US-based cellular medicine developer Be Biopharma has emerged from stealth with $52m in series A funding from investors including Takeda Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of pharmaceutical firm Takeda.
Venture capital firm Atlas Venture and investment management firm RA Capital Management co-led the round, which also featured VC firms Alta Partners and Longwood Fund.
Founded by Longwood Fund, Be Bio is engineering B cells collected from peripheral blood that possess qualities such as high protein production and precise tissue targeting, for use in therapeutics to treat conditions such as cancer, enzyme deficiencies or autoimmune disorders.
The technology is based on research conducted by Be Bio co-founders David Rawlings and Richard James at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. Another co-founder, CEO David Steinberg, is also a general partner at Longwood Fund.
Steinberg said: “B cells can be engineered to express a wide variety of proteins, have the potential to generate durable responses, and can be dose-titrated and administered multiple times without the need for toxic preconditioning.
“Moreover, the varied functions of B cells suggest that B cell medicines can address a range of conditions including autoimmune diseases, cancer and monogenic disorders, as well as enhance the immune response to infectious pathogens. We believe Be Bio is at the forefront of a new approach to fighting disease.”
