Regend Therapeutics Secures Over RMB 100 Million in Series B Financing to Advance First-in-Class Progenitor Cell Therapy for Lung Regeneration

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that Regend Therapeutics Inc. (“Regend Therapeutics”) recently announced the completion of its Series B financing round, raising over RMB 100 million. The round was led by Shenzhen Capital Group Co., Ltd. (SCGC), the largest domestic venture capital firm in China, with participation from Qianhai Wanrong Laterite Investment, Soochow Securities Co., Ltd., China Merchants Securities Co., Ltd., and Qielou Mingyuan. The proceeds will primarily be used to advance two clinical trials for REGEND001, its first-in-class cell-based novel drug for respiratory diseases, complete the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its kidney regenerative medicine product, accelerate the R&D of its subsequent “gene-enhanced cell” product pipeline, and finalize the construction of its commercial production facility in Nanchang.

Regend Therapeutics, established in 2015, operates through several entities including the Shanghai Super Organ Research and Development Center, the Suzhou Regend Pilot Scale Base, and the Xianhe Medical commercial production facility in Nanchang. The total construction area of its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) workshops for cellular pharmaceutical products approaches 10,000 square meters. As a global leader focused on progenitor cell-based organ regeneration, Regend Therapeutics targets highly differentiated niche markets with significant technological barriers to entry. Leveraging its proprietary R-Clone technology platform, the team has made rapid breakthroughs in progenitor cell research and product development. Its independently developed REGEND001 (lung progenitor cell preparation), the world’s only lung regenerative medicine product, has sequentially received clinical trial approvals from the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Currently, Regend is collaborating with several top-tier hospitals in China, including Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, and Ruijin Hospital, to conduct Phase II registration clinical trials. Nearly 100 cases of nationally filed clinical studies completed in earlier stages have demonstrated that autologous transplantation of human lung progenitor cells can successfully repair lung tissue damage in patients with COPD and other pulmonary diseases, thereby improving lung function and quality of life. The safety and efficacy of REGEND001 have been validated.

Beyond the lungs, Regend Therapeutics is actively expanding its portfolio to include damage repair for other organs. Among these efforts, REGEND003 is a progenitor cell product targeting severe kidney injury, with the potential to regenerate and repair renal tubules and glomeruli. The first indication, diabetic nephropathy, is scheduled to complete its Investigational New Drug (IND) application within this year. Related research findings, previously published in the journal *Protein & Cell*, were conducted in collaboration with Academician Chen Xiangmei and Professor Cai Guangyan from the Chinese PLA General Hospital. Notably, Prokidney, a U.S. Nasdaq-listed company, has advanced its similar kidney regeneration therapy into Phase 3 clinical trials under the U.S. FDA. Leveraging its technological platform advantages, Regend Therapeutics’ REGEND003 is poised to rapidly follow suit and potentially surpass competitors in certain technical aspects.

Professor Zuo Wei, School of Medicine, Tongji University, and Founder of Regend Therapeutics“He stated: ‘Lung progenitor cells reside in the basal layer of the bronchial epithelium in adult humans and possess the potential to differentiate into alveolar epithelial cells, bronchial secretory epithelial cells, and ciliated cells. Leveraging our proprietary R-Clone technology platform, we can stably expand these cells and perform organoid differentiation and characterization, thereby facilitating the efficient acquisition of large quantities of high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade progenitor cells. Following bronchoscopic intrapulmonary transplantation, new respiratory units regenerate within the patient’s body, restoring pulmonary gas exchange function within a few months. We have successfully replicated similar technologies in the renal system. Thus, regenerative medicine based on progenitor cells represents the greatest hope for patients and their families, as well as the mission of us scientific researchers.’”

Dr. Zhang Ting, Founder and CEO of Regend Therapeuticsstated: “We are delighted to have gained recognition and support from renowned professional funds. The Regend Therapeutics team has consistently demonstrated top-tier, sustained R&D capabilities. After years of growth and accumulation, Regend Therapeutics now possesses high-standard cell manufacturing capabilities as well as the experience and strength to conduct clinical studies for first-in-class new drugs. Moving forward, we will work hand in hand with our investors to continue providing patients with breakthrough regenerative medicine therapies, accelerate the market launch of China’s first progenitor cell product, and establish ourselves as an innovative enterprise rooted in China and serving the world.”

Wu Ping, Project Manager and Investment Director for East China at SCGCstated: “We are honored to participate in Regend Therapeutics’ Series B financing round as the lead investor. SCGC has been focusing on developments in the cell therapy field for over a decade. Currently, most mesenchymal stem cell therapeutic products worldwide do not exert their therapeutic effects directly through tissue regeneration mechanisms. Regend Therapeutics has accumulated profound research expertise in the field of progenitor cell therapy and is one of the six institutions initially approved by the state for clinical filing of stem cell therapies. It has achieved breakthrough applications of autologous progenitor cell preparations in treating major respiratory diseases, realizing true organ regeneration. Furthermore, its core technologies can be applied to multiple organ systems, offering broad application prospects.””