T-Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing T cell receptor-based treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases, has raised £100 million in a Series B round co-led by Advent Life Sciences and the British Business Bank. Johnson & Johnson Innovation - JJDC, Samsara BioCapital, M-Ventures and Eli Lilly joined as new investors. Existing shareholders Sofinnova Partners, F-Prime, Digitalis Ventures, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Sanofi Ventures, Tencent and BGF also took part.
T-Therapeutics applies T cell receptor biology to build T cell engagers, a type of drug that brings a patient's T cells to the cells it needs them to attack. Its OpTiMus platform supplies fully human T cell receptors, which gives the company access to targets inside cells that earlier approaches could not reach. The company has two lead programmes. The oncology programme is aimed at solid tumours, where T cell engagers have so far been limited. The immunology programme aims to reset the immune system by selectively removing the pathogenic cells that drive chronic tissue inflammation. Both programmes could be used across several indications.
The round brings a broad group of healthcare and strategic investors onto the cap table. Representatives from Advent Life Sciences, the British Business Bank, JJDC and Samsara BioCapital will join the board as non-executive directors. The company has also appointed Kirsty Crame as Chief Development Officer. She was previously Chief Medical Officer at Curatis AG, has more than 15 years of experience in early and late-stage biopharmaceutical development, and led clinical programmes at Medigene AG and Gadeta BV, with a focus on T cell receptor-based therapeutics.
T-Therapeutics is based in Cambridge. Allan Bradley is its founder and Chief Scientific Officer, and Theodora Harold is Chief Executive Officer. The £100 million will fund the company's move into the clinic and the generation of clinical proof-of-concept data for its two lead programmes, which are due to enter clinical trials.
This financing is a key step in our transition to a clinical-stage company, enabling us to accelerate the development of two oncology and immunology programmes with pan-indication, blockbuster potential, underpinned by a platform that reaches targets long considered undruggable. The further strengthening of our team with the appointment of Dr. Kirsty Crame, and the proceeds from this raise, position us well for rapid execution of those programmes and the delivery of important clinical proof-of-concept data. My thanks to our new and longstanding investors, whose confidence in our science enables a next generation of T cell engager therapeutics.
This investment aligns with our strategy of supporting the growth of British life sciences companies delivering innovative medical products to the patients who need them. T cell engagers have delivered clinical success in haematological cancers, and T-Therapeutics' platform is designed to apply this modality to solid tumours, where the great majority of cancers arise. The new funding will finance the company's two lead programmes as they enter the clinical trials phase. T-Therapeutics is exceptionally well placed to lead the way in this field, and we look forward to contributing to its success.
I am delighted to join T-Therapeutics at this pivotal moment for the Company. I look forward to advancing our clinical strategy and first-in-class programmes, and to realising the potential of our platform technologies to address major therapy areas with significant unmet patient need.
