LTZ Therapeutics Secures $17 Million Pre-A Financing to Advance Next-Generation Immunotherapies for Cancer and Complex Diseases

Shenzhen, China, and Palo Alto, California, USA, April 7, 2022 — LTZ Therapeutics (referred to as “LTZ”), today announced the completion of a US$17 million Pre-A financing round. This round of financing was led by Tibet Xianfeng Qiyun Investment Advisory Co., Ltd., with participation from Qiming Venture Partners and Tigermed. The proceeds will support the company in further developing its technology platform, building a product pipeline, and expanding the operations team.

LTZ Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on immunotherapy, co-founded by three leading figures in new drug development: Dr. Robert Li (李金泽博士), Dr. Martin Treder, and Dr. Jianhui Zhou (周建辉博士).

"Thanks to the investors for their strong support in LTZ Therapeutics' Pre-A round of financing, fully recognizing the innovation capability and transformation potential of our R&D platform."Co-founder and CEO Robert"Noted, 'To develop new drugs that can both overcome drug resistance and recurrence and enhance anti-tumor immunity, a profound understanding of tumor biology and the tumor microenvironment is crucial. The R&D strategy of LTZ is to fully leverage our three-pronged, mutually synergistic technology platform—reducing immune suppression, reprogramming innate immunity, and regulating adaptive immunity—to effectively approach and seize such drug development opportunities. In addition to our newly-starred investors, we are equally honored to welcome the industry thought leaders of our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). Facing the vast number of patients suffering from cancer and other complex diseases, the joining of the SAB further affirms our methodology for improving clinical benefits for this high-risk population.'"

Members of LTZ Therapeutics' newly established Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) previously held core leadership positions at Genentech, including former Vice President of Protein Sciences, Dr. Sarah Hymowitz; former Vice President of Development Sciences, Dr. Greg Cosma; and former Executive Director of Oncology Biomarkers, Dr. Lukas Amler.

"Since the approval and market launch of immune checkpoint inhibitors, cancer immunotherapy has ushered in a new chapter in cancer treatment, demonstrating significant clinical value and an application prospect full of potential."Dr. Wang Yunhai, partner of Tibet Xianfeng Qiyun Investment Advisory Co., Ltd., said"LTZ is committed to developing next-generation cancer immunotherapies that activate the immune system and modulate the tumor microenvironment. The founding team has an international perspective and extensive experience and success in R&D and clinical aspects of this field. Tibet Xianfeng Qiyun Investment Advisory Co., Ltd. has been conducting systematic research in the field of cancer immunotherapy, highly recognizing LTZ Therapeutics' R&D direction and first-mover advantages in this field. We believe that LTZ has the opportunity to become a leading cancer immunotherapy company in China and even internationally. We look forward to working closely with the company to accelerate the development of its pipeline for the benefit of patients worldwide."

Dr. Chen Kan, Partner of Qiming Venture Partners"LTZ has an internationally competitive team in the field of cancer immunotherapy, with unique and profound insights into targets, as well as rich experience and outstanding capabilities across all aspects of bispecific and multispecific antibody development. Qiming Venture Partners is optimistic about LTZ's long-term dedication to this field, believing that LTZ can rapidly advance early product discovery and clinical research, becoming a leading company guiding immunotherapy into a new era in China and even globally, bringing hope to more cancer patients."

Dr. Tianrong Ji, Chief Investment Officer of TigermedStated: "Developing a more efficient new generation of tumor immunotherapy solutions is an unremitting pursuit in the industry. The founding team of LTZ Therapeutics has demonstrated extraordinary professional expertise in multiple dimensions of this field. We look forward to LTZ Therapeutics developing breakthrough immunotherapy models, leading the way in the biopharmaceutical arena in China and even globally, into the era of Tumor Immunotherapy 2.0."

LTZ Therapeutics is a globally leading biotechnology company that develops innovative immunotherapies targeting cancer and other complex diseases with significant unmet clinical needs, systematically enhancing patient clinical outcomes. The company’s international team is located in Shenzhen, China; Palo Alto, California, USA; and Heidelberg, Germany. Based on reverse translational science and emerging tumor microenvironment biology, LTZ Therapeutics is committed to developing next-generation immunotherapies that can overcome drug resistance and recurrence while enhancing anti-tumor immunity.

K2VC, founded in 2010, focuses on early-stage investments in the new economy sector and is committed to promoting technological progress, business model innovation, and the evolution of people's lifestyles. The name K2 is derived from the abbreviation of the world's second-highest peak, Qogir (also known as K2). Due to its climbing difficulty far surpassing that of Mount Everest, K2 is regarded by mountaineers as the ultimate challenge. The fund uses K2 as a metaphor for the myriad difficulties of entrepreneurship, akin to tackling the hardest peak in life.

Tibet Xianfeng Qiyun Investment Advisory Co., Ltd., established in 2016, is dedicated to investing in enterprises at an early stage that address significant unmet medical needs, as well as those transforming traditional industries through the internet and consumer sectors, serving as a long-term investor accompanying enterprise growth. Since the second half of 2021, Xianfeng Qiyun has focused on innovative drugs and innovative medical devices, with several invested companies growing into leaders within their respective fields.

Qiming Venture Partners, established in 2006, has successively set up offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Suzhou, Hong Kong, Seattle, Boston, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The firm focuses on investing in outstanding early-stage and growth-stage enterprises within the TMT and healthcare industries. To date, Qiming Venture Partners manages ten U.S. dollar funds and six RMB funds, with total managed assets under management reaching 6.2 billion U.S. dollars. It has invested in more than 430 rapidly growing innovative companies, of which over 170 have been listed on exchanges such as the New York Stock Exchange, NASDAQ, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Taiwan's OTC Market, the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. More than 40 of its portfolio companies have become unicorns or super unicorns recognized within their respective industries.

TigerMed (Stock Code: 300347.SZ/3347.HK) is a Contract Research Organization (CRO) focused on providing comprehensive professional services for the entire clinical trial process in new drug development. It offers global pharmaceutical and medical device innovation enterprises with integrated and full-scope clinical research services and solutions, reducing R&D risks, shortening R&D cycles, and saving R&D costs to accelerate product marketization and enable patients to access newer and better pharmaceuticals and medical products sooner. TigerMed’s investment platform specializes in investing in and incubating leading companies in the healthcare sector, such as innovative drug developers and novel medical device manufacturers.