Belgium-based antibody therapy developer ExeVir Bio has closed its series A round at $50m with a $22.6m extension featuring UCB Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of pharmaceutical firm UCB.
Venture capital firm Fund+ led the tranche, which included life sciences research organisation VIB and its V-Bio Ventures affiliate as well as SFPI-FPIM, SRIW, Noshaq, Vives Inter-University Fund, SambrInvest and unnamed Belgian family offices.
Spun off from VIB, ExeVir Bio is developing antibody-based therapies to treat and protect against viral infections. Its lead compound, XVR011, is being developed to guard against SARS-CoV-2 – the virus which causes the covid-19 disease – and other related coronaviruses.
The company will use the additional capital to advance XVR011 through phase 1b and phase 2 clinical trials. It had previously received $26.6m in a July 2020 first close led by Fund+, while UCB Ventures, VIB, V-Bio Ventures, SFPI-FPIM and a number of Belgian family offices also took part.