A biotechnology company that advances cell therapies for difficult-to-treat cancers has announced the closing of a $37 million Series A financing.
The cash from Kineticos Ventures will be used to advance Inceptor Bio‘s ‘CAR-T’ lead programme to a phase one clinical trial and continue development of its CAR-M and CAR-NK platforms.
Mike Nicholson is president and chief operating officer of the North Carolina-based cell and gene therapy biotech.
He said: “This Series A funding allows us to focus on advancing our lead CAR-T programme into the clinic while continuing to advance our other exciting cell therapy platforms.
“Our programmes address serious challenges in the cell therapy arena, and fully realising the potential of these therapies requires significant capital.
“We are grateful for the support of this incredible group of investors.”
Money will also go to help with completion of the company’s Advanced Manufacturing Platform (AMP+) facility.
AMP+ is a 29,000 square foot, state-of-the-art cell and gene therapy GMP manufacturing site in Gainesville, Florida.
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Inceptor Bio was established to pursue a diversified portfolio of cell therapy platforms across multiple cell types with novel mechanisms that enhance immune cell performance in the tumour microenvironment.
The company collaborates with leading scientists at premier academic institutions to licence groundbreaking cell and gene technologies.
Shailesh Maingi, founder and CEO of Inceptor Bio said: “We started Inceptor Bio with a simple purpose – to provide better options for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers.
“In solid tumours, where there are limited treatment options, patient outcomes remain poor, and cures are elusive. But there is hope with advances in cell and gene therapy.”
Inceptor Bio’s CAR-T, CAR-M, and CAR-NK platforms are at the centre of its portfolio of cell therapies.
New technologies include a co-stimulatory domain M83, proprietary TMax manufacturing process, the K62 platform, which increases the phagocytic capabilities of macrophages and supports a M1 anti-tumour phenotype, and a differentiated iPSC technology.
“We are grateful for the continued support of Kineticos Ventures and our life sciences investors,” said Maingi,.
“We have a simple strategy at Inceptor Bio. We’re advancing novel CAR-T, CAR-M and CAR-NK platforms into the clinic, securing our supply through AMP+, and building a leading team of scientists and engineers in order to improve treatment options for patients with difficult-to-cancers.”
Inceptor Bio is led by a management team, board of directors, and scientific advisory board that represent a breadth of experience in the cell and gene therapy sector.
It has a track record of execution and successful development of pioneering medicines at industry leaders such as Precision BioSciences, Juno Therapeutics, Brammer Bio, Catalent, and Roche.
Frank Lis, president of Kineticos Ventures, said: “Investing in early life sciences companies with promising pipelines like Inceptor Bio is at the heart of what we do.
“With an expert team and a scalable manufacturing facility, Inceptor Bio is well positioned to advance next-generation cell therapy technologies to address difficult-to-treat cancers.”
Founded in 2020, Inceptor Bio is a biotechnology company developing multiple next-generation cell and gene therapy platforms to deliver cures for underserved and difficult-to-treat cancers.
