GenEditBio Secures Pre-A+ Funding to Advance Next-Generation Gene Editing Tools and In Vivo Therapeutics

VCBeat has learned that on April 3, 2024, a gene-editing platform technology companyGenEditBio Inc. (hereinafter referred to as “GenEditBio”)Announced the completion of a multi-million-dollar Pre-A+ financing round. This round of financing was led byShengde Pharmaceutical Group and its subsidiary, Shuntian PharmaceuticalCo-lead Investment,Qiming Venture Partners, the InnoHK Ventures Fund under the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region GovernmentandHKSTP VenturesCo-investment.

The funds raised will be used to support the development of the Company’s next-generation gene-editing tools and the rapid advancement of its product pipeline, further enhance its R&D and industrialization capabilities, develop and establish scalable manufacturing technologies and systems for in vivo gene-editing drug formulations, enable the product pipeline to rapidly transition from early-stage research to preclinical studies and clinical trials for regulatory submission, and further strengthen its R&D and management teams.

Founded in 2021, Yinzheng Gene, a new entrant to the Science Park, is an internationally leading platform-based technology enterprise specializing in gene editing. The company focuses on the development of gene editing tools and related delivery systems, and is currently engaged in the research and development of innovative gene-editing drugs, rapidly advancing multiple in vivo (in vivo) gene editing product line.

Dr. Zheng Zongli, Founder of Yinzheng Gene, boasts over a decade of extensive international research experience in the field of gene editing. During his postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School, he collaborated with Keith Joung—co-founder of Editas Medicine, Beam Therapeutics, Verve Therapeutics, SeQure Dx, Chroma Medicine, Pairwise Plants, and Nvelop Therapeutics—to develop GUIDE-Seq, an off-target assessment method.

Dr. Zongli Zheng has achieved multiple globally leading research outcomes in fields such as off-target assessment, high-fidelity nucleic acid editing enzymes, and next-generation editing tools, and has published numerous high-impact research articles in top-tier journals including Nature, Science, Nature Biotechnology, and Nature Medicine. Dr. Tian Zhu, founder of Yinzheng Gene, earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacognosy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and possesses extensive experience in drug R&D and industrial translation, international cooperation, and management.

Yinzheng Gene is dedicated to developing next-generation gene-editing tools based on novel Cas nucleases, aiming to enhance editing efficiency and precision while reducing off-target effects. The company has identified dozens of naturally occurring Cas nucleases that exhibit high efficiency and precision in human cells. These enzymes possess distinct characteristics compared to the commonly used Cas9, making them suitable for diverse gene-editing applications. Meanwhile, the company is also developing a new generation of more precise and diversified gene-editing tools with novel mechanisms, further strengthening its leading position in the field of gene-editing technologies.

To address the delivery challenges associated with novel gene editors, the company employed high-throughput screening tools to conduct parallel screening in animal models that most closely mimic clinical outcomes. This process identified liver-targeting lipid nanoparticle (LNP) systems and extrahepatic-targeting engineered protein delivery vehicles (ePDVs) characterized by rapid onset of action and minimal residual presence. This suite of proprietary foundational gene-editing technologies and tools is globally leading, significantly advancing the field and offering broad prospects for technological application and market commercialization.

This round of financing,Lin Rongjin, President of Shengde Pharmaceutical Group, as the lead investorMr.It stated: “Yinzheng Gene’s novel gene-editing technology is at the global forefront, providing innovative solutions for major diseases that currently lack treatments. Leveraging its team’s years of research experience in related fields and extensive drug development expertise, Yinzheng Gene continuously drives technological iteration and upgrades. Its technology platform not only enables the development of next-generation gene therapy drugs but also meets the needs of various gene therapy companies, thereby expanding the scope of gene therapy applications. Shengde Pharmaceutical Group has been committed to supporting outstanding enterprises in the biotechnology sector and facilitating their international expansion. Through its investment in Yinzheng Gene, Shengde Pharmaceutical Group will make its initial entry into the field of gene programming. It looks forward to future in-depth collaboration between Yinzheng Gene, Shuntian Pharmaceutical, and the group’s CDMO subsidiary to jointly create more breakthrough gene therapy products.”

Dr. Kan Chen, Partner at Qiming Venture Partnersstated: “The Yingzheng Gene team possesses extensive research experience and top-tier scientific achievements in the field of gene editing. We are confident in the company’s innovative technologies in next-generation gene editing tools and delivery systems, and look forward to accelerating its development to bring more breakthrough products and solutions to the gene editing sector.”

Spokesperson for the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionStated: “The HKSTP Ventures Fund aims to encourage venture capital funds to co-invest in local innovation and technology start-ups, fostering a more vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong. Through this investment, we support InnoGene in scaling up its local research efforts and talent recruitment.”

Mr. Huang Xianmin, Investment Director of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporationstated: “Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) recognizes that funding is crucial to research and development. We provide tailored support, assistance, and comprehensive services at different stages of the development of innovation and technology (I&T) companies. We hope that InnoGene’s latest financing round will help accelerate the R&D of next-generation gene editing tools and the development of related products, jointly fostering a vibrant I&T ecosystem and supporting Hong Kong’s aspiration to become an international I&T hub.”