Aphro Pharmaceuticals Completes C+ Round Financing to Accelerate Commercialization

VCBeat learned that on June 28, 2020,Focused on the global R&D of innovative drugs for anti-tumor and related diseases in the genitourinary systemAsieris Pharmaceuticals Announces Completion of C+ Financing RoundIt is reported that the funds raised in this round will not only support the advancement of the company’s existing pipeline products but also facilitate commercialization preparations for new products. The C+ financing round saw participation from Tigermed, Boyuan Capital, Yingke Capital, and Huayin JinTou. Combined with the previous Series C financing led by Yanyuan Innovation Capital, the cumulative funding from these two rounds amounts to RMB 390 million.

One of Asieris Pharmaceuticals’ key projects, APL-1202, is the world’s first innovative oral drug for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) to enter registrational clinical development. As an oral agent with a novel anti-tumor mechanism, APL-1202 not only avoids urethral injury and pain associated with intravesical instillation therapy, but also holds promise for reducing bladder tumor recurrence, thereby helping patients avoid or delay radical cystectomy. Currently, APL-1202 has completed enrollment of all patients in its Phase III clinical trial in China, and is preparing to enter Phase II clinical trials in the United States.

Cevira®, another product poised to initiate global Phase III clinical trials, is a photodynamic drug-device combination product for the non-surgical treatment of cervical precancerous lesions. Cevira® will provide female patients in China and worldwide with a new therapeutic option beyond surgical intervention, sparing some patients from the pain and side effects associated with surgery, particularly its impact on future fertility.

In addition, Asieris continues to expand and enrich its R&D platforms and product pipeline, with multiple projects in preclinical development. APL-1501, the second-generation product of APL-1202, will broaden clinical indications, such as prostate cancer and urinary tract infections. Furthermore, Asieris’s unique technology platform is simultaneously advancing several early-stage R&D projects, including an antibiotic project with a novel antibacterial mechanism that received funding from the National “Major New Drug Creation” Special Project during the 13th Five-Year Plan period, as well as small-molecule targeted protein degradation projects for oncology.

Dr. Pan Ke, Founder and CEO of Asieris Pharmaceuticals, stated, “After a decade of accumulation and development, Asieris now has multiple projects on the verge of completing clinical trials or submitting applications for new drug approvals. To fully prepare for the market launch and promotion of these products, Asieris has initiated commercialization efforts, including formulating marketing strategies tailored to product characteristics and establishing marketing and sales teams. Meanwhile, we expect to commence construction of our production base in Taizhou Medical City, Jiangsu Province, within this year. This facility will be dedicated to the commercial manufacturing of products under development, serving both the Chinese and global markets in the future. We aim to bring our products to market as swiftly as possible, thereby providing patients with better therapeutic options and treatment modalities at an earlier stage.”

Since its establishment in 2010, Asieris Pharmaceuticals has adhered to the belief of “improving human health and making life more dignified,” striving to become the most innovative, influential, respected, and trusted pharmaceutical company in its focused therapeutic areas. Asieris Pharmaceuticals operates in Shanghai, Beijing, Taizhou Medical City (Jiangsu Province), and the United States. Its R&D center in Shanghai boasts an international team of professional R&D specialists dedicated to the global development of innovative drugs for urogenital cancers and related diseases.

Asieris Pharmaceuticals was established in March 2010 in China Medical City, Taizhou, Jiangsu Province, with the ambition of becoming a leading pharmaceutical company driven by innovative technologies and products, focusing on the genitourinary system. Adhering to a development model prioritizing independent R&D while supplementing it with external introductions, Asieris has rapidly established a leading position in its specialized fields and implemented in-depth strategic layouts. The company fully explores the global value of first-in-class novel drugs with breakthrough therapeutic potential and possesses unique proprietary R&D platforms for a series of new drugs, including anti-tumor and anti-drug-resistant infection agents. Additionally, Asieris introduces novel drugs that are in late-stage development or already marketed overseas into the Chinese market, enhancing the diversification and synergy of its product pipeline in its focused areas and rapidly establishing a leading position in the domestic market.

Tigermed is a contract research organization (CRO) dedicated to providing comprehensive professional services for the entire clinical trial process of new drug development. It offers integrated and comprehensive clinical research services and solutions to global pharmaceutical and medical device innovators, reducing R&D risks, shortening development cycles, and cutting R&D costs, thereby accelerating product commercialization and enabling patients to access newer and better pharmaceutical and medical products sooner.

BioTrack Capital, established in 2017, is a professional investment firm dedicated to investing in and incubating outstanding healthcare startups in the Chinese market. The firm currently manages one RMB fund and one USD fund, with total assets under management approaching RMB 3 billion. Its funds continuously explore and seek out innovative biotechnologies, medical technologies, and healthcare business models in China, aiming to create greater value for investors.

Yingke Innovation Asset Management Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Yingke Capital”) was established in 2010 and is headquartered in Shanghai. It is among the first batch of institutions registered with the Asset Management Association of China. The company is a mixed-ownership enterprise with equity participation from large financial institutions and multiple state-owned enterprises. Guided by its mission to “discover the forces driving economic progress,” Yingke Capital is committed to becoming the “preferred asset manager for financial institutions.” Its funding primarily comes from financial institutions, central state-owned enterprises, and listed companies, making it one of the private equity firms with the most inclusions on the white lists of asset managers maintained by financial institutions. As of the end of 2019, the company’s assets under management totaled nearly RMB 40 billion.

Taizhou Medical High-Tech Zone Huayin Financial Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Huayin Financial Investment”) was established in 2019 with a registered capital of RMB 5 billion. It is an integrated platform providing comprehensive financial services, encompassing technology-focused micro-lending, financing guarantees, financial leasing, pawnbroking, commercial factoring, fund management, venture capital, and financial consulting and research. Huayin Financial Investment participates in the management of several equity investment funds and has invested in more than ten high-quality biopharmaceutical projects within the Taizhou Medical High-Tech Zone.