Geneos Therapeutics Secures $10.5 Million Series A Financing to Advance Neoantigen-Targeted Cancer Immunotherapies

On February 22, 2019, VCBeat (WeChat Official Account: vcbeat) learned that Geneos Therapeutics announced the completion of a $10.5 million Series A financing round on the 21st. The round was led by Santé Ventures, with participation from Inovio. The proceeds will be primarily used to develop neoantigen-targeted cancer immunotherapies.

It is understood that Geneos Therapeutics was spun off from Inovio, with Dr. Niranjan Y. Sardesai, former Chief Operating Officer of Inovio, serving as the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Geneos.

Cancer neoantigens, which are mutations and genomic alterations accumulated during tumor development, are recognized by the immune system as foreign substances, thereby triggering an anti-cancer immune response. They have been widely acknowledged as critical targets in the development of immune-mediated therapies. Geneos is capable of developing highly personalized treatment regimens tailored to the unique neoantigens (abnormal mutations produced by cancer cells) of individual patients’ tumors. The technology of Geneos Therapeutics is designed to identify, design, manufacture, and deliver personalized immunotherapies targeting tumor-specific neoantigens.

Preclinical animal model data recently published by Geneos and its collaborators at the WIATAR Institute in the prestigious journal *Cancer Immunology Research* highlight the advantages of Geneos: its ability to drive robust and broad T-cell immune responses, its capacity to target a large number of neoantigens in a single formulation, and its rapid manufacturing turnaround time.

Geneos holds patents widely issued or pending globally, along with regulatory experience in Phase I–III clinical development, and possesses an exclusive license to Inovio’s DNA immunotherapy platform for personalized cancer immunotherapy. To date, the company’s technology has demonstrated the ability to induce potent tumor-specific immune responses against cancer in multiple clinical trials, animal models, and peer-reviewed publications.

“Geneos is poised to become a leader in the development of personalized cancer immunotherapies, offering patients the chance for a cure,” said Dr. Sardesai. “My confidence in this startup is grounded in the fact that, leveraging industry-leading technology, Geneos will build upon Inovio’s platform to deliver tumor-specific immunotherapies tailored to individual patients worldwide. Our immunotherapies can activate robust T-cell responses (CD4+ and CD8+) within the body. Furthermore, Geneos’ anticancer treatments can be designed within days rather than months or years. This funding will enable us to demonstrate clinical proof-of-concept for cancer treatment at the individual patient level.”

Inovio is a late-stage clinical biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development, and commercialization of DNA-based immunotherapies and vaccines for the treatment and prevention of cancer and infectious diseases.

SantéVentures is a life sciences venture capital firm that invests in early-stage companies developing innovative medical technologies, therapies, or healthcare delivery models. Founded in 2006, the firm manages over $500 million in assets.