Vibrant Therapeutics Secures $61 Million in New Funding Led by Pfizer Ventures, Advances Logic-Gated TCE Prodrug VIB305 into Global Clinical Trials

On January 12, Guangzhou, China and Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Vibrant Therapeutics (Xinhua Biopharmaceutical), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing next-generation smart therapies, announced the completion of a new $61 million financing round. This financing includes...InvestorPfizer VenturesAnd Apricot Capital, Bayland Capital, HongShan, Northern Light Venture Capital, and First Principle Venture Limited also participated in the investment. This has resulted inVibrantThe total financing amount reached 100 million US dollars.

The company alsoProclamationAppointment of ClothHan LeeDr.UnitedCEO: The US FDA has accepted the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for VIB305, Vibrant Therapeutics' lead program, which is intended to treat EGFR-positive solid tumors.

The proceeds will be used to advanceVibrantA robust pipeline of products under research, further development of its proprietary next-generation drug design platform, and expansion of the company team to support continuous growth and global development activities.

Arthur Qiang, Ph.D., Managing Partner of Apricot Capital, stated:“Vibrant"This represents the type of platform-driven company we seek to support — a company that combines innovative science with a clear global development path. The logical gating approach and the rapid progress of VIB305 highlight its potential for meaningful expansion in the solid tumor treatment window, and we are excited to collaborate with this team as they move into their next phase of growth."

VibrantThe lead project VIB305 is a logic-gated, masked T-cell engager (TCE) prodrug designed to remain inactive in the circulatory system and healthy tissues while being selectively activated in the tumor microenvironment. VIB305 employs a dual-targeting strategy for solid tumors expressing epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Its activation is regulated by tumor-associated biological signals, thereby achieving tumor-restricted activity and potentially expanding the therapeutic window compared to traditional methods. Currently, VIB305 is undergoing Phase I clinical trial evaluation in Australia and China. Following the acceptance of VIB305's IND by the U.S. FDA, clinical research in the United States has been initiated, supporting...VibrantStrategically advance its projects through globally relevant development pathways.

Larry Wang, Ph.D., Founder and Co-CEO of Vibrant, stated:"We are delighted to have completed this financing and welcomeHan LeeDr. [Name] serves as the Co-CEO and will help guideVibrantThe global expansion, and drive its R&D pipeline to develop in broader regions beyond China. We are also delighted to advance VIB305 into the clinical development stage, which validates the strength of our platform and the potential of our R&D pipeline, aiming to provide safer and more effective prodrug therapies for patients with solid tumors."

Dr. Han Lee, with expertise in global company building

Han LeeDr. is an experienced biotechnology executive with over 15 years of leadership experience in company building, corporate development, finance, and strategic transactions within the biopharmaceutical industry. Before joiningVibrantPreviously,Han LeeDr. [Name] once served as the President and Chief Financial Officer of ImmPACT Bio and was an indispensable member of the deal team when the company was acquired by Lyell Immunopharma. Previously, he held senior management positions at Neogene, Arcellx, and AstraZeneca, leading or participating in over 50 transactions, including financings, initial public offering (IPO) preparations, mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships with a total deal value reaching billions of dollars. He holds a Ph.D. in Genetics and an MBA from Yale University, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Cell Biology with a minor in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.

Logic-Gated Platform with Intelligent Design Accelerates Drug Design and Optimization

Relying on its deep expertise in drug design and immunotherapy,VibrantDedicated to developing the next generation of intelligent therapies, utilizing a self-developed molecular design platform that closely integrates computational prediction ("dry") with experimental validation ("wet"), forming a tightly coupled closed-loop R&D model.

This method utilizes advanced computational approaches along with high-throughput experimental validation to accelerate the screening and optimization of candidate drugs, enhance design accuracy, and address unmet clinical needs in solid tumors. By closely integrating computer-simulated design with laboratory execution,VibrantAiming to shorten development time while improving the quality and translatability of its candidate drugs.

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