Immunitas Therapeutics Secures $39 Million Series A Financing Led by Bayer and Novartis to Advance Tumor-Targeting Monoclonal Antibody Therapies

On November 22, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned via Business Wire that biotechnology company Immunitas Therapeutics (“Immunitas”) announced the completion of a $39 million Series A financing round. The round was led by the venture capital arms of Bayer and Novartis, with participation from Evotec, Alexandria Venture Investments, and M Ventures, the venture capital division of Merck.

Immunitas plans to use the funding to advance its first therapeutic candidate into clinical trials, focusing on the development of monoclonal antibody therapies for oncology. Additionally, the company will continue to refine its immunology-focused drug development platform.

Immunitas Therapeutics, founded in 2019 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, is a drug discovery company based on single-cell genomics. The company’s team collaborates with Aviv Regev, a professor of biology at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), to jointly build a unique drug development platform and leverage single-cell genomics to dissect the human tumor microenvironment.

Immunitas focuses on human genomic data, aiming to conduct genetic research through closely integrated biological approaches. The company’s scientific research team explores and innovates at every stage of the drug development process, from identifying new targets and designing therapeutic strategies to developing key biomarkers for monitoring drug efficacy. Immunitas leverages its single-cell genomics platform to analyze the biological characteristics of immune cells in tumor patients and optimizes its drug candidates based on these insights.

Immunitas was founded by the medical venture capital firm Longwood Fund. Its scientific founders, including Dr. Kai Wucherpfennig, Dr. Mario Suvà, and Dr. Dane Wittrup, are all pioneers in the field of tumor immunobiology. Immunitas was established with the aim of translating laboratory research findings from biological models into clinically applicable products. Currently, the company’s platform has developed fully humanized antibodies that target tumor antigens.

Dr. Lea Hachigian, Co-founder, Director, and President of Immunitas Therapeutics, stated, “Our scientific founders are pioneers in the field of single-cell sequencing and analysis, with specialized expertise in cellular and gene biology. Immunitas Therapeutics identifies novel therapeutic targets based on human immunobiology and develops highly selective biomarkers, with the aim of providing more effective therapies for cancer patients.”

Dr. Jürgen Eckhardt, Head of Leaps by Bayer, the strategic venture capital arm of Bayer AG, stated, “One of the greatest challenges in oncology today is how to effectively translate preclinical research into novel therapies while avoiding adverse effects observed in animal models. The team at Immunitas Therapeutics has addressed this challenge effectively by directly analyzing the immunobiological characteristics of immune cells from cancer patients. We will continue to support Immunitas Therapeutics to advance the clinical development of oncology therapeutics.”

Leaps by Bayer, established in 2015 and headquartered in Leverkusen, Germany, is the corporate venture capital arm of pharmaceutical giant Bayer, pioneering a paradigm shift in the life sciences sector.

Novartis Venture Fund, established in 1996 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is the venture capital arm of Novartis. The firm focuses on helping companies develop novel therapies and technology platforms, with primary investments in medical devices, diagnostic technologies, pharmaceuticals, and drug delivery systems.

Evotec, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Hamburg, Germany, is a leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical company (SIX Swiss Exchange ticker symbol: EVT). The company’s portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas, including neuroscience, diabetes and its complications, pain, inflammation, oncology, infectious diseases, respiratory disorders, and fibrosis.

M Ventures, established in 2009 and headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is the strategic venture capital arm of Merck KGaA, a German life science company. The firm maintains offices in the United States and Israel, and primarily invests in sectors including advanced materials, biotechnology, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and semiconductors.

Alexandria Venture Investments, established in 1996 and headquartered in California, USA, is a venture capital firm focused on the healthcare and life sciences sector.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)