Novartis Venture Fund, a founding investor, co-led a $65m series A round to launch cancer treatment developer Twentyeight-Seven Therapeutics.

US-based cancer-focused biotechnology developer Twentyeight-Seven Therapeutics (28-7) launched on Thursday with $65m in series A funding co-led by Novartis Venture Fund, the corporate venturing arm of pharmaceutical firm Novartis.

Investment firm MPM Capital co-led the round, which also featured Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC and Astellas Venture Management, the respective corporate venture capital units of healthcare group Johnson & Johnson and pharmaceutical firm Astellas Pharma.

Vertex Ventures HC, a venture capital fund of Singaporean state-owned VC firm Vertex Ventures,…