Lanma Medical Secures Tens of Millions in Pre-A Funding, Advancing TIL Therapy for Solid Tumors with Elite Overseas-Trained Team
VCBeat has learned at the earliest opportunity thatSuzhou Lanma Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Lanma Medical” or “Lanma”), a biopharmaceutical innovator, recently secured tens of millions of US dollars in Pre-A financing, co-led by Boyu Capital and IDG Capital, with participation from Suzhou New District Venture Capital.The company stated that the funds will be primarily used for process development of TIL therapy products targeting solid malignant tumors, as well as for filing Investigational New Drug (IND) applications for TIL therapy products across multiple solid tumor indications.
Lanma Medical, established in December 2020, is dedicated to developing cell-based immunotherapy products centered on TIL therapy, thereby providing patients with novel treatment options and therapeutic solutions.
According to VCBeat, Lanma Medical was incubated by Huagai Capital’s early-stage healthcare fund in mid-2021 and secured another round of financing by the end of that year. How did this company rapidly win the favor of top-tier industry investors in such a short period? Who are the individuals behind the team? Will this company emerge as another dark horse in the TIL (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte) therapy sector?
TIL (Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocyte, TIL) refers to a population of lymphocytes that infiltrate tumor tissues and play roles in recognizing, resisting, and attacking tumors. The mechanism of action of TILs involves directly killing tumor cells by releasing cytotoxins. In addition, TILs can modulate the body’s immune function, thereby enhancing its ability to kill tumor cells.
Compared with CAR-T cell therapy, TIL therapy not only offers a superior safety profile but also effectively tackles solid tumors. Currently, clinical trials of TIL therapy are being conducted worldwide for various solid tumors, including metastatic melanoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, recurrent or refractory ovarian cancer, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, glioma, and pleural mesothelioma.
On August 12, 2021, a landmark study on tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy sparked significant excitement and was published in the prestigious journal Nature. The study demonstrated that TIL cell therapy could induce long-term remission in some patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who had not responded to PD-1 inhibitors, addressing a clinically challenging population of advanced-stage lung cancer patients refractory to PD-1 therapy. More encouragingly, in this proof-of-concept clinical trial, two patients achieved complete tumor disappearance, with sustained remission lasting over one and a half years.
As TIL therapy demonstrates remarkable efficacy in an increasing number of solid tumors, it is bringing hope to a vast population of patients.
Since the discovery by Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg’s team in the 1980s that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) can inhibit the metastasis of malignant melanoma cells in patients, TIL therapy has undergone more than three decades of development.
Currently, the United States is at the forefront of research on TIL therapy. AndThe research institutions with the greatest authority and scientific strength in TIL therapy research in the United States mainly include the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where Dr. Steven A. Rosenberg is based, and the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
The founding team of Lanma Medical has been deeply engaged in the field of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) for many years. Two members have extensive research experience at the TIL laboratory of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, focusing primarily on product development and process optimization for TIL therapies. Additionally, the founding team possesses substantial industry experience in TILs, having previously overseen the development of related product pipelines at the largest TIL company in the United States and participated in the successful submission of corresponding products to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).From academia to industry, the founding team has accumulated nearly 20 years of experience in product manufacturing, optimization, and team management in the field of TIL therapy.
Company CSO, Dr. Feng LiSince 2012, Dr. Feng Li has been pursuing his Ph.D. at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the United States, with a primary research focus on optimizing tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) methodologies and developing neoantigen targets for oncology. Subsequently, Dr. Li conducted postdoctoral research at the Huffington Center on Aging at Baylor College of Medicine in the U.S. In 2020, he returned to the TIL Laboratory within the Department of Melanoma Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center to continue his work on the optimization and development of TIL therapies. Dr. Li has participated in projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), and the MD Anderson Foundation. He serves as a reviewer or editorial board member for more than ten SCI-indexed journals and has published a total of 24 SCI-indexed papers in the field of tumor immunology.
Throughout their long-term research into TIL therapy, the founding team witnessed firsthand the remarkable efficacy it offers to cancer patients. Thus, bringing this cutting-edge technology back to China so that domestic patients can promptly access more advanced oncology treatment options has long been a cherished aspiration of the founders. The vibrant growth of China’s biopharmaceutical industry and its increasingly open and mature capital markets have provided them with the opportunity to realize this ambition.
“Currently, in Western countries, TIL therapy is a mature technology with significant clinical efficacy. The success rate of TIL isolation and culture has reached 95%, and relevant clinical trial data have been reported. However,”"In China, the clinical application and basic research of TIL therapy in the treatment of malignant tumors are still in their infancy. The original intention of establishing Lanma Medical was to develop a solid and effective TIL anti-tumor drug.". CompanyCEO, Dr. Steven Daisaid.
As the company’s CEO, Dr. Steven Dai is not only responsible for its overall operations and management but also, together with Dr. Feng Li, the CSO, forms the core technical leadership team, overseeing process development for TIL therapy and formulating product pipeline research strategies.
Another co-founder of Lanma Medical,Dr. RichardPreviously served at a top-tier (Grade A tertiary) hospital in China. His extensive clinical experience, coupled with the substantial clinical and industry resources accumulated throughout his career, have provided significant convenience for Lanma’s future product-related clinical research in China.
Beyond the inherent growth potential of the track itself, the most critical factor is people. The strength of a team often determines the height to which an enterprise can rise. The excellent team behind Suzhou Lanma Medical Technology Co., Ltd. is a key reason why investors favor the company.
The core of TIL therapy lies in T-cell proliferation technology, which imposes stringent requirements on the rate and extent of cell expansion as well as cell quality; clinical outcomes vary significantly across different manufacturing processes.
In terms of drug safety, TILs differ significantly from other cell-based therapies such as LAK, DC, CIK, DC-CIK, CAR-T, TCR-T, NK, and CAR-NK cells. Because TILs are derived from tumor tissues, there is a potential risk of carrying bacteria or even viruses. Without reasonable and effective pre-processing, this poses a risk of contaminating both the final product and production equipment, thereby imposing stricter requirements on each step of the manufacturing process.
“Lanma Medical’s LM103 Injection (TILs), manufactured using a newly developed process, demonstrates significant advantages over similar products in terms of cell yield (>1×10¹⁰), cell viability (>90%), and expansion rate.”Dr. Feng Li stated in an interview with VCBeat that, during the R&D process, Lanma Medical has completed the development and establishment of its core technological processes and achieved import substitution for certain raw materials and reagents.
In terms of future product R&D direction, Lanma Medical will bring on board more overseas scientists to enrich the company’s product pipeline; the main R&D focus areas areGenetic engineering of TILs to enhance the efficacy of TIL therapy, combination treatment modalities integrating TIL therapy with other immunotherapies, targeted therapies, or chemoradiotherapy, and the development of novel gene vectors for delivering specific T cells to tumors.
“Currently, Lanma Medical has established preliminary exchanges and collaborations with multiple hospitals both domestically and internationally, aiming to fully leverage the company’s technological leadership advantages and attract a large number of overseas talents to join, thereby rapidly achieving various product milestones,” Richard introduced.
Additionally,The GMP-compliant manufacturing facility of Suzhou Lanma Medical has also completed acceptance inspection, with plans to administer its independently developed innovative drug (LM103 injection, TILs) to patients with malignant tumors participating in clinical studies in 2022.
“In China, the population aged 65 and above has reached 190 million, accounting for 13.5% of the total population; in 2021, this proportion exceeded 14% for the first time. Population aging has also brought challenges to cancer diagnosis and treatment. In 2020, more than 4 million patients were diagnosed with solid tumors in China. Patients with advanced metastatic tumors lack effective treatment options, suffer from poor quality of life and prognosis, and have short overall survival. Therefore,”"Developing immunotherapies capable of treating advanced metastatic solid tumors is a key focus and major challenge in current oncology treatment. Suzhou Lanma Medical Technology Co., Ltd. will leverage top-tier overseas scientific research talent to develop LM103 Injection, a tumor immunotherapy with distinct Chinese characteristics, bringing new hope for survival to patients with advanced-stage cancer."Dr. Steven Dai said.
With the support of this Pre-A round of financing, Lanma Medical is confident in accelerating its growth and expansion.
Managing Partner, Huagai Medical Early-Stage FundZhang Yistated: “We remain bullish on innovative technology platforms across various cell-based immunotherapy domains. We are highly committed to collaborating with entrepreneurial teams in innovative sectors that possess forward-thinking development strategies and extensive industry experience, working together to build a robust healthcare ecosystem. The founding team of Lanma Medical boasts extensive expertise in Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) technology and is well-versed in the entire technological workflow from laboratory to manufacturing, making them an outstanding star team. We were fortunate to engage with them at an early stage and participated deeply in the establishment of Lanma Medical. We believe that Lanma Medical will be able to drive leading advancements in the TILs sector, thereby benefiting a broad population of cancer patients in China.”
Zhuang Qinggang, Executive Director of Boyuan Capital“TILs represent one of the most promising platform technologies currently available for the treatment of solid tumors. TIL therapy has demonstrated significant clinical benefits across multiple cancer types, including melanoma, cervical cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancer. As is well known, given the inherent complexity of TILs, this therapy imposes extremely high requirements on chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC). The two technical co-founders of Suzhou Lanma Medical Technology Co., Ltd. have accumulated years of experience in both scientific research and industrialization. Coupled with robust clinical resources in China, we are highly optimistic about the future development of Lanma and believe that TIL therapy will provide more treatment options for the numerous patients with solid tumors in China.”
Pang Zixuan, Investment Director at IDG Capital“The application of innovative oncology cell therapies has long been a focus of IDG Capital’s positive outlook. The founding team of Lanma Medical boasts over a decade of extensive experience in the TIL field, combining robust scientific research capabilities, industrial expertise, and clinical execution strength, with multiple pipeline candidates advancing rapidly. As a co-lead investor in this round, IDG Capital will continue to support Lanma Medical in addressing the urgent medical needs of cancer patients.”
Miao Lv, Managing Partner of Su Gaoxin Venture Capital Rongshengstated: “With the successive NMPA approvals of two CAR-T products in the field of hematologic malignancy treatment, commercialization of anti-tumor cellular immunotherapy has officially begun in China. However, unlike hematologic malignancies, the tumor microenvironment in patients with solid tumors is highly heterogeneous, resulting in suboptimal efficacy of conventional cellular immunotherapies. TIL therapy possesses inherent advantages in this regard, and positive therapeutic outcomes have already been observed in multiple overseas clinical trials for solid tumors. The founding team of Suzhou Lanma Medical Technology Co., Ltd. boasts strong industry background and extensive clinical experience in the field of TIL therapy. We believe that, driven by the positive momentum of this financing round, the company’s cellular immunotherapy products for solid tumors will enter clinical application as soon as possible, thereby benefiting patients with advanced solid tumors in China.”