Participated · Series B · Jun 2020

Alpha Tau Medical is a Tel Aviv–based medical device company developing Alpha DaRT, an alpha-radiation therapy for solid tumors. Founded in 2016 and led by CEO Uzi Sofer, the company is conducting clinical trials in multiple indications worldwide, including its first U.S. trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering, a pancreatic cancer trial at CHUM in Montreal, and studies at three academic institutions in Japan. The company recently closed funding to support continued clinical development of Alpha DaRT. It is establishing new global manufacturing facilities in Israel and elsewhere and is in the process for CE marking for its first indication. The funds will be directed toward clinical development and related commercialization efforts. Alpha Tau Medical, founded in 2016 by Uzi Sofer, is advancing Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-emitters Radiation Therapy), an alpha-radiation treatment for solid tumors. Alpha DaRT delivers high-precision alpha radiation released when radioactive substances decay inside the tumor; short-range alpha particles kill cancer cells while sparing surrounding healthy tissue. The company has started clinical trials with research centers worldwide using different protocols across indications including pancreatic, breast, head and neck, gynecological and prostate cancers. Alpha Tau has established subsidiaries in the USA and Japan and is forming further collaborations to optimize local distribution and manufacturing. The company plans to use new funds to explore Alpha DaRT in clinical trials globally and to establish production facilities for radioactive DaRT seeds to meet local distribution demand. The DaRT technology was invented in 2003 by Prof. Itzhak Kelson and Prof. Yona Keisari and was originally patented by Ramot, which became a shareholder of Alpha Tau Medical. Alpha Tau Medical develops Alpha DaRT (Diffusing Alpha-Emitters Radiation Therapy), an implanted alpha-radiation treatment for solid tumors that was developed since 2003 at Tel Aviv University. Preclinical testing involved over 6,000 animals across numerous studies showing effectiveness and safety in various tumor indications and anatomical areas. Preliminary results from its first clinical study indicate the technology can effectively destroy solid tumors with no systemic adverse events. The treatment is delivered by inserting the device directly into the tumor under local anesthesia, requires about 60 minutes, and does not need special shielding or capital equipment. Alpha Tau plans to further develop Alpha DaRT for 11 different types of solid tumors and to expand clinical programs internationally. The company raised a second funding round of undisclosed amount to support further development and clinical studies.

Participated · Series C · Aug 2018

Orchard Therapeutics develops autologous ex vivo gene therapies targeting rare diseases. Its portfolio includes Strimvelis, an EMA-approved therapy for ADA-SCID, and multiple clinical programs across primary immune deficiencies, neurometabolic disorders and hemoglobinopathies. The company has three advanced registrational studies for ADA-SCID, metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD) and Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS), plus clinical programs for X-linked chronic granulomatous disease and transfusion-dependent beta-thalassemia and an extensive preclinical pipeline. Orchard says it will use new funding to advance its most advanced programs—OTL-101, OTL-200 and OTL-103—toward registration and commercialization. It also plans to support broader clinical and preclinical development across its rare disease gene therapy pipeline. The company operates from offices in the U.K. and the U.S., including London, San Francisco and Boston, and is led by president and CEO Mark Rothera and CFO/chief business officer Frank Thomas. Orchard Therapeutics is a drug developer advancing gene therapies to treat rare inherited disorders. The company is preparing to launch its gene therapy for a rare inherited disorder. It raised $110 million in a second round of funding to support these plans. Investors in the round included Baillie Gifford, ORI Capital, and Singapore's Temasek. Orchard said the proceeds will be used to launch the therapy and to beef up its manufacturing facilities. No further financial details were provided in the article. Orchard Therapeutics focuses on ex vivo autologous haematopoietic stem cell gene therapy, modifying a patient’s own stem cells with a functional gene copy before reintroduction. The company launched with operations in London and the U.S. and has formed formal partnerships with UCL, Great Ormond Street Hospital, the University of Manchester, UCLA, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Its lead development programs target primary immune deficiencies such as ADA-SCID, with interim data showing significant immune reconstitution and 100% survival in 32 patients treated at GOSH and UCLA as of March 2016. Orchard is also exploring lentiviral stem cell gene therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIA (MPS IIIA). Management includes senior pharma and gene therapy leaders, including founders Andrea Spezzi and Nicolas Koebel, and scientific leadership from Bobby Gaspar and other UCL/GOSH investigators. The company says it uses a collaborative development model to translate preclinical and early clinical research into commercial medicines.