Cedar Creek Capital Exclusively Invests Tens of Millions in RMB in Sinuclera's Angel Round, Pioneering a New Frontier in Alpha-Targeted Radiopharmaceuticals

Nov 21, 2024 07:59 CST Updated 08:00

FIRHealth Capital

Biomedical Industry Venture Capital Institution

VCBeat has learned that Hangzhou Saihe Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Saihe Biotech”), an innovative pharmaceutical company in the field of radiopharmaceuticals, recently announced the completion of its angel financing round. The round was exclusively invested by FIRHealth Capital, with a financing scale reaching tens of millions of yuan.

Cancer poses a significant threat to human health and is one of the leading causes of death among populations worldwide and in China. Targeted alpha therapy (TAT) delivers alpha-particle-emitting isotopes precisely to cancerous tissues via targeting molecules for high-intensity localized internal radiotherapy. With its potent efficacy and high specificity, TAT represents the cutting edge of global cancer treatment and a major focus of investment. In 2024 alone, multinational pharmaceutical giants such as AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb have invested tens of billions of dollars to enter the field of targeted alpha therapy. The Japanese government has designated targeted alpha therapy as a national strategy for future cancer treatment. In China, multiple central ministries and commissions have successively issued the Medium- and Long-Term Development Plan for Medical Isotopes (2021–2035) and the Three-Year Action Plan for High-Quality Development of the Nuclear Technology Application Industry (2024–2026), vigorously promoting the development of China’s radiopharmaceutical industry. Industry projections indicate that from 2021 to 2025, the market size of radiopharmaceuticals for nuclear imaging diagnosis and therapy in China will achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32.4%. The market size is expected to reach RMB 9.3 billion in 2025 and further expand to RMB 26 billion by 2030.

Saihe Bio is committed to becoming an internationally leading innovative radiopharmaceutical company by developing original core technologies with full independent intellectual property rights. The company’s founding team has deep expertise in the field of nuclear medicine. Dr. Yang Liu, the core founder, holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry and a Master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in the United States. He studied under Professor Tuan Vo-Dinh, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and Professor Michael Zalutsky, a pioneer in targeted alpha-particle radiotherapy. His doctoral dissertation was awarded the Springer Nature Best Doctoral Thesis Award globally. Dr. Liu completed his undergraduate and master’s studies in the Department of Chemistry at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he studied under Professor Huai Sun, a world-renowned expert in molecular simulation. Currently, Dr. Liu serves as a Research Fellow at the Wenzhou Institute of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, where he leads the Translational Cancer Medicine Research Group. He is also recognized as a high-level overseas talent introduced by Zhejiang Province. Based on first-principles molecular simulations, Dr. Liu pioneered a novel halogenated radioisotope (e.g., At-211, I-131) conjugation technology worldwide. This technology enables potent and specific treatment for various cancers through combination with different targeting moieties, facilitating integrated theranostics.

Saiche Biotech – Founder, Dr. Liu YangStatement: Targeted alpha-particle radiotherapy, with its potent and highly specific advantages, holds promise as a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer, significantly improving patient survival rates. Leveraging its extremely high linear energy transfer (LET), alpha-particle radiotherapy induces irreparable double-strand DNA breaks in cancer cells; on average, just three alpha particles are sufficient to kill a single cancer cell. Furthermore, this therapy is unaffected by tumor microenvironmental factors such as hypoxia, low pH, and immunosuppression, offering significant advantages over existing treatments. In addition, alpha particles can produce a substantial bystander effect, killing 5–10 surrounding cells, thereby effectively addressing the current therapeutic challenge of tumor heterogeneity. We will focus our product pipeline development on diseases that pose major threats to human health, including liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, thyroid cancer, ovarian cancer, and lung cancer. We plan to complete regulatory filings for clinical trials with both the U.S. FDA and China’s NMPA for our first product candidate within two years and enter the clinical trial phase. Our aspirations are vast and ambitious; having firmly chosen this distant goal, we are committed to pursuing it relentlessly day and night.

Exclusive Investment – Huang Xiaobin, Founder of FIRHealth CapitalIt is projected that over the next 10–20 years, nuclear medicine in China and globally will enter a period of rapid growth. With Novartis’ Pluvicto achieving annual sales exceeding $1 billion, the commercialization of radiopharmaceuticals is maturing. In the selection of radionuclides for radiopharmaceuticals, beta-emitting radionuclides have maintained a relatively mature and leading position; notably, both Novartis’ Pluvicto and Lutathera utilize Lutetium-177 (a beta-emitting radionuclide). Alpha particles have a shallow penetration depth, resulting in reduced damage to surrounding healthy tissues, while their high energy makes them particularly suitable for treating small tumors or micrometastases. Major pharmaceutical companies are actively positioning alpha-particle radiopharmaceuticals as their next-generation products. Saihe Bio has strategically focused on alpha-emitting radionuclides, pioneering a novel radionuclide conjugation platform technology applicable to the treatment of various cancers. The company’s team is young and dynamic, and we look forward to its provision of more clinical solutions for patients worldwide. We will also support the company’s rapid growth and contribute to the advancement of nuclear medicine in China.

About Saihe Biology

Saihe Biopharma was founded in 2024 by a founding team of experts and scholars from Duke University in the United States, specializing in radiochemistry and biomedical engineering. The international team possesses a global innovative vision. The company is committed to becoming an internationally leading innovator in radiopharmaceuticals by developing original core technologies with full independent intellectual property rights. It has pioneered the world’s first alpha-particle conjugation technology for radiopharmaceuticals, establishing a new method for targeted alpha-particle radiotherapy. Additionally, it has developed a novel targeted delivery platform for the conjugation of halogen-based theranostic radioisotopes and their application in cancer treatment, addressing significant challenges in cancer diagnosis and therapy through its proprietary technologies.

About FIRHealth Capital

FIRHealth Capital, established in 2021, is an emerging investment fund specializing in the biopharmaceutical and broader healthcare sectors. The firm focuses on innovative investments and value discovery within the global biopharmaceutical industry. Its team comprises high-caliber professionals from the industrial, scientific research, and venture capital communities, bringing extensive experience in both the pharmaceutical industry and investment. Adhering to its core philosophy of “seeking truth and being pragmatic, and applying meticulous intelligence,” FIRHealth Capital maintains investment principles characterized by “foresight and independence.” It is committed to creating sustainable value for investors, shareholders, and society at large through rigorous project evaluation and scientific investment decision-making. As a dedicated specialist in the healthcare sector, FIRHealth Capital not only pursues successful outcomes and returns on its investments but also strives to advance medical technology and improve human health. Working hand in hand with outstanding scientists and entrepreneurs, the firm remains true to its original aspiration, jointly writing a new chapter in the field of life sciences.