March Bio is rapidly advancing its innovative autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, MB-105, in development for the treatment of relapsed and refractory CD5 positive T-cell lymphoma.
Series A was led by 4BIO Capital and Mission BioCapital with participation from KdT Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Volnay Therapeutics, Modi Ventures, and Mansueto Investments.
London, United Kingdom, 23 October 2024 - 4BIO Capital ("4BIO” or "the Group”), an international venture capital firm unlocking the treatments of the future by investing in advanced therapies and other emerging technologies, today announces that it has led a $28.4 million (£21.9 million) Series A Financing round of March Biosciences ("March Bio” or the "Company”).
4BIO led the oversubscribed round alongside Mission BioCapital with participation from new investors KdT Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, Volnay Therapeutics, Modi Ventures and Mansueto Investments and existing investors TMC Venture Fund, Cancer Focus Fund and Small Ventures.
Since its inception as a spinout of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital), March Bio has rapidly advanced its innovative autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy, MB-105, in development for the treatment of relapsed and refractory CD5 positive T-cell lymphoma. MB-105 is specifically engineered to overcome major hurdles related to T-cell targeting by overcoming T-cell fratricide while maintaining high potency against CD5 positive tumor cells. MB-105 has demonstrated a favorable safety profile and durable remissions in relapsed T-cell lymphoma patients in a Phase 1 clinical trial at Baylor College of Medicine, with plans to begin a Phase 2 clinical trial in early 2025. Proceeds from the financing will support the Phase 2 clinical development of MB-105 to expand on this data with optimized manufacturing processes.
Owen Smith, Partner of 4BIO Capital, said, "For far too long, T-cell cancers have been an innovation desert with patients facing a dismal prognosis. March Bio's innovative autologous CAR-T approach brings patients new hope. MB-105 is specifically engineered for relapsed and refractory CD5 positive T-cell lymphomas and I am delighted that this targeted approach combined with the incredible team led by Sarah is moving rapidly into Phase 2 to bring this exciting new treatment to patients. We are honored to be a co-lead investor in March Bio and to help support the company as it continues in its mission to bring transformative therapies to those in urgent need.”
Sarah Hein, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of March Biosciences, added, "This oversubscribed financing enables us to advance our first-in-class CAR-T therapy, MB-105, into a Phase 2 trial for T-cell lymphoma - an indication with an exceptionally poor prognosis and few treatment options. With the support and confidence of 4BIO and all of our investors, we are not only advancing our lead program but also expanding our pipeline, underscoring our commitment to delivering best-in-class therapies to patients that can change the treatment paradigm for these challenging cancers."
Owen Smith of 4BIO Capital and Cassidy Blundell of Mission BioCapital will be joining March Bio's Board of Directors. The financing will also provide resources for the ongoing development of undisclosed pipeline products, as well as for general corporate proceeds.
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Contacts
| 4BIO Capital | +44 (0) 203 427 5500 |
| ICR Consilium Amber Fennell, Kris Lam, Jonathan Edwards | +44 (0)20 3709 5700 |
4BIO Capital ("4BIO”) is an international venture capital firm focused on investing in advanced therapies, including genomic medicines and other emerging technologies, to unlock the treatments of the future. 4BIO's objective is to invest in, support, and grow early-stage companies developing treatments in areas of high unmet medical need, with the ultimate goal of ensuring access to these potentially curative therapies for all patients. Specifically, it looks for viable, high-quality opportunities in cell and gene therapy, RNA-based therapy, targeted therapies, and the microbiome. The 4BIO team comprises leading advanced therapy scientists and experienced life science investors who have collectively published over 250 scientific articles in prestigious academic journals including Nature, The Lancet, Cell, and the New England Journal of Medicine. 4BIO has both an unrivalled network within the advanced therapy sector and a unique understanding of the criteria that define a successful investment opportunity in this space. For more information, connect with us on LinkedIn and X @4biocapital and visit www.4biocapital.com.
About March Biosciences
Houston-based March Biosciences, launched from the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital), is dedicated to addressing challenging cancers unresponsive to current immunotherapies. Its lead asset, MB-105, is a CD5-targeted CAR-T cell therapy currently in Phase 1 trials in patients with refractory T-cell lymphoma and leukemia, with promising signals of efficacy and safety to date. A Phase 2 trial is expected to begin next early year. The company has raised over $50M to date, inclusive of this current financing and support from the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and the NIH SBIR program. Learn more at www.march.bio.
