Aura Biosciences, a biotech company developing highly tumor-targeted
breakthrough therapies for rare cancers, has secured a $21M Series B
round of funding. The financing was led by Advent Life Sciences, with
participation from new investors, Chiesi Ventures, Ysios Capital, and
Alexandria Venture Investments. Existing investors, including LI-COR
Biosciences and Henri Termeer, former Chief Executive Officer of
Genzyme, also participated in the financing. The financing will be used
to advance Aura’s unique and novel therapies into clinical trials for
the treatment of rare cancers of the eye, and to further develop for
additional cancer indications its first-in-class technology that was
discovered and developed in partnership with Dr. John Schiller at the
National Cancer Institute (NCI).
“Our investors share our vision and our conviction that our technology
will uniquely enable the development of breakthrough therapies for
orphan cancers that have no effective treatments,” said Elisabet de los
Pinos, founder and CEO of Aura Biosciences. “Our lead product is focused
on treating ocular cancers that are life-threatening, yet for which
patients have no targeted or FDA-approved therapies available. We are
dedicated to bringing to this patient population first-in-class
therapies that can both eliminate the tumor and preserve vision.”
Aura Biosciences’ platform is based on viral nanoparticles, a new class
of drugs that harness the potential of a unique cell targeting for the
treatment of cancer. The technology was discovered and developed in
partnership with Dr. John Schiller’s lab at the National Cancer
Institute (NCI). Dr. Schiller is the recipient of the National Medal of
Technology and Innovation by President Obama, the nation's highest honor
for technological achievement.
The nanoparticles demonstrate highly selective targeting of solid tumors
and metastases while leaving normal epithelium untouched. Aura’s lead
product incorporates a viral nanoparticle conjugated with a potent
cell-killing laser-activated molecule (IRDye 700DX, LI-COR Biosciences)
that is delivered efficiently and selectively to cancerous cells,
thereby reducing or eliminating the risk of non-specific activity and/or
undesirable toxicity. Aura Biosciences and the NCI have generated a
considerable body of data in vitro and in vivo that shows highly
selective tumor uptake in multiple animal models and provides a strong
preclinical validation of the technology platform.
“Aura Biosciences is developing first-in-class drugs for rare ocular
cancers that can improve patient outcomes and positively impact patient
lives,” said Dale Pfost, general partner at Advent Life Sciences. “The
data generated from Aura’s platform suggests that there is great
potential to treat ocular cancers in a completely novel way with high
tumor specificity along with maximal drug and laser penetration that can
eliminate tumors with no damage to other ocular structures.”
“There is a tremendous unmet need for therapies that can help those with
rare diseases,” said Henri Termeer, former Chief Executive Officer of
Genzyme, a pioneer in drug development for orphan indications. “With
Aura’s technology, once the product is confirmed in the clinic, patients
with rare ocular cancers will have for the first time and in the near
future a non-invasive targeted therapy available to them.”
In conjunction with the financing, Dale Pfost, General Partner at Advent
Life Sciences, Art Pappas, CEO of A.M. Pappas & Associates, and Joël
Jean-Mairet, Managing Partner at Ysios Capital will join Aura’s Board of
Directors. Current Board member Alan Walts, former head of Genzyme
Ventures, will become Executive Chairman. In addition, Alison Lawton,
former Genzyme executive and former COO of OvaScience, will be appointed
as Chief Operating Officer.
About Aura Biosciences
Aura Biosciences is applying nanotechnology to the fight against cancer.
Its novel viral nanoparticle technology, developed in partnership with
the National Cancer Institute (NCI), harnesses the potential of viral
evolution and tumor targeting for the treatment of cancer. For more
information, visit www.aurabiosciences.com.
About Advent Life Sciences
Advent Life Sciences is one of Europe’s leading venture teams investing
in life sciences businesses. The team consists of professionals with
extensive scientific, medical and operational experience, and a
long-standing track record of entrepreneurial and investment success
across the UK, Europe and the US. The firm invests in a range of sectors
within life sciences, principally in new drug discovery, enabling
technologies and med tech. Realizations in the last three years include
Algeta, Avila, CN Creative, EUSA and Micromet. Current investments
include Acutus, Biocartis, Cellnovo, f2G, NeRRe, and Versartis. For more
information, please visit www.adventls.com.
About Chiesi Ventures
Chiesi Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on the area of rare
and orphan disorders. Our goal is to complement the strategic interest
of the Chiesi Group by investing in early stage development
opportunities. Chiesi Ventures also aim to accelerate the expansion of
the Chiesi network in the US among universities, venture capital
investors, rare disease patient organizations and entrepreneurial
companies developing treatments for rare diseases. For more information,
please visit www.chiesiventures.com.
About Ysios Capital
Ysios Capital is a leading Spanish venture capital firm that provides
private equity financing to early- and mid-stage human healthcare and
life science companies with a special focus on pharmaceuticals,
diagnostics and medical devices. Founded in 2008, Ysios Capital has €
118 million in assets under management distributed over two funds. The
second fund has a target size of € 100 million and will remain open to
new investors until September 2015. For further information see www.ysioscapital.com
About Alexandria Venture Investments
Alexandria Venture Investments is the strategic venture capital arm of
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (NYSE: ARE). Founded in 1994,
Alexandria is the largest and leading investment-grade real estate
investment trust (REIT) focused principally on owning, operating, and
developing high-quality, sustainable real estate for the broad and
diverse life science and technology industries. In 1996, Alexandria
founded Alexandria Venture Investments to actively invest at the cutting
edge of novel, breakthrough discoveries in biopharmaceuticals,
diagnostics, research tools, medical devices, digital health, and
technology. Alexandria is uniquely positioned to fund life science and
advanced technology companies based on its experience and in-depth
understanding of these industries, its long-term relationships with
leading investors, and its world-class international scientific advisory
network. For more information, please visit www.are.com.
About LI-COR Biosciences
LI-COR Biosciences is a leading manufacturer of near-infrared and
chemiluminescence imaging platforms, analysis software, and IRDye®
infrared dye reagents for drug discovery, life science research, and
pre-clinical imaging. Founded in 1971, the privately held company is
based in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Copyright Business Wire 2015