Horizon Pharma Secures $73M Series B Financing to Advance Core Small Nucleic Acid Drug AHB-137 into Clinical Trials

　　【Pharmaceutical Network Industry Dynamics] Another mega-financing round exceeding 100 million yuan has emerged in the pharmaceutical field. On December 27, AusperBio announced the completion of a $73 million Series B financing round. The proceeds from this round will primarily be used to advance the China and international clinical trials of its core small nucleic acid innovative drug, AHB-137, as well as preparations for early commercialization. Additionally, the funds will support the expansion of the company’s new R&D pipeline and the ongoing development and growth of the team.
 

Data shows that AHB-137, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) developed by AusperBio for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), has demonstrated good preclinical safety and strong antiviral activity. It has currently entered Phase II clinical development.
 

At the previous 2024 European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL2024) annual meeting, researchers reported partial Phase 1a/1b clinical trial data showing that the drug demonstrated good tolerability and potent antiviral activity over a 4-week treatment period.
 

At the 2024 American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting (AASLD2024), researchers presented preliminary results (12 weeks of dosing data) from a Phase IIa study conducted in China, where chronic hepatitis B (CHB) subjects were treated with AHB-137 for 24 weeks. The data showed surprising and encouraging results.
 

Moreover, at the upcoming APASL2025 conference, the company will release 24-week medication data and subsequent 24-week post-treatment follow-up data, which is highly anticipated.
 

As favorable policies continue to emerge, the financing momentum in China's pharmaceutical sector keeps rising. Only in November, at least 20 innovative drug companies in China announced the completion of a new round of financing, with 11 companies securing over 100 million yuan in funding.
 

For example, Allink Biotherapeutics, which is committed to developing a new generation of bispecific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) therapies, announced on November 28 the completion of a $42 million Series A financing round. This round of financing will help accelerate Allink Biotherapeutics' global layout, including advancing Phase I clinical studies of its core pipelines ALK201 (FGFR2b ADC) and ALK202 in Australia, the United States, and China, while actively expanding its R&D pipelines in the fields of oncology and immunology, and continuously optimizing its self-developed bispecific antibody and ADC technology platforms.
 

BRL Medicine Announces Completion of Nearly 200 Million RMB B+ Round Financing on November 22
 

Impa Therapeutics Announces Completion of RMB 250 Million D++ Financing Round on November 15Impa Therapeutics announced the completion of a RMB 250 million D++ financing round on November 15. The company is committed to the research and development of targeted anti-cancer innovative drugs, focusing on the "synthetic lethality" mechanism. Based on its self-developed products targeting the DNA Damage Response (DDR) pathway, the company has built a comprehensive DDR product pipeline and is gradually expanding into more novel synthetic lethal targets. This round of financing will support the commercialization of Impa Therapeutics' core product Senaparib, as well as the global clinical development of multiple compounds, while accelerating the research and development of several early-stage projects.
 

Impulse Therapeutics Announces Completion of RMB 250 Million D++ Financing Round on November 15
 

In addition, including LaMont Bio, Kanglin Bio, and LeaderBio, several pharmaceutical companies have recently announced the completion of financing exceeding 100 million yuan. The funds will mainly be used to accelerate product research and development.
 

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