Axial Biotherapeutics Secures $10M Series B Financing to Advance Gut-Brain Axis Platform for CNS and Oncology Therapies

VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that biopharmaceutical company Axial Biotherapeutics recently announced the completion of a $10 million Series B financing round. The funds will be used to develop an in vivo microbiome research platform and advance the company’s oncology research programs.

This round of financing was led by Taiho Ventures. Upon completion of the financing, Sakae Asanuma, President of Taiho Ventures, will join the Board of Directors of Axial Biotherapeutics.

It is reported that Axial Biotherapeutics completed a $25 million Series B financing round in February 2019. This round brought the total amount raised in its Series B to $35 million. According to Crunchbase, Axial Biotherapeutics has completed three funding rounds since its inception, with a cumulative total of $54.5 million.

Axial Biotherapeutics, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, USA, is a biopharmaceutical company led by its co-founder and CEO, David H. Donabedian. The company aims to treat central nervous system disorders by directly engineering the microbiome within patients’ bodies.

Research has demonstrated a certain correlation between gut bacteria and specific neurological disorders. Dysbiosis of the human gut microbiota can lead to various diseases, such as autism spectrum disorder and Parkinson’s disease. Axial Biotherapeutics is pioneering an in vivo microbiome research platform dedicated to investigating brain diseases associated with gut microbiota. By exploring the link between the microbiome and the nervous system, the company aims to develop novel therapeutic approaches and identify potential biomarkers. Given that current treatments for neurological disorders are generally suboptimal, Axial Biotherapeutics hopes to discover more effective therapies through this platform.

Currently, Axial Biotherapeutics’ lead candidate is AB-2004, a non-bacterial therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In animal models, the drug has demonstrated the ability to repair leaky gut by removing key microbial metabolites, thereby improving motor control behaviors associated with ASD. Additionally, Axial Biotherapeutics has two other candidates, AB-4166 and AB-4000, for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease.

David H. Donabedian, Co-founder and CEO of Axial Biotherapeutics, stated, “Axial Biotherapeutics has developed a novel in vivo microbiome research platform to treat brain disorders associated with the gut microbiota. We believe that, in addition to autism spectrum disorder and Parkinson’s disease, this platform holds potential for treating other central nervous system disorders.”

Taiho Ventures, established in California in 2016, is the venture capital arm of Taiho Pharmaceutical. The division primarily focuses on global biotechnology companies in fields such as oncology, immunology, and urology that align with its corporate development strategy.

(Compiled by Jiao Yanli)