Xenotransplantation technology developer eGenesis has raised $125m in a series C round backed by Osage University Partners.
US-based gene-editing technology developer eGenesis closed a $125m series C round yesterday to further advance research conducted at Harvard University.
Spinout-focused investment firm Osage University Partners backed the round, as did Leaps by Bayer and Fresenius Medical Care Ventures, respective vehicles for pharmaceuticals and chemicals producer Bayer and for kidney dialysis centres operator Fresenius Medical Care.
Farallon Capital Management, Polaris Partners, HBM Healthcare Investments, Invus and Samsara BioCapital, LifeSci Venture Partners, Irving Investors, Catalio Capital Management, SymBiosis, Altium Capital, Monashee Investment Management, Arch Venture Partners, Wellington Partners, Khosla Ventures and Alta Partners also participated.
Founded in 2015, eGenesis is working on gene-editing and genome-engineering technologies to create human-compatible organs, tissues and cells from those harvested from animals – a process known as xenotransplantation.
The spinout is initially focused on kidney and islet cell transplants, and it will use the series C financing to move its lead assets in these two areas into human proof-of-concept studies.
It will also use the cash to further develop its platform and scale its good manufacturing practices capabilities. Isaac Ciechanover, a partner at Polaris, and Mark Pruzanski, founder and former chief executive of biopharmaceutical firm Intercept Pharmaceuticals, have joined the board.
Paul Sekhri, president and chief executive of eGenesis, said: “We are proud of the progress we are making in our mission to help solve the global organ shortage.
“We thank our new and current investors for their vote of confidence. With this financing we are now well-positioned to address two of the greatest disease burdens in the US and global healthcare systems.”
Fresenius Medical Care Ventures led a $100m series B round in late 2019, with participation from Leaps by Bayer, Wellington Partners, Arch Venture Partners, Biomatics Capital, Alta Partners, Khosla Ventures and unnamed, existing investors.
Arch Venture Partners and Biomatics Capital co-led a $38m series A round in 2017 that featured healthcare services provider Heritage Provider Network and life sciences real estate developer Alexandria Real Estate Equities’ investment arm Alexandria Venture Investments.
The series A round also attracted Khosla Ventures, Alta Partners, Berggruen Holdings North America, Uprising and Fan Ventures.
