Gracell Biotechnologies is a Shanghai-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing autologous and allogeneic CAR-T cell therapies for hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. The company has developed two platforms—FasTCAR, which delivers younger, less exhausted T cells with next-day manufacturing (22 to 36 hours), and TruUCAR, which derives T cells from non-HLA-matched healthy donors to generate off-the-shelf allogeneic therapies. Leveraging these platforms, Gracell is advancing a pipeline of autologous and allogeneic cell therapy candidates. Its lead FasTCAR autologous candidate, GC012F, is being studied in an investigator-initiated Phase 1 trial in China for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Its lead TruUCAR allogeneic candidate, GC027, is being studied in an investigator-initiated Phase 1 trial in China for relapsed or refractory T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The company is led by founder, chairman and CEO Dr. William Wei Cao and intends to use recent financing to fund internal R&D and advance current clinical programs. Gracell Biotechnologies, founded in 2017 by Dr. Wei (William) Cao, is developing low-cost cellular drugs with a focus on CAR-T and immune cell gene therapies. The company has completed pre-clinical development of a series of low-cost CAR-T products and has entered clinical research through Institutional Review Board (IRB) studies. Products under development include CAR-T cell products built on its FasTTM CAR technology, Dual-CAR technology, off-the-shelf CAR-T products, and CAR-T therapies for refractory solid tumors. Gracell plans to use the Series B proceeds to enter clinical trials with several next-generation immune cell gene therapy candidates and to develop a data package from its IRB studies to advance products toward IND filing and clinical trials. Over the past year the team advanced a series of CAR-T products toward clinical research, obtaining valuable data and attracting support from international investors. The company is based in Suzhou and has additional locations in Shanghai and Hong Kong. It was initially supported by Series A financing from 6 Dimensions.

Total raised

$185M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Oct 2020