US-based gene therapy developer Affinia Therapeutics completed a $60m series A round on Tuesday featuring biotechnology and chemicals producer Lonza Group and care provider Partners Healthcare’s Partners Innovation Fund.
The round was co-led by F-Prime Capital, a subsidiary of investment and financial services group Fidelity, and venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates, and included Atlas Venture and Alexandria Venture Investments, the VC arm of real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities.
Affinia is developing gene therapies for use in treating genetic diseases through engineering adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors with its proprietary technology platform.
The company’s technology was developed at academic research centre Grousbeck Gene Therapy Center and licensed from Lonza and teaching hospital Massachusetts Eye and Ear.
Rick Modi, Affinia’s recently appointed CEO, said: “At Affinia Therapeutics, we are setting a new standard in gene therapies by leveraging our proprietary platform to methodically engineer novel AAV vectors and gene therapies that have remarkable targeting properties.
“We are pleased to partner with such a distinguished syndicate to advance our platform and investigational product candidates toward the clinic for patients in need.”
Affinia had previously raised $8.4m in a November 2019 seed round, according to a securities filing. It identified Lonza, Partners Innovation Fund and Alexandria Venture Investments as seed investors this week.
