D3 Bio has secured $108 million in a Series B fundraise, with the main goal of advancing its lead drug candidate targeting KRAS-G12C into global registrational trials.
The Shanghai-based biotech plans to evaluate the drug, called elisrasib, as both a single agent and in combination regimens for several KRAS G12C-mutant cancers, according to a Wednesday
release
.
Elisrasib monotherapy is currently in Phase 2 development for mutated forms of second-line or later non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), pancreatic cancer and colorectal cancer. It’s also being tested in separate combination regimens for earlier settings in mutant forms of NSCLC and colorectal cancer.
There are two KRAS G12C inhibitors on the US market: Amgen’s Lumakras and Bristol Myers Squibb’s Krazati. Both are approved for mutant forms of NSCLC and colorectal cancer.
Wednesday’s raise was backed by new and existing investors, including IDG Capital, SongQing Capital, WuXi AppTec’s Corporate Venture Fund and Medicxi.
In April 2024, Medicxi
poured $40 million
into D3’s Series A+ fundraise, which came to a total of
$62 million
. At that time, Medicxi said there’s still a
demand for new and improved KRAS G12C inhibitors
that can boost response rates, duration of response and CNS penetration for patients.
According to D3, elisrasib has demonstrated “high covalent potency” and “CNS penetration properties” in preclinical studies. The company also previously
shared data
from a Phase 1/2 trial of elisrasib in a range of mutant solid tumors, showing an ORR of about 71% and tumor shrinkage in a small number of patients with stable brain metastases.
Proceeds from the Series B will also support the development of D3’s broader immuno-oncology pipeline, which includes an ERK1/2 kinase inhibitor called D3S-002 that’s in Phase 1 for solid tumors with a MAPK mutation.
The biotech launched in 2020 with
$200 million
in Series A backing.