Youjia Biopharma Secures Tens of Millions in Series A+ Financing Led by Shaanxi Investment Growth Fund to Advance Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Pipeline

VCBeat (WeChat: vcbeat) learned that on September 23, 2022, Youjia (Hangzhou) Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as:YOUJIA BIO) AnnounceTens of millions of yuanA+Round Financing, this round of financing was exclusively led by Shaanxi Growth Enterprise Leading Fund Co.,Ltd.This round of funding will be mainly used to advance the IND application for YOUJIA BIO's liver fibrosis project YJH-0425 and the preclinical research of several other product pipelines.

The capital market's overall environment was harsh, with the number of financing events in each track decreasing in 2022. However, the small nucleic acid innovative drug sub-track bucked the trend and continued to attract capital support. YOUJIA BIO, after some time...Less than a yearTasly GroupBoyi FundAndKangju Venture CapitalAfter the A-round financing of tens of millions of RMB, YOUJIA BIO received additional investment from professional institutions, fully reflecting the high recognition of the capital market for YOUJIA BIO.

Nucleic acid drugs are the third wave of pharmaceuticals following small molecules and antibody drugs.，Become a must-contest area in the global pharmaceutical industry, but there are extremely high barriers in technical aspects such as target selection, chemical modification, and delivery systems, which restrict the development of the industry. To enhance the drug-like properties and international competitiveness of nucleic acid drugs,YOUJIA BIO has built an intelligent platform for target selection and sequence design.NDDSSystematic, Chemically Modified Third GenerationCMS3Modification technology, with independent intellectual property rights, meeting multiple drug delivery methods and targeting capabilitiesCPNP、PNACAndLNPThe diversified delivery system,Solved key technical issues affecting drug development, such as the stability, half-life, immunogenicity, and specificity of nucleic acid sequences, significantly shortening the R&D cycle and reducing R&D costs.YOUJIA BIO's independently developedFICProduct0425Will be2022Submit at the end of the yearINDApplication.

Dr. Cui Wenhao, Founder and CEO of YOUJIA BIOExpressed: "Thanks to the strong support from both new and existing shareholders, the completion of this round of financing will help us rapidly advance the IND applications for our existing product pipelines and promote other preclinical product pipelines. At the same time, we will increase investment in the CMC aspects of small nucleic acid drugs to enhance domestic technical capabilities and international competitiveness. We will also advance the construction of a gene innovation drug R&D base co-built with Osaka University in Japan, forming an international layout with multi-regional collaboration. With YOUJIA BIO's accumulated expertise and execution capabilities in small nucleic acid drugs, we will continue to focus on developing innovative drugs that meet clinical needs."

Dr. Guo Jia, Managing Director of Shaanxi Growth Enterprise Leading Fund Co., Ltd."We are very optimistic about the future of nucleic acid innovative drugs and YOUJIA BIO. YOUJIA BIO has a comprehensive nucleic acid drug development platform, with extensive patent protection and technical barriers in sequence design, modification, delivery, and CMC processes. The company boasts an excellent and complementary team with rich hands-on experience in R&D, process, commercialization, and capital operations. We look forward to YOUJIA BIO rapidly advancing its existing product pipeline into clinical trials and developing more products with clinical value."

Youjia (Hangzhou) Biomedical Technology Co., Ltd. ("YOUJIA BIO") was co-founded by several overseas returnee doctors and a team with rich industrialization experience, possessing nearly 1,500 square meters of biological and chemical laboratories. With the starting point of meeting clinical needs, it takes the mission to develop affordable innovative drugs for ordinary people. Its product pipeline covers areas such as anti-fibrosis, antiviral, and cardiovascular diseases. It has currently established a mature full-process development platform for nucleic acid drugs, including the NDDS system for intelligent design of nucleic acid drugs, a drug evaluation system, CPNP\PNAC\LNP delivery systems, and a CMC platform for nucleic acid drugs.

Shaanxi Growth is a professional fund management institution formally approved by the People's Government of Shaanxi Province, possessing qualifications in equity investment, investment management, and consulting. Adhering to the principle of "government guidance, social participation, and market operation," the company continuously leverages the magnifying and leading role of fiscal funds and state-owned industrial capital, as well as their magnetic effect of aggregating resources, to constantly inject capital momentum into the development of regional economies by stimulating new vitality, fostering new drivers, and creating new business models.

As a representative of hard-tech venture capital investment, Shaanxi Growth Enterprise Leading Fund Co., Ltd. has initiated and established 13 market-oriented professional sub-funds around high-end manufacturing, healthcare, military technology, new materials, and other fields, completing investments in more than 30 high-quality enterprises. Currently, Shaanxi Growth continues to focus on the development of the healthcare industry, with systematic layouts already made in sub-sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices.