Bright Peak Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing next-generation, multifunctional immunotherapies. Its lead program, BPT567, is the first PD1-IL18 immunoconjugate designed to simultaneously block the PD(L)-1 checkpoint pathway and deliver IL-18 signaling to effector T cells in the tumor microenvironment. In preclinical models, BPT567 induced profound synergistic anti-tumor activity with more limited activation of immune cells in the periphery. The company raised $90 million in a Series C financing led by Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC to advance BPT567 into a Phase 1/2a clinical trial expected to begin in the second half of 2024 and to accelerate its pipeline of next-generation immunotherapies. Bright Peak leverages protein engineering and a proprietary chemical protein synthesis and conjugation platform to discover and develop first-in-class protein therapeutics. The company is based in Basel, Switzerland and San Diego, CA and is funded by a syndicate of leading healthcare investors. Bright Peak uses a proprietary Enhanced Design and Combine (EDC) chemistry platform to chemically synthesize therapeutic cytokines by ligating customized peptide segments, enabling tuning of cytokine biology through affinity modification and site-specific conjugation. The platform also permits conjugation of enhanced cytokines as payloads to antibodies, creating “Bright Peak Immunocytokines” for tissue- and cell-specific targeting with potential synergistic efficacy via avidity effects. The company is advancing a pipeline that includes programs across IL-2, IL-18 and IL-7. Management says the financing will allow expansion of the Immunocytokine platform and advancement of its development programs. Bright Peak is a privately held biotech with operations in San Diego, CA and Basel, Switzerland. Bright Peak Therapeutics builds a chemistry-driven platform, licensed from ETH Zürich, that chemically assembles proteins de novo and enables specific atom-level modifications and multi-site conjugations. The platform supports introduction of conjugation handles to create portfolios of conjugated or multi-targeted products and has been validated by a portfolio of designer cytokines. Internal programs include modified IL-2, IL-18 and IL-7 constructs, with an IL-2 development candidate in IND-enabling studies and ongoing scale-up and CMC campaigns. The company expects to enter the clinic within a year and plans to select a second development candidate later in the year. Bright Peak operates across Basel and San Diego, has recruited CEO Sef Kurstjens, and intends to expand its team from about 20 to more than 30 scientists. It will pursue pharma partners alongside financial investors to advance and commercialize its pipeline.

Total raised

$232M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Jun 2024