Chengdu-Based Biotech Zhenyu Bio Secures Nearly RMB 100 Million in Funding Within Three Years of Inception, Advances Innovative Cancer Therapies with FDA Orphan Drug Designation

(Source: Sichuan Business)

Chengdu CR Therapeutics Biopharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “CR Therapeutics”), established less than three years ago, is racing at an astonishing pace in the field of biomedical innovation.

Recently,This innovative company, focused on the research and development of next-generation universal cell therapy products, announced the completion of a financing round amounting to nearly 100 million RMB.become the focus of attention from all parties.

CR Therapeutics Accelerates Industrialization

Publicly available information shows that,CR Therapeutics, established in July 2023, focuses on the development of cutting-edge technologies such as novel off-the-shelf therapeutic cell vaccines and in vivo CAR-T.The company is committed to addressing the industry pain points of traditional CAR-T therapy, such as long manufacturing lead times and high costs, thereby providing patients with more accessible and efficient immunotherapy options.

In terms of its technological roadmap, CR Therapeutics has adopted the mRNA-LNP approach, which offers a higher safety profile, for the development of in vivo CAR-T therapies. Through systematic innovations in the delivery system, mRNA sequences, and CAR molecule design, the company has achieved comprehensive improvements in key performance indicators, including delivery efficiency, expression duration, cytotoxic activity, and solid tumor penetration.Currently, the company’s core pipeline has advanced multiple clinical studies, with preliminary data demonstrating low toxicity and highly efficient in vivo CAR-T cell generation, thereby validating the technical feasibility and clinical value of this platform.

Another innovative platform of the company——TCR-T in vivo therapeutic vaccine technology is dedicated to achieving durable and comprehensive T-cell immune activation.Lead candidate CR101, targeting Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated tumors, has demonstrated encouraging efficacy in patients with advanced-stage disease who have failed multiple lines of therapy, developed metastases, and exhibited resistance to PD-1 antibodies. Notably, some patients achieved complete response (CR) and have survived in good health for over three years.With its breakthrough potential, CR101 has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. FDA for the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.Furthermore, this technology has been implemented for clinical translational application at Huaxi Boao Lecheng Hospital in Hainan. All treated patients achieved rapid EBV-DNA clearance, further solidifying its clinical value.

In less than three years since its establishment, CR Therapeutics has achieved multiple milestones:in vivo CAR-T advanced to the clinical research stage and received FDA orphan drug designation. In the industry's view, thisThis round of financing will provide strong financial support for the clinical application and industrialization process of the company's core pipeline, accelerating the transition of its scientific research achievements from the laboratory to clinical applications.

Chengdu Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Enterprises Gain Capital Recognition

It is reported that,CR Therapeutics’ latest financing round was co-led by the Chengdu Future Industry Fund and Yuansheng Venture Capital, with participation from Renyou Investment and Shengjing Jiacheng. Existing shareholder Legend Capital made an additional investment, bringing the total funding to nearly RMB 100 million.The funds will be primarily used to advance the clinical development of core pipelines, facilitate industrialization, and expand the team.

To date, CR Therapeutics has completed four rounds of financing. Previously, the company received early-stage investment from local capital sources such as the Chengdu Biological City Jingchuang Fund and Chengdu High-Tech Investment Group. The continuous support from diverse capital, ranging from local funds to top-tier institutional investors, underscores market recognition of CR Therapeutics’ technological strength, team capabilities, and commercialization prospects.

Financial Investment News reporter noted that,Yang Hanshuo, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Scientist of CR Therapeutics, brings years of research experience from West China. He currently serves as a Principal Investigator (PI) at the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and formerly held the position of Director of the Laboratory Animal Center at Sichuan University.He has been engaged in research on the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and biotherapy for over 20 years, and has presided over multiple national-level scientific research projects, including the National 863 Program, the National Key R&D Program, the Major Project for New Drug Innovation, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Notably, the financing progress of CR Therapeutics is not an isolated case. A reporter from the Financial Investment News observed that since the beginning of this year,Zeling Biotechnology, Neurite Medical, Gestalt Technology, Xianyan Biotechnology, Wabo Technology, and other Chengdu-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies have successively secured financing,Projects are being intensively implemented, with sustained rising capital enthusiasm.

From an industry perspective, this may signal strong recognition from the capital markets of Chengdu’s pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. As a key hub in China’s biopharmaceutical industry, Chengdu has established a complete industrial chain encompassing R&D, incubation, production, and distribution. Leveraging top-tier scientific resources such as West China Hospital of Sichuan University and the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, along with high-level industrial platforms like the Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town and Chengdu Medical City, Chengdu is rapidly emerging as an innovation powerhouse for biopharmaceuticals in western China and across the nation.

It is evident that, driven by the combined forces of policy support, research spillovers, and capital empowerment, a cohort of domestic innovative enterprises represented by CR Therapeutics is rapidly growing. These companies are poised to achieve parity or even leadership in frontier fields such as off-the-shelf cell therapy, radiopharmaceuticals, and nucleic acid drugs, thereby delivering more original Chinese therapeutic solutions to patients worldwide.

| Source: Mei Jing, reporter for Financial Investment NewsReport|