NeuroGenesis Completes Tens of Millions RMB Pre-A Financing to Advance In Situ Transdifferentiation Gene Therapy

VCBeat learned第一时间 that on January 5, 2024,NEUREGEN (hereinafter referred to as "NEUREGEN")Announced the completion of a multi-million yuan Pre-A round of financing in December 2023. This round of financing was led byShanghai Science & Technology Investment Co. LtdLead Investment, Wuhan Baiying Biological Industry Investment Management Co., Ltd., Shanghai Sinan Yuanke Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd., Shanghai Biological Medicine Public Technology Service Companyand other institutions followed up with investments,NEUREGEN Founding Shareholders (including Core Team)Strategically additional investments were also made. This round of financing will be used to further accelerate the company's R&D progress and team building, among other tasks.

Since its establishment in December 2021, NEUREGEN has successfully completed two rounds of financing from 2022 to 2023 despite the dual challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and an overall investment funding winter. This fully demonstrates the confidence and support of relevant investment institutions in the development of the in-situ transdifferentiation technology treatment field, as well as their affirmation of NEUREGEN's growth potential.

In situ transdifferentiation is a new generation of cell reprogramming technology developed iteratively on the Nobel Prize-winning iPSC technology, marking an important milestone breakthrough in the field of regenerative medicine. NEUREGEN is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel gene therapy drugs by leveraging its proprietary in situ transdifferentiation technology.

The company was co-founded by a pioneering team in the field of in situ transdifferentiation technology from around the globe and seasoned experts from the gene therapy industry. Core team members come from renowned institutions both domestically and internationally, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, University of California San Francisco, University of Florida, and UT Southwestern Medical Center, as well as other prestigious universities or well-known companies in the industry. The team possesses cutting-edge in situ transdifferentiation technology and translational experience on an international and industrial level, along with invaluable experience in successful end-to-end drug development.

Centering on the technology of cell in-situ transdifferentiation, NEUREGEN has established a key R&D platform for novel gene therapy drugs, which includes critical technologies such as screening of transdifferentiation factors, design of viral and non-viral vectors, and development of in vivo and in vitro pharmacodynamic methods. The company has also applied for several key patents domestically and internationally.

Currently,NEUREGEN's product pipeline focuses on neurological diseases, with an emphasis on developing original gene therapy drugs with independent intellectual property rights for blinding eye diseases and difficult-to-treat nervous system tumors, and is rapidly expanding to major neurodegenerative diseases.There is still great potential in the future to expand into broader fields such as regenerative therapy, cancer treatment, and the emerging anti-aging sector.

The first-line glioma pipeline and the retinal degenerative disease pipeline have both obtained reliable support from animal experimental data and are about to enter the investigator-initiated clinical stage.Multiple pipelines will subsequently enter the preclinical research and development stage. Based on NEUREGEN's unique platform technology for treating various neurological diseases, it can effectively address a series of unmet clinical needs, bringing new hope for treatment to a wide range of patients.

NEUREGEN was awarded the "2023 China Biomedical Science and Technology Innovation Value List" by VCBeat as one of the top 10 most growth-oriented cell and gene therapy companies, the "2023 China Biomedical Science and Technology Front-Runners 100" list, the Excellent Project Award in the 2023 Third Zhangjiang Cell and Gene Therapy Industry Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, and the 2023 Pudong New Area Mingzhu Leading Talent Plan, among other honors and industry recognitions.

Dr. Zhu Chao, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of NEUREGENExpressed: Thanks to the current round of investors for their high recognition of NEUREGEN's team and core technology platform, as well as their strong support for truly original innovative technologies! Based on the advantages of its large-scale screening and optimization of highly efficient transdifferentiation factors and its proprietary recombinant viral vector platform, NEUREGEN is developing universal gene therapies for neurological tumors, injuries, degenerative diseases, and anti-aging using a globally novel neurogenic in-situ transdifferentiation technology. With a pipeline strategy that closely aligns with unmet clinical needs and leverages its own technical characteristics, NEUREGEN will fulfill its mission, continuously expand its technological edge, rapidly advance its R&D pipeline, and contribute to bringing innovative gene therapies to patients as soon as possible.

Wu Jie, Vice General Manager of Shanghai Science & Technology Investment Co. LtdIn-situ transdifferentiation is an important development direction for gene therapy, and has achieved phased results in some indications, showing great application prospects. We value the platform value of NEUREGEN, as well as the scientific research capabilities of its core team and their valuable experience in advancing new drug R&D and industrialization. In the current capital environment, investors are becoming more cautious about the layout of innovative drugs. We hope to return to unmet clinical "real needs" and make meaningful investments. NEUREGEN is a pragmatic team, and we look forward to the company's pipeline bringing new treatment hope to patients as soon as possible.

Wuhan Baiying Biological Industry Investment Management Co., Ltd.NEUREGEN has a solid foundation of underlying technologies and rich industrialization experience. The company also holds significant advantages in cutting-edge technology innovation and clinical value. We are optimistic about the company's potential and value in the field of in-situ transdifferentiation. Wuhan Baiying Biological Industry Investment Management Co., Ltd. has long been dedicated to investing in the biopharmaceuticals and health sector. This collaboration reflects our consistent commitment to supporting early-stage and original innovation projects. Moving forward, we will continue to support the company’s development, believing that its platform technology can soon bring better innovative therapies to patients.

Qu Jiping, Investment Director of Shanghai Sinan Yuanke Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd.NEUREGEN's self-developed in-situ transdifferentiation technology represents a new generation of cell reprogramming technology, offering novel solutions and approaches for numerous unmet clinical needs. NEUREGEN applies this technology in two directions: oncology and neural regeneration and repair, with clear clinical demand, significant market value, and development potential. Shanghai Sinan Yuanke Private Equity Fund Management Co., Ltd recognizes the efforts and accumulation of Dr. Zhu Chao and his team in this field and looks forward to NEUREGEN accelerating its pipeline progress to bring products to market as soon as possible, benefiting patients both domestically and internationally. As a private equity fund manager under Shanghai Lingang Group that focuses on early-stage technology innovation enterprises, Shanghai Sinan Yuanke concentrates on cutting-edge technology fields, fostering innovative companies in promising sectors, and building an industrial innovation ecosystem. This investment by Shanghai Sinan Yuanke into NEUREGEN through its fund marks a key strategic move in the CGT regenerative medicine and novel therapy sector.

Li Jizong, Chairman of Shanghai Biological Medicine Public Technology Service CompanyNEUREGEN Shows Significant Advantages in Neural In-situ Transdifferentiation Innovative Gene Therapy. The essence of the biopharmaceutical industry is to originate from clinical needs, return to clinical applications, and benefit the public. Under the supervision and guidance of the Shanghai Biomedical Technology Development Center, Shanghai Biological Medicine Public Technology Service Company adheres to the concept of "investing early, investing small, and investing in hard technology," consistently focusing on cutting-edge biopharmaceutical technologies, strengthening forward-looking investment layouts, fully supporting the transformation of biopharmaceutical scientific and technological innovation achievements, promoting the market entry of innovative products with genuine clinical value, and benefiting public health.

Dr. Wang Xiaoyan, Partner of Jinsha River United Runpu Medical Fund, Angel InvestorIn-situ transdifferentiation technology offers a breakthrough potential treatment for neurological diseases. Since its establishment, NEUREGEN has continued to make solid business progress, and its future is promising. We will continue to empower and support the development of NEUREGEN, and look forward to the company's platform technology moving into clinical applications soon to benefit a wide range of patients.