Cytospire Therapeutics, a biotech developing differentiated multispecific immune cell engager antibodies designed to enhance and direct the activity of the body’s own immune system, has raised £61 million in a Series A financing led by 4BIO Capital. The round also included participation from Servier Ventures, British Business Bank, Sound Bioventures, Criteria Bio Ventures, Abingworth, LifeArc Ventures, Modi Ventures, Medical Incubator Japan and Pathway Bioventures. Cytospire Therapeutics is advancing therapies that target gamma delta T cells to generate anti tumour immune responses.
Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance a pipeline of first-in-class pan-gamma delta T cell engagers, including lead programme CYT X300. Development is underway through IND-enabling preclinical studies and GMP manufacturing, with a first-in-human clinical study planned to evaluate CYT X300 in EGFR-positive solid tumours including colorectal, head and neck and non-small cell lung cancers.
Pan-gamma delta T cell engagers are engineered to target all gamma delta T cells rather than specific subtypes. This approach is designed to overcome patient heterogeneity and generate broader anti tumour immune responses through activation of both tissue or tumour resident and blood resident effector cells.
Immune cell engagers are used in cancer immunotherapy, but conventional CD3 T cell engagers face limitations in efficacy and safety. Cytospire Therapeutics is building on translational and clinical data showing gamma delta T cells are critical components of the anti cancer immune response, with biology suited to cell engager therapies.
We are excited to write the next chapter of Cytospire’s story with this fantastic group of specialist investors. Immune cell engagers are an important type of cancer immunotherapy, but we know that there are significant limitations from both an efficacy and safety perspective with conventional CD3 T cell engagers. We are building on the growing body of translational and clinical data showing gamma delta T cells are critical components of the anti-cancer immune response, with biology ideally suited to novel cell engagers. The significant fundraise that we are announcing today reflects the quality of our team and our science, and the huge potential of our pan-gamma delta T cell engagers.
Cancer immunotherapy has provided a step-change in treatment for many types of cancer over the past decade, but we need to do more. We are proud to have led the Series A alongside this strong investor syndicate. It is exciting to see the company advance CYT X300 and its pioneering portfolio of cancer therapies into the clinic to improve outcomes for cancer patients.
As the founding investor in Cytospire, we are strong believers in the potential of gamma delta T cell-based therapies to change the treatment paradigm in multiple cancer indications. There is a need for novel strategies in the field of immune cell engagers, and we believe that Cytospire is well positioned at the forefront of this exciting space.
