2021-03-31
报道源自：IMMUNE-ONC THERAPEUTICS
Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. （简称“Immune-Onc”）是一家处于临床开发阶段的生物制药公司，致力于为全球癌症病患开发靶向全新髓细胞免疫检查点的首创肿瘤免疫新药。 公司近日完成约7,300万美元B1/B2轮融资。 本轮融资由海松资本领投， 交银国际、道远资本、 Octagon Capital、Sphera Healthcare等国内外知名基金， 以及药明生物等战略投资人共同参与，北极光创投、维梧资本（Vivo Capital）等老股东继续加持。
迄今为止，Immune-Onc的总融资额已逾1.1亿美元。本轮筹集的资金将主要用于公司在全球范围内推进及拓展首创新药产品管线以及公司在美中两地的运营。
IO-202是一款靶向白细胞免疫球蛋白样受体B4（LILRB4）的全球首创新药，在血液瘤和实体瘤中都具有治疗潜力。公司目前正在世界知名的肿瘤专科医院美国德州大学MD安德森癌症中心和多家美国国家癌症研究所（NCI, National Cancer Institute）指定癌症中心进行IO-202针对急性髓系白血病（AML）和慢性粒-单核细胞白血病（CMML）的I期临床试验。该项目已获得美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA，Food and Drug Administration）授予的孤儿药资格认定。公司同时正在积极策划IO-202在实体瘤中的I期临床试验。
与此同时，Immune-Onc得到美国白血病和淋巴瘤协会（LLS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®）的治疗加速计划（TAP, Therapy Acceleration Program®）的认可和战略投资。通过此计划，美国白血病和淋巴瘤协会将助力加速IO-202在血液瘤适应症中的全球开发和商业化进程。Immune-Onc曾在2020年8月宣布获得美国国家癌症研究所逾200万美元的研究资助，以用于推进IO-202的临床开发。
谈及此次交易，Immune-Onc公司共同创始人兼首席执行官廖晓伶博士表示：“投资人对公司团队自主开发全球首创新药的能力的认可令我们十分欣慰。此轮超募融资将帮助公司继续快速推进我们的产品管线，拓展核心产品的临床开发，扩充人才团队，并支持公司在全球范围内的运营。我们将再接再厉，把产品管线打造成为一系列下一代癌症免疫疗法，造福全球癌症病患。”
作为本轮的领投方，海松资本CEO、管理合伙人陈立光先生加入公司董事会并表示：“髓细胞免疫检查点抑制剂在癌症免疫疗法中具有变革性的潜力。Immune-Onc靶向全新髓细胞免疫检查点的管线有多款产品属于全球首创（first-in-class），在血液瘤和实体瘤适应症中同时具有巨大潜力。公司团队药物开发经验丰富、执行力强，产品管线布局多样。我们对公司的发展前景充满信心。海松资本非常荣幸能够作为本轮领投方支持Immune-Onc，与公司一起站在创新前沿，伴随企业成长。”
关于Immune-Onc Therapeutics
Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc.（简称“Immune-Onc”）是一家处于临床开发阶段的生物制药公司，致力于为全球癌症病患开发靶向全新髓细胞免疫检查点的首创肿瘤免疫新药。公司由华人科学家廖晓伶博士和连续创业者余国良博士于2016年共同创立，总部位于美国加州湾区。公司团队是生物制药领域的领军者，有丰富的转化科学、临床医学、申请报批和商业化经验。其中，绝大多数管理团队成员来自于罗氏（Roche）集团成员基因泰克（Genentech）公司，曾领导或贡献了50多项IND申请以及7款创新药物（包括3款年销售额超过十亿美元的重磅药物）的获批上市。公司通过与美国德克萨斯大学、阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦医学院和纪念斯隆-凯特琳癌症中心等全球顶尖学术机构的长期合作，依靠团队丰富的药物研发经验，针对亟待满足的医疗需求，围绕多个髓细胞免疫检查点打造出多条首创新药产品管线。作为全球最先针对白细胞免疫球蛋白样受体亚家族B（LILRB）开发创新药的生物制药公司之一，公司已建立了一系列专有的实验模型、方法和工具，并构筑了从靶点验证、候选药物筛选优化到临床开发的系统化平台，为产品管线的后续推进和适应症拓展奠定了坚实基础。
关于美国白血病和淋巴瘤协会的治疗加速计划
白血病和淋巴瘤协会（LLS, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society®）是全球抗癌领域的领导者，以“治愈白血病、淋巴瘤、霍奇金氏病和骨髓瘤，以及改善患者及其家属的生活质量”为使命。协会的治疗加速计划（TAP, Therapy Acceleration Program®）是一项旨在与生物科技公司和学术研究人员建立商业联盟和合作的战略行动计划，意图发现和确认潜在可以改变标准治疗手段的突破性疗法。治疗加速计划通过资助已处于后期阶段的临床前研究、概念验证性或注册性的临床试验，来帮助推进这些疗法在药物开发和审批过程中的进程。
以下为官方报道原文：
Immune-Onc Therapeutics Announces $73 Million in Series B1 and B2 Financing to Advance its Portfolio of Novel Immunotherapies in Blood Cancers and Solid Tumors
Proceeds will support the development of novel myeloid checkpoint inhibitors including its clinical program IO-202, a first-in-class LILRB4 antagonist antibody in blood cancers and solid tumors, and its preclinical programs IO-108 and IO-106, targeting LILRB2 and LAIR1 respectively
Oceanpine Capital led the round joined by several other new investors including The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a strategic investor
PALO ALTO, CA, March 30, 2021 -- Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. (“Immune-Onc”), a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company developing novel biotherapeutics targeting immunosuppressive myeloid checkpoints today announced the closing of a $73 million Series B1 and B2 financing. The round was led by Oceanpine Capital with participation from additional new investors including Octagon Capital and Sphera Healthcare, and existing investors, including Northern Light Venture Capital and Vivo Capital. In conjunction with this round of financing, Oceanpine CEO and managing partner Dave Chenn joins the Immune-Onc Board of Directors. In addition, the company received a strategic capital investment from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Therapy Acceleration Program® (LLS TAP), directed toward advancing the company’s work to treat blood cancers.
“We are delighted that this high-caliber group of new and existing investors share our excitement about the transformative potential of myeloid checkpoint inhibition and believe in Immune-Onc’s ability to deliver on this promise with our pipeline of first-in-class cancer immunotherapies,” said Charlene Liao, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Immune-Onc. “This round of investment was substantially over-subscribed, enabling the company to accelerate the clinical development of multiple novel assets, and deliver what we believe is the next breakthrough in immunotherapy treatment for many of the world’s most devastating cancers.”
Proceeds from the financing will allow Immune-Onc to advance its portfolio of blood cancer and solid tumor immunotherapies targeting myeloid checkpoints with a focus on the LILRB family. Immune-Onc has raised more than $110 million from investors since the company began operations in 2016. In August 2020, the company announced it had been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the clinical development of IO-202.
“We are enthusiastic about Immune-Onc’s novel approach to cancer immunotherapy targeting myeloid checkpoints and their leading portfolio of first-in-class assets,” said Dave Chenn, CEO and managing partner of Oceanpine Capital. “We have full confidence in the company’s highly experienced management team and are excited to be at the forefront of this new area of research and development through our investment in Immune-Onc supporting their next phase of growth.”
Immune-Onc’s Pipeline
Immune-Onc’s research and development programs focus on targeting the Leukocyte Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor subfamily B (LILRB) of myeloid checkpoints to overcome immune resistance of cancer. The company has invested in proprietary models, assays and tools to interrogate the biology and translate this cutting-edge research into the development of novel therapies.
Immune-Onc’s lead program IO-202, a first-in-class antibody targeting LILRB4 (also known as ILT3), is being developed to treat blood cancers, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and solid tumors. In hematologic malignancies, preclinical studies showed that IO-202 converts a “don’t kill me” to a “kill me” signal by activating T cell killing and converts a “don’t find me” to a “find me” signal by inhibiting infiltration of hematologic cancer cells.
In September 2020, Immune-Onc initiated a Phase I trial evaluating IO-202 in AML with monocytic differentiation and in CMML. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted IO-202 Orphan Drug Designation status for the treatment of AML in October 2020. The company is also evaluating IO-202 in solid tumors and will present preclinical data for the first time on April 10, 2021, at the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting (#AACR21).
Immune-Onc has active preclinical programs targeting other members of the LILRB family including IO-108, a novel antagonist antibody targeting LILRB2 (also known as ILT4) which is currently in the IND-enabling stage. The company presented preclinical data supporting IO-108 for the treatment of solid tumors at The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting and plans to submit an investigational new drug application in mid-2021. Other preclinical assets include IO-106, a first-in-class anti-LAIR1 antibody, and multiple undisclosed programs for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies.
About The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Therapy Acceleration Program® (TAP)
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® (LLS) is a global leader in the fight against cancer. The LLS mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. LLS TAP is a strategic initiative that builds business alliances and collaborations with biotechnology companies and academic researchers to identify potential breakthrough therapies with the ability to change the standard of care. LLS TAP funds late-stage pre-clinical studies, and proof of concept or registrational clinical trials to help advance therapeutics along with the drug development and approval pathway.
ABOUT IMMUNE-ONC THERAPEUTICS, INC.
Immune-Onc Therapeutics, Inc. (“Immune-Onc”) is a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel myeloid checkpoint inhibitors for cancer patients. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Immune-Onc has assembled a diverse team with deep expertise in drug development and proven track records of success at leading biotechnology companies.
The company aims to translate unique scientific insights into myeloid cell biology and immune inhibitory receptors to discover and develop first-in-class biotherapeutics that disarm immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment. Immune-Onc has a promising pipeline with a current focus on targeting the Leukocyte Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor subfamily B (LILRB) of myeloid checkpoints. The company has strategic research collaborations with The University of Texas, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and has invested in proprietary models, assays and tools to interrogate the biology and translate this cutting-edge research into the development of novel therapies.