LISCure Biosciences Secures $5 Million Seed Funding to Advance Microbiome-Based Immunotherapies

On July 26, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) learned from foreign media reports that biopharmaceutical company LISCure Biosciences (LISCure) announced the completion of a $5 million seed funding round. Investors in this round included NHN Investment, Shinhan Investment, and KB Securities.

It is reported that LISCure will use the funds from this round of financing to develop bacteria-mediated immunotherapy, research and develop immunotherapeutic drugs, and expand its company scale.

LISCure, established in December 2018 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is a biotechnology and pharmaceutical company. The company is dedicated to researching bacteria-mediated immunotherapy and developing microbiome-based immunotherapeutic drugs to improve patient outcomes. LISCure’s immunotherapies are applicable to the treatment of tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders. These therapies can be administered either as monotherapies or in combination with other medications. Additionally, the company has expanded into the nutritional supplements and health products industry.

Combining bacteria with cancer immunotherapy represents a novel approach to cancer treatment. Clinical trials have demonstrated that injecting specific bacteria into the tumor region can enhance the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors, thereby inhibiting tumor growth. Furthermore, this technique strengthens the human immune system and activates tumor-targeted immune responses.

Researchers have also found that the efficacy of immunosuppressants is influenced by the gut microbiota. Microbiota have emerged as an effective agent for improving the low response rate to immunosuppressants.

LISCure has conducted a series of non-clinical studies on its microbial immunotherapy drugs under development, leveraging its expertise in the field of biological sciences. These studies include repeated-dose toxicity tests, genotoxicity tests, carcinogenicity tests, immunogenicity tests, dependence tests, and toxicokinetic tests, all aimed at evaluating drug safety.

In recent years, biopharmaceutical companies have developed rapidly, and microbial drugs have emerged in large numbers. This class of drugs includes vaccines, toxoids, antitoxins, enzyme inhibitors and inducers, immunomodulators, etc. Currently, US microbiome-focused pharmaceutical companies Seres Therapeutics and Rebiotix are conducting Phase III clinical trials of their drugs, and it is expected that their novel microbial drugs will soon be launched on the market.

LISCure’s management stated, “The investment proceeds will be used to conduct clinical studies on the efficacy and safety of our unique immunotherapy, and to help the company establish a branch in Boston for non-clinical drug testing. We will intensify our R&D efforts in microbiome technology, aiming to position LISCure as a global leader in the field of microbiome-based immunotherapy.”

NHN Investment, established in 2010 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is a venture capital firm. The company primarily focuses on sectors such as biopharmaceuticals, innovative technologies, and medical devices, providing funding support and strategic guidance to startups.

Shinhan Investment, established in 2002 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is a financial services and venture capital banking firm. It is the only financial holding company in South Korea to hold a global credit rating of A1, with investments spanning multiple industries including biotechnology, consumer finance, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, and tourism.

KB Securities, established in 1962 and headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, is one of the largest investment banks in the country. As a subsidiary of the leading financial institution KB Financial Group, it manages assets exceeding $4 billion.

(Compiled by Xu Xiaoxue)