Acepodia raises $100 million in funding to improve cell therapy
Acepodia, a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-class cell therapies with antibody-conjugated cells (ACC) and a gamma delta 2 allogeneic T-cell platform to address gaps in cancer care, has announced a $100 million Series D financing.
The funds will be used to develop the company’s enhanced cell therapy network for solid tumors and haematological cancers, including ACE1831 and ACE2016. ACE1831 is an armed gamma delta 2 anti-CD20 allogeneic T-cell therapy currently being studied in a phase 1 trial for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. ACE 2016 is an allogeneic gamma delta 2 armed anti-EGFR T-cell therapy that targets EGFR-expressing solid tumors.
“This funding illustrates the trust Acepodia’s current investors have in our team, our mission, and our distinct platform, and we are very grateful for their support,” said Sonny Hsiao, CEO of Acepodia.
“This fund will directly promote the development of our clinical and pre-clinical candidates and also continue validation of our ACC T-cell platform and allogeneic gamma delta 2 to advance off-the-shelf development that is innovative, effective, and importantly affordable. allogeneic cell therapy.”
The current financing round is led by Digital Mobile Venture with participation from additional existing investors.
Acepodia has raised $259 million in venture capital funding to date, including a $109 million Series C round that closed in December 2021. Returning investors in Series D include Digital Mobile Venture as lead investor.
ACC technology
The company’s first-in-class ACC technology is based on click chemistry applied to living cells, foundational work for which Carolyn Bertozzi was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
Antibody cell conjugation supports the connection of tumor-targeting antibodies to various immune cells including gamma delta T cells. Acepodia’s new technology couples the precision of targeted monoclonal antibodies and cancer-killing immune cells into a potent cell therapy that is differentiated from the viral vector-delivered gene transduction or genetic engineering required by CAR-based cell therapies. This approach enables the development of more widely accessible ready-to-use allogeneic cell therapies for cancer patients.
“We continue to believe in the power and potential of the Acepodia platform, and the ability of a well-positioned team to advance new therapies through the clinic and to patients,” said Samuel Chen, director of Digital Mobile Ventures.
“We are excited to continue to partner with Acepodia and support the continued advancement of their important research as the company works to demonstrate the potential of antibody cell conjugation and advance the next generation of cell therapies.”
About Acepodia
Acepodia is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing first-class cell therapies with unique antibody cell conjugation (ACC) platform technology to address gaps in cancer care.
Leveraging its ACC technology, the company linked tumor-targeting antibodies to its own immune cells, such as natural killer and gamma delta T cells to create a new ACE therapy, which has increased binding power against tumors expressing low levels of tumor antigens.
Last year, the company was one of the 10 Labiotech companies to know about in Taiwan.
