Delutong Biotech Secures Nearly RMB 100 Million in Series B Funding Led by Harvest Investment to Advance Its Unique In Vivo CTC Capture Technology

On September 14, 2018, VCBeat exclusively learned that Hebei Delutong Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (“Delutong”) had recently completed a Series B financing round of nearly RMB 100 million. Led by Harvest Investment, the funds will be used for subsequent product research and development, market expansion, and daily operations. Tan Capital served as the exclusive financial advisor for this round of financing.

The Only CTC In Vivo Capture Product Globally: Developed in Germany, Owned by China

Delutong, established in 2012, is a biotechnology innovation company providing circulating tumor cell (CTC) capture and one-stop clinical solutions. It is the only company globally with an in vivo CTC capture product. In 2013, the company acquired Germany-based Gilupi GmbH, securing long-term technical support.

Its core product, CellCollector, utilizes a globally pioneering in vivo rare cell capture platform technology to isolate epithelial-derived circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from peripheral blood. In addition to CTCs, CellCollector can also be used to capture other rare cells in the blood. This core product was launched in the European Union market in late 2012 and obtained its product registration certificate from the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) in May 2017.

In clinical practice, circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection is a relatively mature liquid biopsy technology with well-established clinical utility. According to the AJCC levels of evidence, a peripheral blood CTC count of ≥5 per 7.5 mL in advanced-stage breast cancer and ≥1 per 7.5 mL in early-stage breast cancer indicates poor prognosis, with Level II evidence. This suggests that CTCs enable real-time monitoring of tumor progression.

CellCollector, a world-first innovation by Delutong, overcomes current technical bottlenecks. Once the functional region of the device enters the patient’s body, its special coating “attracts” circulating tumor cells (CTCs), enabling their specific binding and isolation. This technology was evaluated by aggregating detection results from 2010 to 2013 across patients with lung cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and neuroendocrine tumors. The findings revealed that CellCollector achieved a detection rate of 71%, significantly higher than the 18.5% rate of CellSearch.

At the market level, Delutong has also established R&D collaborations based on different cancer types across China and built connections with nearly 100 hospitals, among which more than 30 are currently using Delutong’s products.

Founder Xu Baozhi stated, “Delutong will leverage CellCollector to penetrate the tumor diagnosis and personalized treatment market, and will gradually expand its product portfolio in the field of oncology diagnosis and therapy.”

Qiu Xiaochuan, CEO of Harvest Investment, stated, “We are highly optimistic about the innovation capabilities of the Delutong team and its proprietary CTC product. The company is poised to become one of the platform enterprises with the greatest value growth potential in China’s field of oncology diagnostics and personalized therapy.”

After several years of development, Delutong’s core product, the automated cell stainer, has passed inspection and met qualification standards. The engineering prototype of its image analysis system has also been assembled and tested. Furthermore, the company has not only established strong partnerships in the downstream testing segment to complete a closed-loop service model but also launched automated testing equipment to facilitate more efficient in-hospital diagnostics for physicians.

In the future, Delutong plans to establish CellCollector as a cornerstone product in the field of tumor liquid biopsy, enhance supporting products and services, and enrich its product portfolio in oncology, including devices for diagnosis and minimally invasive therapy, as well as in vitro diagnostic reagents and equipment. By providing professional services, Delutong aims to become a specialized solution provider in China’s tumor diagnosis and minimally invasive treatment sector.