SHANGHAI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EpimAb Biotherapeutics, a clinical stage biotech company specializing in bispecific antibody development, announced today the closing of a $120 million Series C financing round. The round was co-led by China Merchants Bank International (CMBI) and Mirae Asset Financial Group (Mirae), and joined by Hony Capital, Cormorant Asset Management, Yanchuang Capital, Octagon Capital, renowned cultural entrepreneur and investor Adrian Cheng and ShangBay Capital, with strong participation from existing investors such as Decheng Capital, SDIC Fund, Sherpa Healthcare Partners, and Hidragon Capital. Proceeds from the financing will be used to fund the ongoing clinical development of EMB-01, EMB-02 and EMB-06, and to expand the company’s pipeline of novel bispecific antibodies and other biologics. Tony Rong, nominated by CMBI, and Sungwon Song, nominated by Mirae, will also join the EpimAb Board of Directors.
“The completion of our Series C financing will enable us to accelerate the development of our three clinical assets EMB-01, EMB-02 and EMB-06, and to advance our rich pipeline of preclinical programs into the clinic as we continue to build on our portfolio of novel bispecific antibodies generated based on our proprietary FIT-Ig technology,” said Dr. Chengbin Wu, founder and CEO of EpimAb Biotherapeutics. “With three candidates currently progressing through clinical trials and several ongoing high-value development projects in the pipeline poised to move towards the clinic, we are confident in our development strategy and our potential for long-term value generation. We greatly appreciate the support from our new and current investors as we move into this next phase of our company’s development and remain committed to bringing innovative bispecific antibody therapeutics to patients worldwide.”
EpimAb is creating a pipeline of novel proprietary bispecific antibody therapeutics with a focus on oncology and other areas of high value to patients. EMB-01, EpimAb’s lead candidate designed to simultaneously target EGFR and cMET on tumor cells, is currently progressing through a Phase I/II clinical study in both China and the U.S. EMB-02, EpimAb’s second clinical candidate, which simultaneously targets two checkpoint proteins, PD-1 and LAG-3, and has shown strong anti-tumor activities in preclinical models resistant to standard anti-PD-1 monotherapies, recently received FDA clearance to progress into the clinic in the U.S. EMB-06, a T cell engaging bispecific designed to simultaneously target CD3 and BCMA with differentiated properties, has been cleared to initiate clinical trials in Australia.
“EpimAb is among the premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies in China, revolutionizing the bispecific antibody space with a proprietary technology that has global potential,” said Tony Rong. “As we continue to expand our global life sciences portfolio, CMBI is committed to support EpimAb’s mission of bringing novel bispecific therapeutics to patients.”
“Each of EpimAb’s assets impressed us with enormous potential and a unique approach to treating areas of high unmet medical need. EpimAb’s dedicated pipeline of bispecific antibodies with best-in-class mechanisms makes it one of the driving forces behind Chinese biopharma innovations,” said Sungwon Song. “Mirae is excited to be a part of the company’s rapid evolution to become a global leader in its space.”
About EpimAb Biotherapeutics, Inc.
EpimAb Biotherapeutics is a privately-owned biopharmaceutical R&D company with research and manufacturing facilities in Shanghai and Suzhou with a proprietary unique and efficient technology called FIT-Ig® (Fabs-In-Tandem Immunoglobulin) to generate bispecific molecules with antibody-like properties. With this platform EpimAb is creating a pipeline of its own novel bispecific antibody therapeutics focused around immuno-oncology and other areas of high value to patients. EpimAb is also committed to diversifying its pipeline through selective licensing of its platform and pipeline assets to partners worldwide. For further information, please visit www.epimab.com
