Sensei Biotherapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company targeting cancer and infectious diseases, has raised $28.5m in a series A round co-led by Cambrian Biopharma, a research group targeting ageing.
Venture capital firm H&S Ventures co-led the round, which included Steve Jurvetson’s new venture capital firm, Future Ventures, Christian Angermayer’s Apeiron Investment Group and Presight Ventures, the US branch of Apeiron Investment Group.
Formerly known as Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Sensei will use the money to develop a technology platform to discover novel classes of cancer immunotherapies.
The company’s product candidates include SNS-301, a bacteriophage engineered to express aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH), a tumour-associated antigen, which is in phase 2 clinical trials.
Sensei is also developing SNS-401, a potential vaccine cocktail targeting Merkel cell carcinoma, and an antibody-based therapeutic called SNS-Vista, according to Endpoints News.
James Peyer, CEO of Cambrian Biopharma, said: “Sensei’s phage platform represents a transformative leap in immuno-oncology, with a cancer vaccine that can induce all the elements of a robust anti-tumour immune response.”
