Divide & Conquer Secures $13 Million Series A Financing to Advance Novel Glioblastoma Therapies

On September 26, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biotechnology company Divide & Conquer announced the completion of a $13 million Series A financing round. The round was led by venture capital firm Medicxi Ventures (Medicxi).

It is reported that Divide & Conquer will use the funds from this round of financing to expand its scale and develop novel therapies for glioblastoma (GBM).

Divide & Conquer, a biotechnology company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, is dedicated to developing novel oncology therapies for the treatment of GBM and other solid tumors.

Frank Winkler is the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Divide & Conquer, as well as a Senior Attending Physician in the Department of Neurology at the Medical Center of Heidelberg University Hospital and the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). He specializes in experimental research on brain tumor treatment and the mechanisms underlying drug resistance. Currently, Dr. Winkler is dedicated to elucidating the specific mechanisms by which tumor microtubes (TMs) contribute to the recurrence and drug resistance of brain tumors, and to identifying novel strategies to disrupt intercellular communication among tumor cells, thereby pioneering new therapeutic approaches for patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

TMs, also known as cellular symbionts, primarily facilitate the sharing and exchange of ions, ribonucleic acids (RNA), proteins, and even entire organelles among cells within human tissues. This structure is established through transport mediators such as exosomes and gap junction channels, often extending in the form of tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) and other microtubule-like structures. TMs and tumor cells jointly constitute a multidrug-resistant multicellular network, enabling tumor cells to share drug resistance.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most common and lethal malignant primary brain tumors in adults, representing the most aggressive grade of astrocytic gliomas. These tumors grow rapidly, readily infiltrate normal brain tissue, and exert pressure on the brain. GBM primarily arises in the cerebral hemispheres but can also develop in other regions of the brain, brainstem, or spinal cord. Patients with this disease may present with symptoms such as persistent headaches, seizures, vomiting, cognitive impairment, mood changes, and language disorders.

GBM accounts for 12% to 15% of all intracranial tumors. Researchers have found that the pathogenesis of this disease may involve genetic mutations, and it has four distinct genetic subtypes, making treatment highly difficult and challenging. In Western countries, the annual incidence of GBM is 2 per 100,000 people, and the average survival period for patients is 14 to 20 months.

Currently, Divide & Conquer is developing TMs mechanism blockers based on the research findings published by Professor Frank Winkler in Nature, to treat GBM and other hard-to-cure primary brain tumors.

Medicxi, founded in 2016 and headquartered in London, UK, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily focuses on the life sciences sector, providing financial support to innovative biotechnology companies. Since its inception, Medicxi has completed 25 financing rounds, with total investments exceeding $900 million.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)