Rubius Therapeutics develops Red‑Cell Therapeutics (RCTs), genetically engineered, enucleated red cells intended as allogeneic, off‑the‑shelf cellular medicines. Its RCT products are designed for extended stability and long circulation to enable rapid, universal access and target indications including enzyme deficiencies, cancer and autoimmune disease. The company says its RCTs offer immuno‑privileged presentation of proteins, high target avidity/affinity, and potential to replace missing enzymes, kill tumors, or modulate immune responses. Proceeds from the recent financing will accelerate development of the company’s RCT portfolio toward clinical proof‑of‑concept and expand manufacturing capacity and capabilities. Financially, Rubius completed an oversubscribed $100 million crossover financing and reports that in just under nine months it has raised over $220 million. The company was founded by Flagship Pioneering in 2014 and is based in Cambridge, Mass. Rubius Therapeutics develops Red-Cell Therapeutics (RCTs): genetically engineered, enucleated red cells intended as allogeneic, off-the-shelf medicines that display long circulation and can present or carry therapeutic proteins. The platform can express enzymes, agonists, antagonists and binders on or inside red cells, enabling applications such as enzyme replacement, solid tumor and hematologic cancer therapies, and treatments for autoimmune, infectious, metabolic and rare diseases including hemophilia. Rubius reports clinical-scale production of cultured red cells in bioreactors and preclinical proof-of-concept data for several lead programs, and has generated more than 200 prototypes to date. The company plans to use new proceeds to accelerate its RCT product portfolio, expand its team and prepare to enter human clinical trials in 2018. Financially, Rubius closed a highly oversubscribed $120 million private financing in this raise, with Flagship Pioneering significantly increasing its investment. Rubius Therapeutics is developing Red-Cell Therapeutics (RCTs), a novel modality that uses engineered red blood cells to engage and modulate the immune system and circulate for extended periods. The company is advancing RCTs for autoimmune conditions, metabolic diseases, cancer and other serious diseases, with an initial clinical focus that includes phenylketonuria (PKU). Rubius has been operating in stealth since emerging from Flagship VentureLabs and is currently testing RCTs in animal models. The company has established a broad patent estate covering its platform and therapeutic products. Rubius received a $25M founding investment and intends to use the funds to enter clinical testing and initiate human trials in the very near future. The company is led by founding CEO Avak Kahvejian, Ph.D., and its board includes multiple academic and industry figures supporting its development efforts.

Total raised

$245M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Mar 2018