US-based cancer treatment developer Catamaran Bio launched yesterday with $42m of series A funding from investors including Takeda Ventures and Astellas Venture Management, subsidiaries of pharmaceutical firms Takeda and Astellas.

The round was co-led by venture capital firms Sofinnova Partners and Lightstone Ventures and was also backed by healthcare fund manager SV Health Investors, the company’s founding investor.

Founded in September 2019, Catamaran is developing cell therapies for a broad range of cancers, including solid tumours. It aims to deliver off-the-shelf drugs, as opposed to some cell therapy treatments that require samples extracted from the patient.

The startup will use the funding to progress two lead programmes into the clinic and upgrade its underlying cell engineering technology. Rob Woodman, senior partner at Takeda Ventures, is joining its board of directors in conjunction with the round.

The original version of this article appeared on our sister site, Global University Venturing.

Catamaran Bio, a US-based cancer treatment developer founded out of University of Minnesota and George Washington University (GWU), launched yesterday with $42m of series A funding co-led by Sofinnova Partners and Lightstone Ventures.
Takeda Ventures, a strategic investment arm of pharmaceutical firm Takeda, also took part in the round, as did SV Health Investors and Astellas Venture Management.
Founded in September 2019, Catamaran Bio is developing cell therapies for a broad range of cancers, including solid tumours.
The spinout hopes to deliver off-the-shelf drugs, as opposed to some cell therapy treatments that require samples extracted from the patient.
Catamaran Bio will use the funding to progress two lead programs into the clinic and for upgrades to its underlying cell engineering technology.
SV Health Investors participated in the series A round as Catamaran Bio’s founding investor, but further details could not be confirmed.
Kevin Pojasek and Tim Harris, venture partners at SV Health, are among Catamaran’s co-founders, as are Prof Catherine Bollard of GWU and Branden Moriarity, an assistant professor at University of Minnesota.