Ensoma, a Boston, MA-based genomic medicines company developing one-time, in vivo treatments that precisely engineer any cell of the hematopoietic system, closed an extension of its Series B financing by $50m, bringing the total size of the funding round to $135m.
The $50m was contributed by new investors Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), Bioluminescence Ventures and Delos Capital and by existing investor SymBiosis. In connection with the extension financing, Kouki Harasaki, Ph.D., managing partner at Bioluminescence Ventures, will join Ensoma’s Board of Directors.
These investors joined a syndicate of healthcare funds to advance the development of Ensoma’s Engenious™ in vivo engineered cell therapy platform and pipeline of genomic medicines for immuno-oncology, genetic disease and other therapeutic applications.
Other investors in the Series B included 5AM Ventures, Arix Bioscience, Alexandria Venture Investments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Catalio Capital Management, Cormorant Asset Management, F-Prime Capital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Mirae Asset, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Solasta Ventures, Takeda Ventures, Inc., and Viking Global Investors.
Led by Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Ensoma aims to create a new therapeutic category addressing diseases that impact millions around the globe, such as cancer and autoimmunity. The Engenious™ platform can address these disorders by leveraging technologies for in vivo delivery and genome engineering. The ability to target and reprogram both immune cells and self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells will create multicellular and multigenic medicines that solve potency and durability challenges limiting current approaches. Ensoma also has the potential to leapfrog therapies in well validated indications such as hemoglobinopathies and dramatically expand patient eligibility through its portable in vivo solutions.
FinSMEs
16/05/2023