US-based immuno-oncology company Tizona Therapeutics completed a $43m series B round today that included corporate venturing subsidiaries of pharmaceutical companies Amgen and Astellas.
Amgen Ventures and Astellas Venture Management were joined by Abingworth and Canaan Partners, which co-led the round, Lightstone Ventures, MPM Capital and InterWest Partners.
Founded by MPM Capital, Tizona is working on treatments that would activate the body’s immune system to fight cancer, or prevent it from attacking healthy tissues in autoimmune diseases.
The company’s lead product candidate, an anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody, is expected to enter clinical testing in 2017. The financing will support the advancement of Tizona’s anti-CCR4 program as well as a pipeline based on an immunosuppressive cytokine called IL-35.
Pablo J. Cagnoni, president and CEO of Tizona, said: “We have an opportunity to contribute a potentially valuable new addition to the group of novel immunotherapies that is changing standards of care in cancer treatment.
“With support from this investor group, along with our renowned scientific founders and accomplished team, Tizona is well-positioned to be a leader in the development of next generation immunotherapies.”
The round brought Tizona’s overall financing to $70m, the company said. It has not disclosed details of earlier funding, but said its series A investors included Amgen Ventures, Astellas Venture Management, MPM and InterWest.