CellOrigin Secures Tens of Millions RMB in New Financing Round with WinX Capital as Financial Advisor

Recently,CellOrigin, a Biotech Company Focused on iPSC-Derived Innate Immune Cells for Solid Tumor Immunotherapy, Announces Completion of New Round of Financing Worth Tens of Millions of RMBThis round of funding will be used to advance the company's next-generation cell therapy drug pipeline into the clinical development stage.

CellOrigin Bio is dedicated to developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived macrophages expressing chimeric antigen receptor molecules (CAR-iMAC) and applying them to the treatment of solid tumors. The company utilizes cutting-edge technologies such as gene editing and synthetic biology to engineer macrophages, with several core patents already granted both domestically and internationally. The company owns a GMP production base exceeding 3,000 square meters and a nearly 1,000-square-meter research and development center. It has established standardized stem cell and immune cell isolation, differentiation, large-scale expansion, and cryopreservation technologies that meet international standards, enabling independent completion of the entire production process from plasmids and viruses to therapeutic cells, fulfilling the needs of clinical trials.

Currently, marketed immune cell therapies such as CAR-T are all based on autologous cell modification, which involves a long process and certain requirements for the patient’s condition. The price, reaching up to a million yuan, greatly limits the popularization of these therapies. All CAR-T products available in and outside China target hematological tumors, while patients with solid tumors account for about 90% of all cancer cases, representing a huge population in urgent need of a breakthrough.

Solid tumors have a complex immunosuppressive microenvironment, highly heterogeneous antigen targets, and a physical barrier extracellular matrix, making them difficult to treat. T cells and NK cells primarily operate within the blood and lymphatic circulation, with poor infiltration into solid tumors. As a result, researchers have shifted their focus to other immune cells in the hope of developing new therapies.

Macrophages (abbreviated as M cells) are a type of immune cell that easily infiltrates the tumor microenvironment (TME) of solid tumors. They not only directly phagocytose and kill tumor cells but also activate T cells through antigen presentation, stimulate NK cell expansion, and alter the tumor microenvironment by secreting specific cytokines. In recent years, engineered macrophages have become a new direction for the treatment of solid tumors.

Mechanism of Macrophages

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) refer to a type of pluripotent stem cells with characteristics similar to human embryonic stem cells, which are cultured through the artificial reprogramming and reverse differentiation of somatic cells. iPSCs possess multi-directional differentiation and strong self-replication potential, and under certain conditions, can differentiate into various functional cells. Hundreds of millions or even billions of clinically relevant phenotypic cells, such as cardiomyocytes, neurons, and islet cells, can be cultured in vitro, providing a new pathway for universal cell therapy. In recent years, several regenerative cell and immune cell therapies based on iPSC differentiation have entered clinical stages.

Professor Zhang Jin, the founder of Saicron Biotech, is a Ph.D. from UCLA and a postdoctoral fellow from Harvard Medical School. He is currently a core PI/Ph.D. supervisor at Zhejiang University/Liangzhu Laboratory and a recipient of China's National Leading Talent Plan with extensive experience in iPSC-derived immune cell research and development, helping Saicron secure the world’s first CAR-iMAC patent. Dr. Tong Jiansong, the co-founder and CEO, has over 14 years of drug development experience in the cell and gene therapy field, having participated in or led the development of multiple CAR-T cell therapy products at several well-known cell therapy companies in both China and the U.S. Dr. Lin Lin, the Senior Vice President, possesses rich dual-reporting experience between China and the U.S. Other core team members come from prestigious universities and institutions such as Harvard, Zhejiang University, Scripps Research Institute, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and renowned pharmaceutical companies in China, bringing extensive expertise in R&D management, process development, quality research, and IND filing.

After years of accumulation, CellOrigin has developed a series of innovative technology platforms with independent intellectual property rights, including the world's first patent for induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) differentiating into CAR-macrophages targeting tumor antigens. The company also possesses innovative capabilities in iPSCs and reprogramming, gene editing, stem cell differentiation, as well as process development and quality control, establishing a series of cutting-edge technology platforms such as iMACTM, CAR-MACTM, E-MACTM, and FL-MACTM, which hold industry-leading positions both internationally and domestically. Additionally, CellOrigin has built a clinical-grade iPSC cell bank, developed a scalable manufacturing process for CAR-iMAC cells, and established a complete GMP production system along with quality testing methods.

 Cytonic Biotech's Technology Platform

The company's pipeline is simultaneously developing two directions: autologous and allogeneic. Currently, the two most advanced pipelines are SY001, an autologous monocyte-derived CAR-M therapy, for which an IIT clinical trial has been initiated and is actively recruiting patients, with an expected IND submission in the first quarter of 2024; and SY005, an allogeneic iPSC-derived CAR-M therapy, which is also expected to enter the IND submission stage in 2024. Other pipelines based on different targets and technology platforms are also advancing.

 Progress of CellOrigin's Pipeline

So far, CellOrigin Bio has completed financing amounting to hundreds of millions of RMB. In addition to this round's Goldport Capital and Hangzhou Yuhang Financial Holdings Group Co., Ltd., previous rounds also included well-known investment institutions such as LYFE Capital, Kunlun Capital, Everfront Capital, Ginkgo Valley Capital, Nest.Bio Ventures, and TreeTop Ventures.

Goldport Capital stated: CellOrigin Bio has a strong team and a comprehensive, high-barrier technology platform. Its iPSC-derived CAR-M drugs are expected to address the limitations of current CAR-T cell therapies, which are expensive and only applicable to hematological tumors, offering affordable new treatments for many patients with solid tumors who have no available treatment options. The company is poised to become a leader in the next generation of off-the-shelf immune cell drugs targeting solid tumors.

Goldport Capital was founded in 2014. Its main founders have an average of about 20 years of experience in investment and enterprise management, along with a strong engineering and technical background, forming a management team that empowers through investment. Goldport Capital has completed investments in nearly 100 hard technology projects. The Goldport team advocates for internationalization and currently focuses on international hard technology investment through its Hong Kong-based fund.

WinX Capital is a leading investment bank in China's healthcare sector, headquartered in Beijing and Shanghai, covering over 3,000 active investment institutions and industry groups. It has been awarded the "Top 1 Financial Advisor in the Healthcare Sector for 2022" by First Xinseng, "Top 2 Best Financial Advisor in the Healthcare Sector for 2021-2022" by Qimingpian & Xinseng Chuangfu, "VCBeat 2022-2023 Pengcheng Award - Top 5 Annual Healthcare Financial Advisor," among many other honors.