Aligos Therapeutics Secures $125 Million Series B Financing to Advance Chronic Hepatitis B Therapies

On January 13, 2020, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media that biotechnology company Aligos Therapeutics (“Aligos”) announced the completion of a $125 million Series B financing round. The round was led by Wellington Management Company, with participation from Janus Henderson Investors, Boxer Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Pivotal bioVenture Partners, and Logos Capital.

It is reported that Aligos completed a $100 million Series A financing round in 2018, backed by Vivo Capital, Versant Ventures, Novo Holdings, Roche Venture Fund, and other healthcare funds.

Aligos, a private biotechnology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA, is dedicated to becoming a global leader in the treatment of liver diseases. The company focuses on developing targeted therapies for conditions such as chronic hepatitis B (CHB), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and viral infections. With extensive expertise in the treatment of liver diseases, particularly viral hepatitis, and decades of experience in drug development, Aligos’ R&D team is committed to accelerating the development of best-in-class drug candidates.

Viral hepatitis is an infectious disease characterized primarily by liver pathology, caused by various hepatitis viruses, and affecting hundreds of millions of people worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, hepatitis infections are prevalent globally, with an estimated 500 million people infected with either hepatitis B or C virus, and approximately 1.4 million deaths annually attributable to various forms of viral hepatitis. These chronic infections account for approximately 57% of cirrhosis cases and 78% of primary liver cancer cases.

Aligos is committed to the clinical validation of multiple mechanisms of action (MOAs) to pursue targeted therapies. Currently, leveraging its expertise in chronic liver disease, the company is developing novel molecules that directly target pathogenic drivers—such as virus-encoded proteins and nucleic acids, oncogenes, and their translated protein products—to build a best-in-class pipeline of drug candidates. Furthermore, Aligos is developing novel therapeutics that activate patients’ immune systems to reduce mortality from major diseases.

Dr. Lawrence Blatt, CEO of Aligos Therapeutics, said, “We are deeply grateful for the trust and commitment shown by both new and existing investors. This financing round will help Aligos advance the clinical development of therapeutics for chronic hepatitis B.”

Wellington Management was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It is an independent financial services and investment management firm. The company serves investors in more than 55 countries and regions, fostering the development of institutional investors, government entities, religious organizations, pooled investment vehicles, endowments, and the healthcare sector, while driving market economic growth.

Janus Henderson Investors (NYSE: JHG), headquartered in London, UK, is a leading global asset management group. The company is dedicated to helping clients achieve their long-term financial goals, managing nearly $400 billion in assets and employing more than 2,000 people worldwide.

Boxer Capital, headquartered in Florida, United States, is a venture capital firm under the international private investment organization Tavistock Group. The company is dedicated to advancing the development of the biotechnology industry and has invested in biotech and pharmaceutical companies such as Poseida Therapeutics, Black Diamond Therapeutics, and Boundless Bio.

Cormorant Asset Management, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, is an investment management firm primarily providing asset management services.

Pivotal bioVenture Partners, established in 2017 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA, is a venture capital firm. The firm primarily invests in private life sciences and biotechnology companies in North America and Europe, managing approximately $300 million in assets. Pivotal bioVenture Partners focuses on innovative therapeutic products and platforms, boasting extensive investment management expertise in company building and drug development.

Logos Capital, founded in 2019 and headquartered in San Francisco, USA, is a biotechnology-focused private equity firm. The company specializes in integrating scientific data analytics with clinical expertise to help pharmaceutical companies develop transformative therapies.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)