Asgard Therapeutics: Pioneering Cancer Immunotherapy
March 17, 2024, 2:21 pm
Location: Sweden, Scania, Lund
Employees: 1-10
Founded date: 2018
Total raised: $39.74M
Asgard Therapeutics, a biotech company leading the way in in vivo direct cell reprogramming for cancer immunotherapy, has secured a hefty €30 million in Series A funding. This funding injection will propel the development of Asgard's flagship program, AT-108, towards IND readiness by 2026, bolster its R&D team, and push forward new reprogramming techniques and delivery platforms.
AT-108, the star of the show, is a gene therapy that transforms tumor cells into antigen-presenting dendritic cells, sparking a personalized anti-tumor immune response. This groundbreaking therapy has shown promise in preclinical studies, inducing anti-tumor immunity and the coveted abscopal effect even in a monotherapy setting.
By reprogramming cancer cells into conventional Type 1 Dendritic Cells (cDC1s), AT-108 unleashes the power of personalized anti-cancer immune responses. Using a replication-deficient adenoviral vector, this therapy delivers three transcription factors into tumor cells, rewiring their gene expression to become immunogenic cDC1-like cells.
The funding round was co-led by RV Invest and Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JJDC, with support from existing investors Novo Holdings, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Industrifonden. Aleksei Zeifman from RV Invest and a representative from Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JJDC will join Asgard's board of directors, marking a significant milestone for the company's mission in oncology.
CEO Cristiana Pires expressed gratitude for the support, highlighting Asgard's innovative approach to cancer immunotherapy and the potential for personalized treatments on a large scale. With a strong scientific foundation and a stellar team, Asgard is poised to revolutionize the landscape of cell therapies and bring hope to cancer patients worldwide.
AT-108, the star of the show, is a gene therapy that transforms tumor cells into antigen-presenting dendritic cells, sparking a personalized anti-tumor immune response. This groundbreaking therapy has shown promise in preclinical studies, inducing anti-tumor immunity and the coveted abscopal effect even in a monotherapy setting.
By reprogramming cancer cells into conventional Type 1 Dendritic Cells (cDC1s), AT-108 unleashes the power of personalized anti-cancer immune responses. Using a replication-deficient adenoviral vector, this therapy delivers three transcription factors into tumor cells, rewiring their gene expression to become immunogenic cDC1-like cells.
The funding round was co-led by RV Invest and Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JJDC, with support from existing investors Novo Holdings, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, and Industrifonden. Aleksei Zeifman from RV Invest and a representative from Johnson & Johnson Innovation—JJDC will join Asgard's board of directors, marking a significant milestone for the company's mission in oncology.
CEO Cristiana Pires expressed gratitude for the support, highlighting Asgard's innovative approach to cancer immunotherapy and the potential for personalized treatments on a large scale. With a strong scientific foundation and a stellar team, Asgard is poised to revolutionize the landscape of cell therapies and bring hope to cancer patients worldwide.