Participated · Series B · Jan 2023

Immune-Onc Therapeutics is a private, clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company developing novel myeloid checkpoint inhibitors targeting the LILRB family. Its lead clinical candidates are IO-108, an antagonist antibody targeting LILRB2 (ILT4) in Phase 1 for advanced solid tumors, and IO-202, a first-in-class antagonist antibody targeting LILRB4 (ILT3) in Phase 1 for AML, CMML and solid tumors. Additional pipeline assets include IO-106 (a LAIR1 antagonist), IO-312 (a bispecific targeting LILRB4) and multiple undisclosed programs. The company has collaborations and supply agreements with Regeneron and BeiGene to evaluate IO-108 and IO-202 in combination with anti-PD-1 therapies, and has received research grants from the NCI and CIRM. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Immune-Onc has also received strategic investment from The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Therapy Acceleration Program (LLS TAP) and Wuxi Biologics HealthCare Venture. Management highlighted ongoing clinical milestones including dose escalation and expansion cohorts, FDA Fast Track designation for IO-202 in relapsed or refractory AML, and plans to further characterize biomarkers and mechanisms of action. Immune-Onc Therapeutics is a clinical-stage cancer immunotherapy company focused on developing novel biotherapeutics that target immunosuppressive myeloid checkpoints, specifically the LILRB family. Its lead program, IO-202, is a first-in-class antibody against LILRB4 (ILT3) being developed for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), and solid tumors; preclinical data indicate it can activate T-cell killing and enhance tumor cell detection. IO-202 entered a Phase I trial in September 2020 for AML with monocytic differentiation and CMML and received FDA Orphan Drug Designation for AML in October 2020. The company’s IO-108, an antagonist antibody targeting LILRB2 (ILT4), is in the IND‑enabling stage with plans to submit an IND in mid‑2021; other preclinical assets include IO-106 (anti-LAIR1) and multiple undisclosed programs. Immune-Onc has invested in proprietary models, assays and tools to interrogate myeloid biology and maintains strategic research collaborations with The University of Texas, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Financially, the company has raised over $110 million since beginning operations in 2016 and is advancing its pipeline toward additional clinical milestones using newly raised capital. Immune-Onc Therapeutics is focused on the discovery and development of novel biologic treatments that target the tumor microenvironment and immune suppressive pathways. The company aims to translate unique scientific insights into first-in-class biotherapeutics and has a pipeline built on collaborations with The University of Texas, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Immune-Onc is preparing to move from translational research into the clinic. To support that transition it received Series B funding of more than $33 million to advance its pipeline programs. The company recently appointed Dr. Adrian Jubb as Chief Medical Officer and Dr. An Song as Senior Vice President of Development Sciences to lead clinical, regulatory, and translational development efforts. Immune-Onc describes a leadership team with deep drug-development experience drawn from leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations. Immune-Onc Therapeutics is a Palo Alto, CA-based biopharmaceutical company co-founded in 2016 by Charlene Liao, Ph.D., and Guo-Liang Yu, Ph.D. The company focuses on discovering and developing novel therapeutic antibodies for cancer treatment. It applies scientific insights and drug-development expertise to advance immuno-oncology products. Immune-Onc plans to use its new financing to support discovery and development activities for its antibody programs. In June 2016 it raised $7M in a Series A to provide initial funding to advance its pipeline.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2021

LifeMine Therapeutics is developing LIFE-001, a long-acting injectable that directly binds calcineurin to prevent T-cell activation and aims to avoid the multiorgan toxicities associated with existing calcineurin inhibitors. LIFE-001 is in ongoing Phase 1 single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies involving over 120 adults and has not produced clinically meaningful renal, metabolic or cardiovascular safety signals to date. The company plans to use the new financing to fund a planned Phase 2 kidney transplant study and a Phase 1b islet cell transplant study of LIFE-001. Beyond LIFE-001, LifeMine applies a Top-Down Drug Discovery platform that leverages fungal genomic data, human genetics, bioinformatics, machine learning and synthetic biology to identify new mechanisms of action. Financially, the company has raised approximately $558 million to date. The company also strengthened its commercial leadership by appointing Yves Zinggeler as Chief Commercial Officer.

Participated · Series B · May 2018

Founded in 2016 and led by CEO Dr. Frank Jiang, CStone focuses on innovative drugs and combination therapies in immuno-oncology. The company has built a portfolio of more than ten assets, including four in various clinical stages. Its lead program, CS1001, a human anti-PD-L1 monoclonal antibody, is completing a Phase I dose-escalation study and is expected to enter registrational trials soon. CStone plans to use new funding to advance clinical development of CS1001 and other clinical-stage assets. The company also intends to expand its pipeline through internal R&D and external partnerships and to recruit additional talent. CStone Pharmaceuticals is a research-based biopharmaceutical company based in Shanghai and Suzhou that develops new treatments across five therapeutic areas: oncology, cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hematology and autoimmune diseases. Led by new CEO Frank Jiang, MD, PhD, the company is advancing multiple discovery programs. It closed a Series A financing to provide capital for development. The company will use the funds to accelerate multiple programs into the clinical stage and to seek new innovations from around the world. The Series A totaled $150 million (about 975 million RMB), bolstering its resources for clinical advancement. No operating metrics or revenues were disclosed in the article.

Participated · Series B · May 2018

Refuge Biotechnologies develops intelligent cell therapeutics engineered to make decisions inside patients using its receptor‑dCas platform, which employs a mutated or dead Cas9 (dCas) to enable precision CRISPR activation and interference. The company is led by co‑founder and CEO Bing C. Wang, Ph.D., with Francesco Marincola, M.D., newly appointed as chief scientific officer. Refuge intends to use the financing to advance cell therapies built on its receptor‑dCas platform and to support collaborative research with partners. As part of the financing, lead investors will have an exclusive right to negotiate development and commercialization rights for therapies using the platform in China. Refuge and 3SBio will collaborate on research to develop programmed cell therapeutics that can produce therapeutic proteins inside a patient’s body. The company is based in Menlo Park, California.

Participated · Series B · Mar 2018

Ideaya Biosciences is an oncology-focused biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California, led by CEO Yujiro S. Hata. The company is developing next-generation biomarker-enabled synthetic lethality therapies for genetically defined patient populations and an immuno-oncology pipeline targeting immuno-metabolism and innate immunity. Ideaya plans to use recent financing to advance its pipeline and aims to initiate multiple clinical studies in 2019. The company completed a significant crossover Series B financing that strengthens its balance sheet to support near-term clinical objectives. Board and observer appointments coincided with the financing, indicating investor engagement in governance and scientific oversight. Ideaya Biosciences focuses on the discovery and development of personalized synthetic lethality medicines that target DNA damage and repair, and on immuno-oncology therapies aimed at the tumor microenvironment. The company pursues small-molecule agents that exploit novel synthetic lethal interactions in genetically defined patient populations. Another strategic priority is modulating DNA repair to augment responses to immunotherapy. Drug discovery programs also target pathways known to produce an immune-suppressed tumor microenvironment to prevent tumor immune escape. Ideaya is led by co-founder and CEO Yujiro S. Hata, with senior leadership including Jeffrey Hager and Michael Dillon. The company is based in South San Francisco and La Jolla, California. Ideaya recently strengthened its balance sheet by closing a significant institutional financing to advance its discovery programs.