Kati Medical Completes Over RMB 70 Million Series A+ Financing to Accelerate IND Filing and Pipeline Development

VCBeat learned at the first time that in early February 2022,Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd (hereinafter referred to as CART Medical), a rising company in China specializing in CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors, has completed an A+ round of financing exceeding 70 million yuan.This round of financing was jointly completed by Nanjing Chengyi Investment, Unifortune, Asia View Capital Co., Ltd, and Guangzhou Hiway Capital Partners. The funds will mainly be used to advance the IND application for Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd's leading product.

Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd was founded in 2017, headquartered in Nanjing Biopharmaceutical Valley, located in the National-level Jiangbei New Area in Nanjing. It is a key enterprise in the gene and life health sector in Jiangbei New Area and a national high-tech innovation company. Nanjing CART Medical Technologies focuses on the development of CAR-T cell new drugs for solid tumors.

Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd was founded by Dr. Enxiu Wang, a core member of Carl June's team at the University of Pennsylvania. The company's core leadership team comes from top institutions such as the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking Union Medical College of Tsinghua University, Nanjing Medical University, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States. They have extensive experience and high professionalism in oncology, drug development, and business operations. Dr. Wang Enxiu has achieved breakthrough results in the flexible activation design of CAR-T, and the core patent has been authorized in Europe, the United States, and China.

CAR-T Immunotherapy Shows Significant Efficacy in Hematological Tumors but Faces Challenges in Solid Tumors

Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd has developed a series of novel candidate drugs with independent intellectual property rights based on its proprietary technology platform, with five R&D pipelines including KT030, KT032, KT095, KT081, and KT051.Among them, KT032 targets solid tumors such as pancreatic cancer, ovarian cancer, and mesothelioma as indications and is the leading R&D pipeline of Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd.

 Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd R&D Pipeline

KT032 is a CAR-T product for solid tumors targeting Mesothelin. Early IIT data shows that among 8 patients with Mesothelin-positive solid tumors (one case of pancreatic tumor, the rest ovarian cancer), the best treatment outcomes were PR (4/7), SD (3/7), with an overall response rate (ORR) of 57.5%, a disease control rate (DCR) of 100%, a median progression-free survival of 7 months, and the longest progression-free survival of 17 months; the median survival was 11.625 months, with the longest survival at 17 months.

Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd is currently conducting in-depth cooperation with top hospitals in China. The number of trial cases continues to increase, progressing at a rate of one case recovery, one case preparation, and one case blood sampling, while continuously collecting trial data.

Dr. Enxiu Wang, founder of Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd, said"Our vision is to become the most innovative cell drug company in China. Currently, CART Medical Technologies has developed a third-generation signaling platform targeting the CAR 'activation end,' which enables the flexible replacement of targets, thereby expanding into different indications. In the future, we will leverage our proprietary innovative platform to launch a more diverse product pipeline and achieve a wider range of product transformations."

Wang Yuan, Partner of Nanjing Chengyi InvestmentStated: "The founder of Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd made significant contributions to the launch of the world's first CAR-T drug in collaboration with Penn and Novartis, and has over a decade of experience and accumulation in the CAR-T technology field, making them a trusted partner. Additionally, we highly value the company’s proprietary technology platform, which enables Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd to develop a rich pipeline of products targeting various solid tumors."

Unifortune Investment Director Jiang Yu"There are many opportunities for strategic positioning in the gene and cell therapy field. CAR-T has already demonstrated excellent clinical efficacy in the treatment of hematologic tumors, while breakthroughs in solid tumors are still awaited. We recognize the accumulation and experience of Nanjing CART Medical Technologies, Ltd and its founder Dr. Enxiu Wang in the CAR-T field, and we are optimistic about the company’s product pipeline layout and future prospects."

Chengyi Investment, established in 2015 and headquartered in Nanjing, radiates across the Yangtze River Delta region. Focused on early-stage and growth-stage equity investments and value-added services, it primarily concentrates on the biopharmaceutical and technology innovation sectors. Currently, Chengyi Investment manages funds with a scale of nearly 2 billion RMB. In the biopharmaceutical field, it has invested in a group of outstanding companies that represent the future direction of development, including Zhonghui Biotechnology, Biosion, and Elpiscience Pharma. Beyond providing capital support, Chengyi Investment also offers comprehensive, multi-level assistance and support to each invested company, promoting enterprise innovation and growth, enabling them to eventually become industry leaders, and effectively driving industrial transformation and social progress.

Unifortune Group was founded in 2011, adhering to the concept of "technology empowering finance, financial services for industry, and industry serving the country." It has deeply participated in China's economic development and industrial upgrading, striving to become a comprehensive holding group that leads innovation through technology and serves the real economy. Unifortune focuses on multiple asset management and investment businesses such as equity investment, industrial investment, and special opportunity investment. The group owns several member enterprises including Unifortune Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., which concentrates on pharmaceuticals and medical technology, advanced manufacturing, and new energy, and China Emerging Asset Management Co., Ltd., a mixed-ownership reform subsidiary of a central state-owned enterprise. Unifortune’s pharmaceutical and medical investments focus on innovative drugs including biopharmaceuticals, in vitro diagnostics, innovative medical devices, medical services, and technology sectors.

Suzhou Guanfeng Yu Venture Investment Center (Limited Partnership) is a private equity investment fund managed by Asia View Capital Co., Ltd. Asia View Capital is composed of professionals with senior expertise, work experience, and independent judgment. It has rich investment experience and resource accumulation in the fields of biomedicine and devices, semiconductors, and new energy. The company focuses on industrial development needs, bases itself on hardcore technology investment, relies on abundant industrial resources, and continuously discovers and nurtures outstanding innovative enterprises with growth potential, creating long-term value for investors and providing support for the growth of innovative enterprises.

Guangzhou Hiway Capital Partners was established in 2007, with its headquarters in Guangzhou. It is the first venture capital fund in Guangzhou to receive national record-filing management, and it has long focused on venture capital investments (VC) in start-up enterprises. The company boasts dozens of successful IPO exit cases as an early investor, including Jet Biochemical, Hongya CNC, Boyun New Materials, Gaolan Co., Ltd., and Lushan New Materials. The cumulative asset scale of the funds under its management exceeds tens of billions. It is a recognized management institution by the National Guidance Fund for Small and Medium-sized Technology Enterprises and has been continuously supported by the National Venture Capital Guidance Fund Program for over a decade.