▎WuXi AppTec Content Team Report
According to public information, several Chinese innovative drug research and development companies announced financing progress in November. Reviewing these companies and their product pipelines, we have found the following highlights:From the perspective of financing rounds,The majority of financing is still at an early stage, with over 66% of it occurring before Series B.%；
In terms of financing amount,Five companies disclosed amounts exceeding 100 million RMB, among whichArgo ObtainsRMB 300 million in Series A+ financing;
From the perspective of the company's establishment time,The proportion of new startups established in the past six years exceeds 88%.%。
- In terms of the types of drugs studied, the products developed by these companies includeNucleic acid drugs, cell and gene therapy (CGT), mRNA therapeutic vaccines,Dendritic Cell Vaccineetc.
Note: This table was compiled by "MedView" based on publicly available information and is an incomplete tally. Statistical period: 2023/11/1-2023/11/28. If there are any omissions, please feel free to add them.
The following is based on publicly available information sharing 9HomeBasic Information of Emerging Companies: See Which Patients Their Innovative Therapies Are Expected to Benefit in the Future.Financing Round: A+ RoundNews on November 1st, Argo Biopharma CompletesLed by SDIC CapitalThe 300 million yuan A+ round of financing. Argo Biopharma was founded in April 2021,Focus on the Development of siRNA DrugsThe company was founded by several scientists with extensive experience in siRNA drug development, among whom the founder, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) isDr. Shu DongxuSince its establishment, Argo has built a research and development pipeline in therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases, hepatitis B, autoimmune diseases, and neurological disorders, among which...Four oligonucleotide projects are in the clinical stage.Some projects have already shown good safety and efficacy in Phase 1 clinical trials and are expected to enter Phase 2 clinical trials in early 2024.Financing Round: B+ RoundNovember 1 news: Biocells announced the completionLed by PineWood Capitaltens of millions of yuan in B+ round financing. Baixi Ousi was founded in 2008 and is aFocus on the field of neurological diseasesAn innovative drug company focusing on the prevention and treatment of neurological damage throughout the entire stroke disease cycle, neuroprotection in ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, brain edema, and nerve repair. The companyBXOS110, the first Class 1 new drug to enter the clinical stage, is a novel, effective, and safe neuroprotective agent.The product is currently in Phase 2 clinical trials for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. In addition, Baixi Ousi has multiple pipelines in the field of stroke and cerebral edema treatment that are expected to be submitted for IND applications successively.Financing Round: Pre A+ RoundOn November 1, AusperBio announced the completion of a 100-million-yuan Pre-A+ round financing, which was reinvested by the Pre-A round investors. AusperBio was founded in August 2019.Dedicated to the R&D of innovative targeted delivery small nucleic acid drugs, Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) isDr. Guofeng Cheng. Currently, the companyThe AHB-137 project for "functional cure" of hepatitis B is currently undergoing clinical trials simultaneously in multiple countries and regions, including New Zealand, China, and the United States., an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy. In addition, the company is also developing other innovative Med-Oligo small nucleic acid drugs with targeted delivery.Kecheng Intelligent HealthFinancing Round: Seed RoundOn November 3, Kecheng Intelligent Health announced the completionJointly invested by Shanghai Chengsheng and Hefei Industrial Investmenttens of millions of yuan in seed funding. Kexiang Intelligent Health was founded in December 2021, with the chairman and chief scientist beingProfessor Wei Xiong, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer isMr. Xu Laixi, Director, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer isMr. Wang PengThe company is committed to the core concept of "Understanding life through data, saving health with science."Develop a pipeline of novel gene drugs, cell drugs, and small-molecule drugs focused on aging and cellular metabolism.。Financing Round: Pre-A+ Round
On November 14, Zhenzhi Medicine announced the completionLed by Shunxi Fund, a subsidiary of Beijing State-owned Capital Management CenterMillions of Yuan in Pre-A+ Round Financing. Zhenzhi Medicine was founded in 2018 and is committed to developingTumor Antigen-Specific Cell Therapy and Tumor Antigen mRNA Therapeutic VaccinesThe core team of the company has long been engaged in tumor immunology research, clinical research on tumor vaccines and cell drugs. The founder and chairman isDr. Zhang Henghui. At present, the company is carrying out research for patients who have failed second-line treatment.Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma T-cell Drug IPM001clinical trials and observed good safety and tolerability. The company plans to submit an IND application to the CDE in the near future. In addition, Zhenzhi Medicine for first-line treatment failure in liver cancer.Innovative mRNA Tumor VaccineHas entered exploratory clinical research and completed the first subject dosing.Financing Round: Pre-A RoundNews on November 20, Hanwei Bio announced the completionLed by a fund under CICC Capital's over 100 million yuan Pre-A round of financing. Han Microbiology was founded in 2021,Focus on the Development of Gut-Brain Axis Live Microorganisms and Metabolite Drugs`, Founder`Professor Zhu ShuHe is currently a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China and the vice president of the Comprehensive Health Research Institute at the Hefei Comprehensive Science Center. Since its establishment, the company has built a diversified drug pipeline based on microorganisms and metabolites targeting immune and neural regulation functions. Among them,Three drugs targeting depression and autoimmune diseases have entered the Investigator-Initiated Trial (IIT) stage., with clinical efficacy data expected to be obtained successively next year.Financing Round: Series BOn November 24, Zeling Biotech announced the completionLed by the Precision Medicine Industry Innovation Fund managed by Chengdu Kechuang InvestmentThe B round of financing. Zhenling Bio was founded by the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy at West China Hospital, Sichuan University.Professor Chen LijuanLed the entrepreneurial establishment,Focusing on fields such as malignant tumors, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases, dedicated to the discovery, development, and commercialization of potential "first-in-class" and "best-in-class" Class 1 new drugs. Currently, the companyMultiple pipelines have entered the later stages of clinical trials, with positive clinical data performance.The proceeds from this round of financing will be used to advance the phase 2/3 clinical development of two products by Zeling Biotech, and to accelerate the research of the company's core technology sector and other R&D pipelines.Financing Round: B+ RoundNews on November 27, Zhiprotein Bio announced the completionLed by Aimek and China-US Green Fund's nearly 200 million yuan B+ round of financing. Zhibiao Bio was founded in 2018,Focus on Developing Recombinant Protein Drugs Using E. coli Technology Platform, Chairman of the BoardDr. Zhang XuFormerly a researcher at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently, the companyThe product pipeline has reached more than 10, among which the novel ultra-long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist ZT002 is currently undergoing Phase 1 clinical trials., is expected to achieve only one injection per month; anotherThe New Generation of Oral GLP-1 Product ZT006, which is expected to solve the pain points of extremely low bioavailability and insufficient production capacity of oral peptide drugs. In addition, the company is also developing a biosimilar of the long-acting GLP-1 drug semaglutide, intended for the treatment of diabetes and weight loss indications.Financing Round: Series A
On November 27, Hengsai Bio（KOUSAI）Announcement CompletedLed by Fuhui Venture CapitalThe billion-yuan Series A financing. Hengsai Biotechnology was founded in 2018,Dedicated to the Research and Industrialization of Dendritic Cell Vaccines (DC Vaccines), Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) isDr. Liu HuiningThe company has built the Eco-DCVax platform, aiming to develop high-quality DC vaccine products that are safe, efficient, and convenient for administration, with the hope ofRefractory and relapsed tumors, chronic viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and other diseasesProviding new approaches and strategies for treatment. Currently, the company has established stable cooperative relationships with multiple scientific research institutions and Class III hospitals both domestically and internationally.Filing in both China and the U.S., to carry out clinical research and technical cooperation to comprehensively verify the clinical safety and efficacy of DC vaccines.
In addition to the aforementioned companies, other biopharmaceutical companies also announced the completion of financing in November this year. Due to space limitations, this article will not introduce them one by one. It is hoped that with the support of capital, these biopharmaceutical companies can accelerate the development progress of candidate drugs and bring new treatment options to the vast number of patients as soon as possible.
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[1] Baixi Ousi Completes Tens of Millions of RMB in B+ Round Financing, Led by PineVale Capital. Retrieved Nov 1, 2023, from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zW7TfcE_VVoCNtPAN_5ruQ[2] AusperBio Completes Pre-A+ Round Financing of 100 Million RMB. Retrieved Nov 1, 2023, from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gOVpJeBWp1vwuyse96ZBNA[3] [Financing Progress] Kecheng Intelligent Health Completes the First Round of Financing Worth Tens of Millions! Hefei Industrial Investment and Shanghai Chengsheng Jointly Led the Investment! . Retrieved Nov 3, 2023, from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Mzx98omC9JMqGMuWyhBlVg[4] Zhenzhi Medicine Completes Pre-A+ Round Financing, Continuing to Focus on the Development of Tumor Antigen T-cell Therapy and mRNA Tumor Therapeutic Vaccines. Retrieved Nov 14, 2023. From https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Wvn6Pj412x3dzv185AMAzw[5] [First Release] Hanwei Microbiology Completes Over 100 Million Yuan Pre-A Round Financing, Focusing on the Development of a New Generation of Drugs Based on Live Microorganisms and Metabolic Products. Retrieved Nov 20, 2023 from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QFgznWEwbLHbhnljzIoaDQ[6] Zelink Biotech Completes Series B Financing, Accelerating Clinical Development of Core Pipeline. Retrieved Nov 24, 2023, from https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/MHwUHrl4qCrfmbZyCvIi5w[7] Zhi Peptide Bio Completes Nearly 200 Million Yuan B+ Round Financing, Led by Aimeike and China-US Green Fund. Retrieved Nov 27, 2023, From https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9n_pxT2_mksrEF2Mt8VD5A[8] Hengsai Bio Completes Hundred Million-Level Series A Financing, Mobi Capital Serves as Exclusive Financial Advisor. Retrieved Nov 27, 2023. From https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VuqSgDRnr6-4G7gD9mVh8w[9] Safekel Secures Tens of Millions in Financing, Focusing on Tumor Electric Field Therapy, Excelling in "Created in China". Retrieved Nov 28, 2023. From https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LH-krKu-xJiJv-gn_DtcRAThis article is from the content team of WuXi AppTec. Individuals are welcome to share it on their WeChat Moments, but unauthorized reprints by media or organizations in any form to other platforms are prohibited. For reprint authorization, please contact us via a message on the "MedView" WeChat Official Account. For other collaboration inquiries, please contact wuxi_media@wuxiapptec.com.
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