Be-Think Bio Secures RMB 100 Million Series A Financing to Advance Universal CAR-T Cancer Immunotherapy

MedValleyLatest News: On February 14, Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. (“Bioheng Biotech”) announced the completion of its Series A financing round, raising approximately RMB 100 million. This round was exclusively invested by Decheng Capital. Through this financing, Bioheng Biotech and Decheng Capital have established a deep strategic partnership to further enhance talent acquisition and GMP facility construction, while advancing the development and clinical translation of universal tumor immunotherapy products.

Universal CAR-T, as a novel fifth-generation immunotherapy product, offers unparalleled advantages such as industrial-scale manufacturability, consistent quality, lower costs, broader patient applicability, and shorter production cycles. It represents an essential pathway and inevitable trend for the future of immunotherapy technologies. Universal CAR-T immunotherapy involves immunology, cytology, gene editing, and clinicalMedicineThe multidisciplinary integrated application, with its high technological barriers, makes the clinical implementation of this technology highly challenging.

Comparison Chart of Autologous CAR-T Therapy and UCART Therapy

Universal Immune Cell Therapy

Publicly available information indicates that Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. (Bioheng Biotech), established in March 2017, is a high-tech R&D and innovation enterprise dedicated to the research, development, and clinical translation of cellular immunotherapies. The company holds multiple patents related to tumor cell immunotherapy, including three independently developed UCART inventions. The Bioheng Biotech team was mentored by Professor Carl June of the University of Pennsylvania, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and a core inventor of efficient universal CAR-T technology based on CRISPR. The team participated in the clinical translation of Kymriah, the world’s first approved immunotherapy product, and established and optimized the manufacturing process for universal CAR-T cells. Related achievements have been published in top-tier international journals such as Clinical Cancer Research and Oncotarget.

Meanwhile, the company operates a 1,000-square-meter GMP-compliant clinical R&D and translation center, possesses several internationally leading core technologies and extensive expertise in cell engineering, expansion, and quality control, and is establishing a comprehensive, closed, and automated GMP cell manufacturing system that aligns with global best practices in pharmaceutical production and quality control, positioning it to achieve breakthroughs in the treatment of cancer and immune-mediated diseases.

It is understood that Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. has established a comprehensive, multidisciplinary system capable of large-scale screening for novel targets, as well as a core single-chain variable fragment (scFv) discovery and validation platform for immunotherapy, thereby facilitating the development of more effective novel immunotherapies.

Furthermore, Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. has reached cooperation consensus with multiple hospitals and universities to fully leverage their respective advantages and resources, jointly committing to clinical scientific research on UCART technology and collectively promoting the development of China’s immunotherapy industry.

On April 28, 2018, Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. entered into a strategic partnership with Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, completing an angel financing round of tens of millions of RMB. This funding further strengthened talent acquisition and the establishment of a GMP-compliant cell manufacturing center, with both parties jointly advancing the development of novel immunotherapies for cancer.

Dr. Cui Xiangmin, Founder and Chairman of Decheng Capital, stated, “We are highly optimistic about the direction of immune cell therapy and its immense potential in future disease treatment, particularly the groundbreaking progress made by universal off-the-shelf cellular immunotherapies in the broader application of cell-based immunotherapies. We are deeply impressed by Nanjing Bioheng Biotech Co., Ltd. in terms of its team background, preclinical data, product pipeline layout, and its innovative yet pragmatic corporate spirit. We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Nanjing Bioheng Biotech, fully leveraging the complementary strengths of both parties to jointly establish Nanjing Bioheng as a leader in the cell therapy industry.”

Dr. He Xiaohong, Founder and CEO of Bioheng Biotech, stated: “We are honored to receive the biological”Pharmaceuticals“With the support of renowned investment firm Decheng Capital, we extend our gratitude for their high recognition of Bioheng Biotech’s R&D projects, management model, and scientific team. Within just one year, Bioheng Biotech secured over RMB 100 million in financing, further demonstrating the capital market’s affirmation of the company’s expertise in its specialized field. Building on our foundation in cellular immunotherapy, we will continue to intensify R&D efforts in oncology treatment. This round of financing will undoubtedly significantly accelerate the development and clinical progress of our related products.”