Bambusa Therapeutics Secures $90M Series A, AbbVie Bets Over $2.1B on Tumor-Activated Immunotherapy Platform, and NanoRibo Completes Series A Financing

Feb 15, 2025 12:40 CST Updated 12:40

Bambusa Therapeutics

Developer of Treatments for Immune and Inflammatory Diseases

AbbVie

Innovative Drug Developer

NanoRibo

mRNA New Vaccine and Drug Developer

Bambusa Therapeutics Announces Completion of $90 Million Series A Financing

On February 14, 2025, Bambusa Therapeutics announced the completion of a $90 million Series A financing round, planning to advance two bispecific antibodies into clinical trials this year for the treatment of immune and inflammatory (I&I) diseases.

This round of financing was led by RA Capital Management, with other new investors including Janus Henderson Investors, Redmile Group, Invus, and ADAR1 Capital Management. All of the company's existing investors also participated in this round of financing.

"The next generation of I&I disease treatments will be more effective and convenient than currently available therapies," said Derek DiRocco, Partner at RA Capital. "Bambusa Therapeutics' pipeline aligns with this trend, with its half-life extended bispecific antibodies designed to target complementary disease-driving signaling pathways, holding the potential to become a 'best-in-class' treatment option."

Bambusa Therapeutics Plans to Launch Phase I Clinical Trials for Its Two Core Bispecific Antibodies in This Quarter and Mid-Year Respectively.

AbbVie Bets Over $2.1 Billion on Tumor-Activated Immunotherapy Platform

On February 12, AbbVie is betting more than $2.1 billion on Xilio Therapeutics' tumor-activating immunotherapy platform, marking a shift by the company from recent neuroscience-focused deals to expanding its oncology pipeline. The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, caused Xilio's stock to soar over 113% in pre-market trading.

The transaction includes a $52 million upfront payment, of which $10 million is for equity investment. Xilio is also eligible to receive up to approximately $2.1 billion in contingent payments, including option-related fees, milestone payments, and tiered royalties.

The core of this agreement lies in Xilio's technology platform for developing tumor-activated biologics, including "masked" T-cell engagers, which are designed to selectively activate within the tumor microenvironment while minimizing systemic side effects.

The platform utilizes matrix metalloproteinases — enzymes crucial for tumor growth and metastasis — to cleave the masking domains on therapeutic molecules, enabling targeted activation within the tumor. According to the company, this approach aims to improve the therapeutic window of cancer treatments by limiting drug activity in healthy tissues.

NanoRibo (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Announces Completion of Series A Financing

In February 2025, NanoRibo (Shanghai) Biotechnology Co., Ltd. ("NanoRibo" for short) announced the completion of its Series A financing. This round of financing was jointly invested by Chengdu BioCity Guosheng Capital and Enran Venture Capital, with MB Capital serving as the exclusive financial advisor. The funds will mainly be used to advance the clinical research of the NR222 project and the development of new projects. The successful completion of this round of financing reflects the investors' recognition of NanoRibo and has injected strong momentum into the company’s subsequent clinical research.

NanoRibo was founded in 2021 as a biotechnology company focused on the research and development of novel vaccines and drugs in the mRNA field. The company's founding team has a strong research background in mRNA and has held key positions in top pharmaceutical research institutions and pharmaceutical companies both in China and abroad, gaining solid expertise in the core know-how of the mRNA field.

Editor: Vanilla

Reviewed by: Zhang Song, Zhang Lanfei