Hongxin Bio Completes Tens of Millions RMB Pre-A Financing to Accelerate Development of China’s First Engineered Cell-Targeted Delivery Platform

VCBeat has learned at the earliest opportunity,Recently,Shenzhen HongxinBiotechnology Co., Ltd.(hereinafter referred to as“HongxinBiology”) Announces CompletionTens of millions of yuanPre-ARoundFinancing. This round of financing was led byGoldport CapitalandHongtao CapitalJointLead Investor,Shenzhen Angel Direct Investment FundandSynthetic CapitalCo-investment. This round of financing will be used for core productsHN2201clinical development and engineered cell-based targeted delivery platform (EnC-LNPs) preclinical drug development.

Shenzhen Hongxin Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (MagicRNA), established in December 2021, is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of nucleic acid drug delivery systems and innovative therapeutic mRNA drugs. Guided by its corporate mission to “deepen expertise in nucleic acid drug delivery and benefit patients through RNA therapies,” MagicRNA has completed preclinical development of its first oncology therapeutic candidate, HN2201. The company has obtained ethical approval for clinical trials from multiple hospitals and is poised to enter the clinical trial phase. In 2023, it received support from the Shenzhen Major Science and Technology Special Project.

Hongxin Bio possesses China’s largest library of ionizable amino lipids with fully independent intellectual property rights. The company has filed over ten invention patents, including multiple PCT and European and U.S. patents, four of which have been granted. Leveraging combinatorial chemistry, Hongxin Bio has developed novel ionizable amino lipids featuring a 1,2-diester core scaffold. These lipids enable rapid liver clearance while safely and effectively delivering mRNA. The research findings were published in the leading industry journal Advanced Healthcare Materials under the title “Delivery of mRNA Vaccine with 1, 2-Diesters-Derived Lipids Elicits Fast Liver Clearance for Safe and Effective Cancer Immunotherapy” and received headline coverage from the authoritative industry media outlet RNAScript.

Based on the 1,2-diester structure, Hongxin Biologics has further developed ILB3132, a second-generation ionizable amino lipid with superior in vivo activity and faster metabolism. The company has completed chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) development, and ILB3132 has passed evaluations for acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, hemolysis, and mutagenicity. Registration of ILB3132 as an excipient in China and the United States is nearing completion. Leveraging its open commercialization pathway, excellent in vivo delivery efficiency, and favorable safety profile, ILB3132 has successfully secured multiple out-licensing deals, with total collaboration amounts reaching hundreds of millions of yuan.

It is not existing technology itself that will surpass current technological paradigms. Addressing critical industry pain points, Hongxin Bio has not only iterated on its lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform but also successfully developed a next-generation cell-targeted delivery technology. The development of nucleic acid therapeutics, whether mRNA or small nucleic acids, is currently constrained by the limitation of liver-specific delivery. To address this challenge, Hongxin Bio’s R&D team spent several years successfully developing an Engineered Cell-Targeted LNP platform (EnC-LNPs). This platform enables engineered and precise cell-targeted delivery while maintaining physicochemical properties and stability comparable to traditional LNPs. For immune cells, it has achieved nearly 100% efficient and selective delivery both in vitro and in vivo. With patent protection already in place, the platform holds promise for achieving targeted delivery to any desired cell type in the future.

Dr. Zha Gaofeng, Founder of Hongxin BiotechStated: “We are deeply grateful for the investors’ recognition and support of Hongxin Biologics. This round of financing marks another milestone in our rapid development. Addressing critical industry pain points, we have successfully developed the EnC-LNPs platform. We believe that EnC-LNPs represent the optimal solution for extrahepatic delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, which will reshape the global landscape of nucleic acid drug R&D.”