Exicure is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a new class of immunomodulatory and gene-regulating drugs built on its proprietary three-dimensional Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA™) architecture. The SNA platform is designed to unlock the potential of therapeutic oligonucleotides across a wide range of cells and tissues and to address toxicity and delivery challenges. Exicure’s lead programs target inflammatory diseases, genetic disorders and oncology, and the company is advancing a pipeline that includes dermatology, ophthalmology, respiratory, gastric disorders and solid tumors. Management says the technology seeks to change the cost curves and development timelines for highly targeted medicines. Financially, Exicure recently closed an additional $11.2 million in a private placement, bringing the total raised in this financing to approximately $31.5 million. The company is based outside Chicago, Illinois. AuraSense Therapeutics develops first-in-class therapies based on proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA) constructs for gene regulation and immune modulation. Its core product is SNA-based therapeutics designed to enable safe, effective intracellular delivery of nucleic-acid payloads without additional physical or chemical carriers. The company emphasizes SNA constructs' biocompatibility and potential across cancer, infectious disease, and debilitating skin conditions. SNA technology originated in Professor Chad A. Mirkin’s lab at Northwestern University and is being translated into targeted gene-regulatory and immunotherapeutic agents. AuraSense plans to use proceeds from a Series C financing to advance clinical testing of lead programs in psoriasis and bladder cancer. The company completed a second closing of its Series C, which now totals over $18 million, and has attracted more than $27 million in capital to date. AuraSense Therapeutics develops therapies based on proprietary Spherical Nucleic Acid (SNA™) gene regulation and immune modulation strategies. The company is led by CEO Dr. David Giljohann and CTO Dr. Sergey Gryaznov. Its core focus is on debilitating diseases with limited or no treatment options. SNA™ technology originated in the lab of Professor Chad A. Mirkin at Northwestern University’s International Institute for Nanotechnology. AuraSense intends to use recent funding to further develop and advance several novel SNA-based constructs into human trials. The company is based in Chicago, IL. AuraSense Therapeutics is a Skokie, Illinois-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing spherical nucleic acid (SNA™) constructs as gene regulation and modulation agents. Its SNA constructs are being pursued for a range of diseases including oncology, dermatology, neurology and immune disorders. The company was founded by Professors Chad A. Mirkin and C. Shad Thaxton of Northwestern University. AuraSense intends to use proceeds from its Series B financings to advance its first SNA constructs through the preclinical development phase. Financially, the company closed a second tranche of its Series B financing in 2013, adding to an initial Series B round completed in December 2011; the terms of the second tranche were not disclosed. Investors in the Series B include AbbVie and individual investors Patrick Ryan, David Walt, Boon Hwee Koh and Craig Mundie. AuraSense Therapeutics is an Evanston, Illinois–based biopharmaceutical company commercializing spherical nucleic acid (SNA™) constructs as gene regulation- and chemo-therapeutics. The company was co-founded by Professors Chad A. Mirkin and C. Shad Thaxton at Northwestern University. Its SNA platform targets a variety of diseases with applications in oncology, dermatology, neurology, and cardiovascular disorders. AuraSense intends to use the proceeds from its recent financing to accelerate development of its SNA platform. FinSMEs reported the company closed a Series B financing of an undisclosed amount on December 23, 2011. Backers named in the report include Abbott Biotech Ventures and individual investors Patrick Ryan, David Walt, Eric Schmidt, and Craig Mundie.

Total raised

$43M

Funding rounds

5

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Nov 2017