Verseau Therapeutics, a US-based cancer immunotherapy spinout of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, launched with $50m in funding yesterday from investors including biotechnology producer 3SBio and life sciences real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities.
The round also featured 20/20 HealthCare Partners, Highlight Capital, Yonghua Capital, InHarv Partners and Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, while Alexandra Real Estate Equities participated through its Alexandria Venture Investments unit.
Founded in 2017, Verseau is working on immunotherapies that reprogram macrophages – large cells that are found at sites of infection – using a lipid nanoparticle.
The startup’s lead asset, PSGL-1, is an anti-tumour therapy that reprograms macrophages to cause inflammation, activating T-cells and attracting additional immune cells to combat the cancerous malignancy.
Verseau’s technology is based on research by co-founders Dan Anderson and Bob Langer, two faculty members at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They co-founded the spinout together with chief scientific officer Tatiana Novobrantseva.
George Golumbeski, former executive vice-president of pharmaceutical firm Celgene, has been appointed chairman of Verseau. The funding will allow it to advance its macrophage checkpoint modulator programs into the clinic, and it has already validated more than two dozen targets for its approach.
3SBio formed a strategic collaboration agreement with Verseau in February this year to develop and commercialise a range of antibodies for cancer indications in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.
Verseau had previously received $4.3m in funding in 2017 according to a regulatory filing. It was due to receive up to an additional $7.2m upon the achievement of certain milestones, but it is unclear whether they have been reached.
– A version of this article first appeared on our sister site, Global Corporate Venturing.

US-based cancer immunotherapy developer Verseau Therapeutics launched with $50m in funding yesterday from investors including biotechnology producer 3SBio and life sciences real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities.

The round also featured 20/20 HealthCare Partners, Highlight Capital, Yonghua Capital, InHarv Partners and Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, while Alexandra Real Estate Equities participated through its Alexandria Venture Investments unit.

Founded in 2017, Verseau is working on immunotherapies that reprogram macrophages – large cells that are found at sites of infection – using a lipid nanoparticle.

The startup’s lead asset, PSGL-1, is an anti-tumour therapy that reprograms macrophages to cause inflammation, activating T-cells and attracting additional immune cells to combat the cancerous malignancy.

Verseau’s technology is based on research by co-founders Dan Anderson and Bob Langer, two faculty members at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They co-founded the spinout together with chief scientific officer Tatiana Novobrantseva.

George Golumbeski, former executive vice-president of pharmaceutical firm Celgene, has been appointed chairman of Verseau. The funding will allow it to advance its macrophage checkpoint modulator programs into the clinic, and it has already validated more than two dozen targets for its approach.

3SBio formed a strategic collaboration agreement with Verseau in February this year to develop and commercialise a range of antibodies for cancer indications in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau.

Verseau had previously received $4.3m in funding in 2017 according to a regulatory filing. It was due to receive up to an additional $7.2m upon the achievement of certain milestones, but it is unclear whether they have been reached.