 billion US dollars; in terms of financing rounds, 60% of the financing is at an early stage. The companies in China with a financing amount of more than 100 million yuan are:
1. Hengrui Yuanzheng (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. —— C3 Round, Nearly 100 Million Yuan in Financing
On January 9, 2024, Hengrui Yuanzheng announced the completion of a nearly 100-million-yuan C3 round of financing. The original investor, Zijin Harbor Capital, continued to invest, with other follow-up investors including Zhongke Sci-Tech Innovation and other institutions. The funds will be used to advance the development of the company's solid tumor cell therapy pipeline.Hengrui Yuanzheng (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd., established in Shanghai in 2015 by Hengrui Medicine and Shenzhen Yuanzheng Cell Medical Technology Co., Ltd., is a biotechnology company focused on cell therapy for solid tumors. The company’s pipeline includes MASCT products, TCR-T immune cell products, and TCR bispecific antibody products. Its MASCT and TCR-T products have applied for 46 patents and obtained 15 authorizations in China, the United States, Japan, Russia, and Israel through PCT applications. The company's proprietary intellectual property product, "Multi-Antigen Autologous Immune Cell Injection (MASCT-I)," has received clinical trial approval from the National Medical Products Administration and is currently undergoing Phase II clinical trials.
R&D Pipeline
2. Shenzhen Shenyan Biological Technology Co. LTD —— B+ Round, Over 300 Million Yuan
On February 21, 2024, Shenzhen Shenyan Biological Technology Co. LTD completed a Series B+ financing round exceeding 300 million yuan. This round was led by Yuexiu Industrial Fund, with participation from Fortune Venture Capital, Guangdong Science and Technology Financial Group, Tasly Capital, Asia Commercial Capital, Clearwater Bay Phase II, and other funds. Existing shareholders, including Eight Roads Capital and a globally renowned industrial group, continued their investment. WinX Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this round.The funds raised in this round will be used to further advance the commercial application of large-scale production technology for lentiviral vectors (LVV), the research and development of large-scale production technology for adeno-associated virus vectors (AAV), and the optimization of comprehensive automated solutions for cell drug manufacturing, fully supporting customers' cell drugs from R&D, regulatory submission, clinical trials to commercial production. Meanwhile, the funds will also be utilized to further expand into international markets and support the company’s operational expansion.Shenzhen Shenyan Biological Technology Co. LTD is a core technology developer in gene and cell therapy, focusing on the research and development of key technologies and core processes in the fields of gene therapy and cell therapy. The company is committed to providing comprehensive solutions for the cell and gene therapy (CGT) industry through interdisciplinary integration and technological innovation involving computer science, electronic engineering, nanomaterials, chemical engineering, and life sciences.Financing in CGT companies facilitates business expansion and the development of new products. Research indicates that the global CGT industry market size has been growing rapidly since 2016, reaching approximately USD 11.1 billion by 2023. It is projected that the global CGT market size will increase to USD 18.51 billion by 2024. The total sales of 17 CGT therapies launched in 2023 amounted to USD 8.6 billion, indicating promising future sales for CGT therapies.Currently, there are over 100 companies in China engaged in CGT business. Among them, Fosun Kite, Wuxi Joonova, and CARsgen Therapeutics have products on the market. Additionally, companies with a significant number of R&D pipelines include:纽福斯 (Neurophth), 本导基因 (BenGuide Gene), 锦篮基因 (Jinlan Gene), 新芽基因 (NewBud Gene), 辉大基因 (HuiDa Gene), 康弘药业 (Kanghong Pharmaceutical), 本元正阳 (BenYuan Zhengyang), 深圳市免疫基因治疗研究院 (Shenzhen Institute of Immune Gene Therapy), 诺思兰德 (Northland Biotech), etc.
References:
Information of Each Company