HiberCell Secures $60.75M Series A Financing to Advance Novel Therapies Preventing Cancer Relapse and Metastasis

Recently, VCBeat (WeChat official account: vcbeat) learned that HiberCell secured $60.75 million in Series A financing to develop therapies aimed at preventing cancer recurrence and metastasis.

This round of financing was led by Arch Venture Partners, with participation from Hillhouse Capital, 6 Dimensions Capital, Celgene Corporation, NYC Life Sciences Fund, and other undisclosed institutional investors, family funds, and individual investors.

HiberCell is the first biotechnology company dedicated to treating dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs), headquartered in New York, USA.

Currently, significant progress has been made globally in the treatment of primary tumors; however, recurrent or metastatic cancer remains the leading cause of death among cancer patients. Most cancer therapies target only the site of the primary tumor. Consequently, many patients face a substantially elevated risk of recurrence and metastasis after successful surgery or adjuvant therapy, as cancer cells are not completely eradicated. Therefore, the identification and elimination of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) have become a critical entry point for preventing or delaying cancer metastasis.

Dr. Alan Rigby, President and Chief Scientific Officer of HiberCell, stated, “As early as the 1950s, scientists confirmed that dormant cells can detach from primary tumors. The novelty of our research lies in redefining the survival niche of these cells. By detecting, isolating, and annotating dormant cells from patient-derived materials, we aim to elucidate the mechanisms driving metastasis and survival, ultimately employing pharmacological interventions to prevent these cells from being ‘reactivated.’”

It is reported that HiberCell is currently collaborating with a six-member team at a New York laboratory, with plans to expand the scope of this partnership by the end of the year. Alan Rigby stated, “Our current primary focus is on characterizing the genetic and transcriptomic profiles of dormant cells, aiming to forge a new pathway for leveraging pharmacological interventions to target tumor dormancy, thereby improving clinical outcomes and extending patient survival. In the future, building upon fundamental biological research, HiberCell will establish a proprietary knowledge base to innovate additional therapeutic regimens.”

Arch Venture Partners is a venture capital firm headquartered in Chicago, United States, primarily investing in the fields of life sciences, physical sciences, and information technology. To date, the firm has invested in more than 120 companies and manages nearly $1.5 billion in funds.

Hillhouse is a private equity firm founded in Beijing in 2005, primarily focusing on investments in the internet, media, and healthcare sectors across Asia. The capital under its management comes mainly from long-term-oriented global institutional investors, including endowments of top universities worldwide, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds, and family offices.

Tonghe Yucheng, formed by the merger of two teams with extensive investment experience in the industry—Tonghe Capital and Yucheng Capital—is a venture capital firm focused on the healthcare sector.

Celgene Corporation is a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in New Jersey, United States, primarily producing anticancer and anti-inflammatory drugs. On January 4, 2019, it was announced that the company would be acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb for $74 billion.

(Compiled by Feng Yutong)