Qihan Bio Secures Over $20 Million in Funding Led by CMB International and Legend Star to Advance Xenotransplantation Platform

On July 23, VCBeat learned that Qihan Biotech had completed a financing round of over $20 million, with CMB International and Legend Star participating in this round. Qihan Biotech is establishing a world-class gene editing platform and is committed to advancing the research and development of xenotransplantation.

Qihan Biotech is an innovative biotechnology company dedicated to applying the latest gene-editing technologies to xenotransplantation, aiming to address the global shortage of donor organs. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Dr. Luhan Yang, founder and chief scientist of eGenesis, and Professor George Church of Harvard University, a dual member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. In 2018, Qihan Biotech secured $7.8 million in Series A financing.

Dr. Luhan Yang, CEO

Dr. Luhan Yang is a co-inventor of CRISPR-Cas9, the most advanced gene-editing technology. In 2014, she was named by Forbes (US) as one of the “30 Under 30” global leaders in science and healthcare. In 2017, she was recognized as a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum and was also listed among the “Top 50 Most Influential People Globally” by Bloomberg Businessweek (US) in the same year. Dr. Yang’s founding team developed the first generation of genetically modified pigs in 2017, addressing a major safety concern in xenotransplantation and establishing the world’s most advanced platform for gene-edited animals.

George Church

Dr. George Church is a Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School, a founding member of the Wyss Institute, and the director of the Personal Genome Project (PGP), the world’s only open-source research initiative focused on human genomic, environmental, and trait data. Professor Church is renowned for pioneering the fields of personal genomics and synthetic biology. He developed the first genome sequencing method and has since contributed to nearly all “next-generation sequencing” methods and companies, helping to reduce the cost of whole-human genome sequencing from $3 billion to $600. His team invented CRISPR-based genome editing in human stem cells, along with other synthetic biology technologies and applications—including novel approaches for transplantable organs, gene therapies for reversing aging, and gene drive technologies for eliminating Lyme disease and malaria. Professor Church serves as the director of the IARPA and NIH Brain Projects, as well as the Director of the Center of Excellence in Genomic Science at the National Institutes of Health. He has published 490 papers, holds 130 patents, and is the author of the book Regenesis. His honors include the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science, dual membership in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, and recognition as one of Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World.” He is a towering figure in the global biotechnology sector.

Currently, Qihan Biotech possesses a world-class gene editing platform and continues to develop new gene editing technologies, enhance throughput and application scenarios, improve precision and controllability, and pioneer novel applications, striving to become a leading gene editing platform company in China and globally. Qihan Biotech is dedicated to creating a world free from organ shortage.

Dr. Luhan Yang, Co-founder and CEO of Qihan Biotech, stated that millions of patients in China suffer from end-stage organ failure, with most losing their lives during the prolonged wait for donor organs. Qihan Biotech is dedicated to combining cutting-edge gene technology with pharmaceutical therapies to engineer transplantable organs, offering hope and survival opportunities to patients and their families. We are delighted to have received recognition and support from top-tier biotechnology investment institutions both domestically and internationally, as we work together to establish Qihan Biotech as a flagship biotechnology company grounded in innovative technology.

Reposted from: Medical Cooperation Investment and Financing Alliance