The London company behind a platform for developing novel immunotherapies and vaccines has raised 拢16 million in a Series B round.听听听
Korea Investment Partners听led the new investment into听Prokarium, with听the UK government鈥檚 Future Fund,听Flerie听Invest and Riyadh Valley Company also participating.听
Hyam Levitsky, president of R&D at Century Therapeutics, will join听笔谤辞办补谤颈耻尘鈥檚听board of directors.听听
鈥淲e are very pleased with this strong financial support and with the global networks our investors bring,鈥� said Ted听Fjallman,听CEO of听Prokarium.听听
鈥淭he funds will support the development efforts of our microbial immunotherapy for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, which we plan to advance to the clinic by 2022, as well as the expansion of our pipeline across multiple solid tumours.听听
鈥�This financing, together with our recently announced partnership with the Wellcome Trust for funding our clinical studies of Entervax, positions听Prokarium听well to realise the potential of our microbial immunotherapy platform.鈥�听
Sangwoo听Lee, MD at KIP, said:听听鈥淜IP is delighted to lead this financing of Prokarium and to continue to invest in their team and platform.听听
鈥湵拾前觳拱背艹锯�檚听approach of developing microbial immunotherapy that stimulates innate immunity and modulates the tumour microenvironment is very exciting and has the potential to transform cancer treatment across the world.鈥�听
Levitsky听brings more than 30 years of internal medicine, oncology and immunology research experience to the firm.听
Prior to Century, he served as the executive vice president and chief scientific officer at Juno Therapeutics and head of cancer immunology experimental medicine at Roche.听
鈥�笔谤辞办补谤颈耻尘鈥檚听bacterial strains have the potential to be potent activators of multiple innate immune pathways, harnessing intrinsic microbial properties combined with modulatory effects from cutting-edge engineering to initiate and drive a patient鈥檚 anti-tumour responses,鈥� he said.听听
鈥�This harbours the potential to perform both as a monotherapy or in combination with other immunotherapies.鈥�听
Prokarium also strengthens its executive team with the promotion of Kristen Albright to COO, Livija Deban听to听vice听president of听research and the appointment of Peter McGowan听as CFO.听听
鈥淚 am very pleased to announce these well-deserved appointments on听笔谤辞办补谤颈耻尘鈥檚听executive team,鈥� said听chairman听Steve Chatfield.听听
鈥淚t is critical that we have the optimal organisational structure in place to drive the continued advancement of our pipeline and the success of our company.鈥�听