A2 Biotherapeutics Secures $57 Million Series A Financing to Advance Selective Tumor Cell Therapy Pipeline

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned that on November 5, 2019, A2 Biotherapeutics completed a $57 million Series A financing round. This round was jointly led by The Column Group, Vida Ventures, Samsara BioCapital, and Nextech Invest.

A2 Biotherapeutics, a biotechnology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in California, USA, is dedicated to developing innovative cell therapies for cancer patients. With the funding from this round, A2 Biotherapeutics focuses on addressing a core challenge in cancer research: the targeted killing of tumor cells while sparing normal cells.

Traditional methods require tumor-specific antigens for targeted therapy. A2 Biotherapeutics employs a dual-targeting strategy, leveraging a robust discovery and optimization platform to identify antibodies and T-cell receptor fragments that bind to the target.

Because tumor cells exhibit only subtle differences from normal cells, the development of therapies that selectively target and kill tumor cells is highly challenging. However, A2 Biotherapeutics has overcome this challenge and demonstrated in its research the ability of its cell therapy to selectively kill tumor cells.

A2 Biotherapeutics’ target platform combines patented cell engineering, modular vector design, and novel quantitative analytical methods to extend cell therapy to solid tumors. One component of this platform, the HuTARG technology, has been licensed by the company’s partner and co-founder, Innovative Targeting Solutions. The HuTARG platform leverages V(D)J recombination, nature’s most powerful diversity-generating system, to generate complete human sequences with over one billion specific antibodies and T-cell receptors. In addition to providing broad epitope coverage for drug discovery, this system also enhances the affinity of candidate drugs.

The company currently has four programs in development and expects to launch its first clinical candidate next year.

Alexander Kamb, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of A2 Biotherapeutics, stated, “Our approach holds promise for the treatment of various tumors, offering solutions to many cancer patients. A2 Biotherapeutics possesses highly efficient and selective conjugates that can be assembled into molecular structures to integrate multiple signals, thereby providing a wide therapeutic window for the healthcare industry.”

Foraker, President and Chief Executive Officer of A2 Biotherapeutics, stated, “Our unique approach to selectively killing tumor cells has the potential to pioneer breakthrough cancer therapies, and we aim to translate this into clinical treatment for patients.”

The Column Group, established in 2006, is a venture capital firm headquartered in California, dedicated to supporting biotechnology companies.

Vida Ventures, established in 2017, is an investment firm based in Boston, USA, dedicated to the life sciences sector. The company was founded by a group of scientists, physicians, entrepreneurs, and investors with a focus on the biomedical field.

Samsara BioCapital, based in California, USA, provides investment advisory services for companies in their early and late stages.

Nextech Invest, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, is a venture capital and private equity firm. The company is dedicated to investing in the fields of information technology, biotechnology, and healthcare, with a particular focus on companies developing cancer drugs and diagnostic technologies.

(Compiled by Jiang Ying)