CHINA – Iaso Biotherapeutics, a Chinese clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in discovering, developing, and manufacturing innovative cell therapies and antibody products, completed nearly US $75m ($500 million RMB) in Series C1 funding.
Backers included Shanghai Guoxin Investment & Development, Efung Capital, Shanghai Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone Group, Nanjing Jiangbei New Area State-owned Asset Management, Housen Care Brothers, and Hongcheng Investment. The funding will support research and development of the company’s pipeline products, and the commercial launch of its core product Equecabtagene Autoleucel.Iaso Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of novel cell therapies for oncology and autoimmune diseases. Leveraging its proprietary fully human antibody discovery platform (IMARS), high-throughput chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) drug screening platform, and proprietary manufacturing processes, Iaso Bio is developing a rich clinical-stage pipeline of multiple autologous and allogeneic CAR-T and biologics product candidates. This pipeline includes a diversified portfolio of over 10 novel products, including IASO’s leading asset, Equecabtagene Autoleucel (CT103A), a fully human BCMA CAR-T injection. Equecabtagene Autoleucel received New Drug Application (NDA) acceptance from China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM) and obtained the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Investigational New Drug (IND) approval. The company also received Breakthrough Therapy Designation from the NMPA in February 2021 and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the FDA in February 2022. In addition to multiple myeloma, NMPA has accepted its IND application for the new extended indication of Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD).The company’s in-house developed fully human CD19/CD22 dual-targeted CAR-T cell therapy has received two IND clearances for treating relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (r/r B-NHL) and relapsed/refractory acute B-lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL). It is currently in Phase I clinical trial for r/r B-NHL. It was also granted ODD by the FDA in October 2021.18/01/2023
