Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd. Closes Series C Financing to Advance the "Rapid Commercialization and Internationalization" Development Strategy
TIANJIN,China,July 20,2021 -- Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd.,a Chinese biopharmaceutical company announced the close of a $60 million+ Series C financing led by CICC Capital and Oceanpine Capital. The co-investors include Delian Capital and existing investors such as Jiadao Private Capital,Redhill Capital,Tianjin Venture Capital,Dalton Capital,and RFUND. Firstly,Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Juventas) plans to use the raised fund to advance the CD19 CAR-T candidate CNCT19 into commercialization and its global market development,secondly,with the CAR technology,iPSCs technology,and gene-editing technology platforms,the autologous and universal/allogeneic/off-the-shelf products covering hematologic tumor and solid tumor treatment in the company's pipeline will be all greatly fueled and propelled.
"We are grateful for the support from our existing and new investors. Juventas consistently appreciates and practically explores technological innovation in cell and gene therapy realm. Guided by our "Rapid Commercialization and Internationalization" development strategy,we maintain in-depth cooperation with national first-class academic institutes and hospitals,construct sustainable international research-development-innovation platforms for potential products,and operate international competitive pipeline while activating the correspondent clinical trials and commercialization process," said Lv Lulu,Ph.D.,the CEO of Juventas,"for Juventas' goal is to provide more patients with safe,effective,and accessible cell therapy products."
"Immune cell therapy will be one of the dominating approaches for the treatment of oncology in the future,although the new drug development and commercialization of cell therapy products can be challenging,the application landscape is still exceptionally promising.". Zhao Xinhao,the project leader of CICC Capital introduced,"Juventas has a core team specializing in R&D-production-sales whole industrial chain in cell therapy realm. By cooperating with China's top research institutes and advancing the candidates to commercialization and internationalization with the innovative drugs industrial mindset,Juventas has become one of the leading companies in the Chinese cell immunotherapy business. Its core product with independent intellectual property rights,CNCT19,is originated from China. In Dec. 2020,CNCT19 was granted the "Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD)" by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). CNCT 19 is highly expected to be the first CD19 CAR-T product with China's independent intellectual property rights that enters both Chinese and international markets. Meanwhile,one of the indications is acute lymphoblastic leukemia for adults,which has no marketed CAR-T products globally so far,is expected to receive NDA (New Drug Application) approval and bring benefits for patients. CICC Capital is delighted to share sustainable industrial resources with Juventas,and jointly boost the development of the company and the cell immunotherapy industry."
Mr. Chen Liguang,the managing partner of Oceanpine Capital underlines,"the demand growth in biomedicine market is unremitting. Naturally,innovation and internationalization will be the mainstream of China's new drug development mechanism. Immune cell therapy drugs,as one of the representatives of Chinese innovative drugs,is of great value for long-term investment. We sincerely cherish and respect the R&D innovation and rapid commercialization capability of Juventas. The partnership between us will fulfill the medical needs of the tumor market domestically and internationally. Also,I believe this cooperation will be an engine to maintain the leading position of Juventas in the realm of cell therapy."
About Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd.
Founded in June 2018,Juventas Cell Therapy Ltd. is a next-generation biopharmaceutical company driven by cell and gene innovative technologies. Juventas established an innovative international new drug R&D system with CAR technology,and gene-editing technology platform as substratum and core to develop the international competitive pipeline. Juventas builds profound cooperation with China's leading hospitals and clinical research institutes and is committed to constructing a preeminent platform for cell therapy product R&D,and commercialization.
CNCT19,a CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy,is the first core product of Juventas,which is derived from the long-term innovative technology accumulation of the Institute of Hematology and Blood Diseases Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. On 29 Nov. 2019,National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug (IND) application for Juventas' CNCT19,and the correspondent indications are relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r B-ALL) and relapsed or refractory aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (r/r B-NHL). Currently,the Phase II clinical trials of CNCT19 (for both ALL and NHL) are in progress. In Dec. 2020,CNCT19 was granted the "Breakthrough Therapy Designation (BTD)" by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). CNCT 19 is highly expected to be the first CD19 CAR-T product with China's independent intellectual property rights that enters both Chinese and international markets.
Juventas regards patients' unmet clinical needs as the guiding star. Through strict cell therapy drug production and quality control system,every member of Juventas is determined to provide more patients with safe,and accessible cell therapy products. At the same time,Juventas consistently establishes an innovative and sustainable pipeline that covers hematologic tumors,solid tumors,and pioneering universal products. Moreover,the company possesses the world's leading R&D technology platform,CMC platform,QC platform,and bases for commercialization production. As for Juventas' facilities for production and R&D in China,there is a 2000m2R&D center in Beijing,and a nearly 10000m2GMP production base in Tianjin.
