▼ Summary
– Kupando has raised an additional €10 million, bringing its total Series A funding to €23 million to advance its innate immune system-focused therapies.
– The funding will support a Phase 1b clinical trial for KUP101, a dual TLR agonist targeting advanced solid tumors, and accelerate preclinical work on drug-resistant infections.
– KUP101 is designed to activate both TLR4 and TLR7 receptors, inducing a heightened, long-lasting state of innate immunity called trained immunity, which is not specific to any single tumor type.
– The company’s approach is distinct from most oncology immunotherapies, as it targets the innate immune system, inspired by observations of pathogen resilience in animals lacking adaptive immunity.
– Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major global health threat, and Kupando’s platform offers a novel mechanism by boosting the body’s own defenses rather than directly targeting pathogens.
A significant €10 million extension to its Series A financing round has positioned Kupando to advance its novel immunotherapy, KUP101, into human clinical trials. This latest investment brings the company’s total Series A funding to €23 million, providing the capital necessary to initiate a Phase 1b study in patients with advanced solid tumors while accelerating parallel preclinical work targeting drug-resistant infections. The funding underscores growing investor confidence in approaches that harness the body’s innate immune system, a historically underexplored avenue in immunotherapy.
Most cancer immunotherapies, such as checkpoint inhibitors, focus on the adaptive immune system. In contrast, Kupando has dedicated seven years to developing therapies centered on the innate immune system, the body’s rapid, first-line defense mechanism. The company’s lead candidate, KUP101, is a dual Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonist designed to simultaneously activate TLR4 and TLR7 pathways. This dual activation aims to induce a state known as trained innate immunity, essentially reprogramming immune cells to remain in a heightened state of alert against threats long after initial stimulation.
The financing round was again led by Remiges Ventures and co-led by LifeCare Partners, with participation from all existing investors. A notable new addition is Carma Fund, a life science investment fund. The capital infusion is a critical milestone, transitioning Kupando from extensive preclinical research into the clinical validation phase. The planned Phase 1b trial will evaluate KUP101 in patients with advanced solid tumors, leveraging its tissue-agnostic design, which means it is not limited to a specific cancer type. Concurrently, a government-sponsored program will support preclinical development for combating antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) infections, a growing global health crisis.
The scientific foundation for KUP101 originated in the laboratory of Prof. Dennis Carson at UC San Diego. Kupando’s founder and CEO, physician-scientist Johanna Holldack, was inspired by observing the resilience of animals that rely solely on innate immunity. Her extensive executive experience in biotech has guided the company’s strategic development. Further strengthening its leadership, Kupando recently appointed Jörn Aldag, a seasoned biotech executive with a track record in guiding companies through key regulatory and growth phases, as chair of its board.
The antimicrobial resistance dimension represents a particularly compelling aspect of the platform. By boosting the body’s innate defenses against drug-resistant pathogens, rather than attacking the microbes directly, KUP101 offers a fundamentally different mechanism from traditional antibiotics. This approach could address the severe market and scientific challenges in developing new anti-infectives.
Martin Raditsch, Managing Partner of Carma Fund, highlighted the investment as a sign of strong confidence in Kupando’s team and science, especially within a challenging financial climate. For Kupando, moving into Phase 1b trials marks a pivotal moment where its decade of preclinical work must now demonstrate tangible benefit for patients, offering potential new hope in two critical areas of medicine.
(Source: The Next Web)