US-based cancer immunotherapy developer Sensei Biotherapeutics closed a $30m series B round yesterday featuring Cambrian Biopharma, a research group focused on aging and age-related diseases.
Apeiron Investment Group and Catalio Capital Management co-led the round, which included Apeiron’s Presight Capital fund as well as Pura Vida Investment, Moore Strategic Ventures, Future Ventures and several family offices.
Sensei is developing immunotherapies to be used in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Its ImmunoPhage platform uses genetically engineered viruses called bacteriophage to trigger an immune system response to cancer proteins.
The funding will be used to support the development of the company’s lead drug candidate, SNS‑301, which is in a phase 1/2 clinical trial for locally advanced unresectable or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck, in addition to its technology platform.
Sensei president and CEO John Celebi said: “With our technology, once a patient’s cancer is genetically profiled we can have a personalised cocktail of ImmunoPhage delivered to that patient within a week. This is a critical improvement over the months it takes for existing personalised approaches in cancer, where every day matters for patients.”
In October 2020, Sensei received $28.5m in a series A round co-led by Cambrian Biopharma and H&S Ventures with the participation of Future Ventures, Apeiron Investment Group and Presight Capital.