AuraSense Therapeutics, a US-based biotechnology company backed by healthcare company Abbott Laboratories’ biotech investment arm, Abbott Biotech Ventures, and biopharmaceutical company AbbVie, closed a $13.6m series C round on Tuesday.
AuraSense is working to develop therapies based on its spherical nucleic acid technology to treat diseases that have limited or no treatment options.
Investors in the latest round include Patrick Ryan, founder of British multinational Aon; David Walt, co-founder of US-based pharmaceutical Illumina; Boon Hwee Koh, director of US-based biotechnological manufacturer Agilent Technologies; Craig Mundie, who acts as a senior advisor to Microsoft’s senior chief executive; the US-based non-profit Rathmann Family Foundation; and Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
In addition to Abbott Biotech and Abbvie, previous investors also include the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. AuraSense gained $2.5m in December 2009 and $5.4m in the December 2011 first tranche of its series B round, which was followed by an undisclosed amount raised in July 2013.
Sergey Gryaznov, AuraSense Therapeutics’ chief technology officer, said: “We are rapidly developing the comprehensive AuraSense Therapeutics pharmaceutical pipeline and look forward to entering the clinic with our molecules, which will allow us to address unmet medical needs.”