Visterra, Inc., a Cambridge, MA-based biotechnology company that uses its proprietary technology platform to identify unique disease targets and design novel therapeutics, completed a $30m Series B financing round.
The round was co-led by new investors Merck Research Labs Venture Fund, Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd. and Temasek with participation from existing investors Polaris Partners, Flagship Ventures, Omega Funds and Alexandria Venture Investments and new investor Cycad Group. In conjunction with the financing, Dr. Lincoln Chee, Venture Partner of Vertex Venture Holdings Ltd., will join the Board of Directors of Visterra, and Dr. Janelle R. Anderson, Ph.D., Managing Director of Merck Research Labs Venture Fund, will join as a Board observer.
The company intends to use the proceeds to advance the development of multiple product candidates from its pipeline of novel monoclonal antibodies that target infectious diseases, including VIS410 for seasonal and pandemic influenza and VIS513 for dengue fever, into the clinic.
Led by Brian J. G. Pereira, M.D., President and CEO, Visterra is a biotechnology company that uses its proprietary Hierotope™ Platform to identify unique disease targets and design effective therapeutics. It is currently focused on therapeutics for infectious diseases and its lead product candidate, VIS410, is a broad spectrum human monoclonal antibody for the prevention and treatment of both seasonal and pandemic influenza. The company’s second product candidate, VIS513, is a human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of dengue fever that has been shown to broadly neutralize all four dengue virus serotypes.
FinSMEs
02/10/2014