Building on the work of University of Sydney researchers, Kira Biotech has raised $13.6m from investors including IP Group to progress antibodies for autoimmune diseases.
Kira Biotech, an Australia-based autoimmune disease therapy developer leveraging University of Sydney research, has obtained A$20m ($13.6m) in a series A round backed by commercialisation firm IP Group.
The round was led by venture capital firm OneVentures and was also backed by state government-owned innovation agency Advance Queensland’s Business Development Fund.
Founded in 2019, Kira Biotech is working on antibodies for autoimmune diseases which aim to renew the patient’s immune system tolerance – the mechanism whereby immune responses via a specific antigen become unresponsive.
The company’s lead antibody, KB312, prompts an activated cell able to direct the immune response with greater specificity than existing treatments, potentially limiting the propensity for immunosuppression and infection.
KB312’s target is common across multiple autoimmune disorders, but Kira Biotech also plans to investigate its therapeutic potential in complications associated with organ transplants, such as graft-versus-host disease and rejection.
Kira Biotech extends research conducted by the late Derek Hart, who was professor of transplantation and immunotherapy at University of Sydney before passing away in 2017.
Hart was assisted by Georgina Clark, an associate professor at University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health who leads the faculty’s dendritic cell research.
Dan Baker, chief executive of Kira Biotech, said: “Unlike existing treatments which broadly target immune cells, Kira’s antibody targets a specific activated cell which directs the immune response.”
“In doing so, KB312 limits the negative impacts of broad immunosuppression and preserves beneficial immune cells that protect patients against infections and malignancies.”
