Curamir Therapeutics Secures $10 Million Series A Financing to Advance miRNA-Based Cancer Therapies

On September 18, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biotechnology company Curamir Therapeutics (Curamir) had completed a $10 million Series A financing round, led by Delos Capital.

Curamir Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing microRNA (miRNA)-based cancer therapies. Leveraging its proprietary miRNA engineering platform and deep insights into cancer biology, the company develops innovative therapies aimed at addressing unmet medical needs by overcoming the drug resistance and toxicity associated with current oncology treatments.

Curamir was incubated through an authorized partnership with the State University of New York (SUNY) and co-founded by veterans in the fields of gene regulation and translational medicine: Dr. Jingfang Ju, Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University (The State University of New York at Stony Brook); Dr. James D. Watson, 1962 Nobel Laureate; and Dr. Lan-Bo Chen, Honorary Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School and Academician of Academia Sinica, Taiwan.

Henry Chen, Co-founder and CEO of Curamir Therapeutics and Managing Partner at Delos Capital, stated: “Curamir was founded to extend and improve patients’ lives by discovering and developing innovative miRNA-based oncology therapies. We are deeply grateful for the significant contributions and strong support from Curamir’s scientific co-founders, who have brought unparalleled expertise in miRNA therapeutics, along with robust data supporting the discovery and development of translational therapies. We aim to leverage this financing to further advance our miRNA pipeline into clinical studies.”

Dr. Jingfang Ju stated, “I am delighted to have the strong support of Delos Capital, as well as the co-founders and advisors of Curamir, to develop innovative, transformational miRNA-based therapeutics for combating cancer. Our miRNA drug development technology platform has the potential to revolutionize the current landscape of cancer treatment by eliminating drug-resistant cancer stem cells.”

Curamir is led by a team of world-class scientists and industry veterans at the forefront of cancer biology and genetics. Dr. Ju has over 25 years of experience in researching chemical resistance in cancer. His laboratory at the State University of New York (SUNY) investigates the role of miRNA in cancer stem cell resistance, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, autophagy, and apoptosis across various cancers. Dr. Watson, a Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine (1962), helped establish the Human Genome Project. Dr. Lanbo Chen is the author of more than 250 publications, has founded several successful biotechnology companies, and has led or consulted on the development of more than ten drugs and drug candidates.

Delos Capital is a private equity investment firm headquartered in New York City, USA, focusing on investments in the lower middle market. Established in 2013, the company aims to provide investment to companies with EBITDA between $10 million and $30 million through controlling acquisitions and strategic partnerships.

(Compiled by Tian Shuhang)