Amarna Therapeutics Secures €10 Million Funding to Advance SVac Viral Vector Platform for Immunotherapies

On October 21, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that the private biotechnology company Amarna Therapeutics (“Amarna”) announced the completion of a €10 million financing round (the specific round was not disclosed). The round was led by Swedish investment firm Flerie Invest AB, with participation from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and existing shareholder Pim Berger.

It is reported that Amarna Therapeutics plans to use the proceeds from this financing round to develop its viral gene vector platform, SVac, and intends to initiate its first-in-human clinical trials within two to three years.

Amarna, a private biotechnology company founded in 2008 and headquartered in Leiden, the Netherlands, specializes in developing its SVac viral gene vector platform to deliver novel therapies for patients with genetic disorders, immune-mediated diseases, infectious diseases, and cancer.

Currently, Amarna is developing a next-generation SVac platform based on the Simian Virus 40 (SV40) genome. This platform holds promise for generating a series of novel immunotherapies applicable to many disease areas. SV40 is an oncogenic virus found in both humans and monkeys, belonging to the Polyomaviridae family. It is also the first animal virus to have its complete DNA sequence analyzed.

The SV40 genome is a circular double-stranded DNA. Its viral vector capsid proteins are characterized by safety, high efficiency, and non-immunogenicity, making them key components in the development of gene replacement therapies and reverse therapeutic vaccines. SV40-based viral vectors hold significant application potential in the treatment of genetic disorders, cancer, and inflammatory diseases.

Leveraging the SVac platform, Amarna genetically engineered SV40 and developed a packaging cell line, SuperVero, based on African green monkey kidney cells (Vero). The production of SV40 vector proteins using this cell line is more cost-effective and efficient, with production scales comparable to those of currently commonly used methods for vector protein production.

Ben van Leent, CEO of Amarna Therapeutics, stated, “This financing will advance the development of our SVac platform and lead product candidate AMA001, helping us strive toward our ultimate goal of becoming a global leader in gene therapy. We warmly welcome all new members of the Supervisory Board, whose extensive expertise in life sciences will significantly drive Amarna’s growth.”

Thomas Eldered, the new Chairman of Amarna’s Supervisory Board, stated: “The SVac platform has demonstrated significant efficacy against major diseases that have hitherto been difficult to cure. We will continue to support Amarna in developing breakthrough technologies and advancing its clinical trial programs.”

Flerie Invest AB, established in June 2011 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in the global life sciences sector.

Netherlands Enterprise Agency, established in 2014 and headquartered in the Netherlands, is a government agency. It primarily serves entrepreneurs, non-governmental organizations, knowledge institutions, and other organizations, dedicated to promoting Dutch development through funding, networking, and proprietary technical support.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)