- Led by new investor Syncona, with participation from the
European Innovation Council Fund as well as existing investors
- To progress pipeline of innovative, first-in-class, oral cancer
treatments targeting neglected and hard-to-treat cancers
- To accelerate development of lead asset roginolisib for
treatment of uveal melanoma and a number of other oncology
indications
GENEVA and AMSTERDAM, June 20,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- iOnctura, a clinical-stage
biopharmaceutical company combating neglected and hard-to-treat
cancers, today announces that it has closed an EUR80 million Series B financing. The funding
round was led by new investor Syncona Limited with participation by
the EIC Fund, the venture arm of the European Innovation Council
(EIC), as well as existing investors M Ventures, Inkef Capital, VI
Partners, Schroders Capital and 3B
Future Health Fund.
iOnctura is developing a portfolio of precision oral small
molecules that target cancers in novel ways. The bold new
treatments extend lives and improve healthspans, changing the
outlook for patients and their families. The Company has progressed
two therapeutic candidates into mid-stage clinical development.
Lead asset roginolisib is the first allosteric modulator of
PI3Kδ, with a unique chemical structure and binding mode. It is
being developed for indications burdened by immune mediated
resistance and a high expression of PI3Kδ in cancer cells and
tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Roginolisib has potential to
become the first successful, clinically meaningful therapy to
target the critical PI3Kδ cancer pathway. It has demonstrated an
unprecedented and first-in-class clinical profile in solid and
hematological malignancies, with over 48 patients treated to
date.
The financing will be used to accelerate development of
roginolisib for the treatment of uveal melanoma (UM), a rare cancer
of the eye with few available treatments. Eye melanoma is a rapidly
growing market which is projected to be worth USD 9.56B by 2032[1] . In a
Phase Ib clinical trial, roginolisib demonstrated long-term safety
and promising efficacy in UM with sustained clinical activity over
many months. Full results will be announced in the coming
months.
The successful UM data reported so far, combined with a rich
preclinical data package, supports the rationale to expand into
other indications. iOnctura plans to commence trials in other
cancer indications, including non-small cell lung cancer and
primary myelofibrosis, later in 2024.
iOnctura's second clinical asset, cambritaxestat, is the only
autotaxin inhibitor in clinical development to treat cancer. It has
excellent potency and specificity, and is being developed for
highly fibrotic tumors that overexpress autotaxin. A Phase Ib study
of cambritaxestat in combination with chemotherapy in metastatic
pancreatic cancer is ongoing.
Catherine Pickering, Chief
Executive Officer, iOnctura, said: "This financing is
validation of iOnctura's approach to developing precision cancer
treatments with maximum clinical impact. These therapies have the
potential to significantly prolong the healthspan of patients
suffering with neglected cancer types, such as uveal melanoma. We
are pleased to welcome our new investors Syncona and the EIC Fund
alongside our existing strong syndicate. Their experience will be
invaluable as we look to advance our pipeline and take iOnctura to
its next stage of growth."
Roel Bulthuis, Managing
Partner and Head of Investments at Syncona and Board member of
iOnctura, added: "iOnctura represents a compelling
opportunity to invest in line with our strategy and capital
allocation focus in a clinical-stage company, and take a promising
lead programme through to late-stage development. To date, no
company has been able to successfully target this well-known cancer
pathway with sufficient precision. By allosterically modulating
PI3Kδ, iOnctura has achieved a new level of precision and could be
the first company to develop a clinically meaningful medicine
targeting this pathway. Its programmes have potential utility
across a range of cancers, which we are supporting the company to
unlock through a refined clinical strategy."
About iOnctura
iOnctura is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company combating
neglected and hard-to-treat cancers with precision oral small
molecules that target cancers in novel ways. The bold new
treatments extend lives and improve healthspans, changing the
outlook for patients and their families. Two therapeutic candidates
have progressed into mid-stage clinical development: roginolisib is
the first allosteric modulator of PI3Kδ and cambritaxestat is the
only autotaxin inhibitor in clinical development to treat cancer.
iOnctura BV is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands with its wholly
owned Swiss subsidiary, iOnctura SA, located in Geneva, Switzerland. iOnctura is backed by
specialist institutional investors including Syncona, EIC Fund, M
Ventures, Inkef Capital, VI Partners and Schroders Capital.
About roginolisib
Roginolisib is the first allosteric modulator of PI3Kδ with a
unique chemical structure and binding mode. The PI3K signalling
pathway is one of the most commonly dysregulated pathways in cancer
and the precise targeting of the PI3Kδ isoform delivers substantial
anti-tumor effects with a low-toxicity profile. Clinical data have
demonstrated roginolisib's excellent safety profile and sustained
clinical activity in uveal melanoma (UM), a rare eye cancer with
few available treatments. Randomized Phase II trials are planned to
start in late 2024 in UM and other cancers, including non-small
cell lung cancer and primary myelofibrosis.
About cambritaxestat
Cambritaxestat is a first-in-class autotaxin inhibitor that has
shown preclinically to inhibit the growth and proliferation of
cancer cells, stimulate immune cell infiltration and inhibit the
development of fibrosis. It offers a new therapeutic approach for
treating highly fibrotic hard-to-treat tumors such as pancreatic
cancer. A Phase Ib study of cambritaxestat in combination with
chemotherapy in metastatic pancreatic cancer is ongoing.
[1] Emergen Research, Jan 2024
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