NG-350A

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & OXFORD, England--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Akamis Bio, a clinical-stage oncology company using a proprietary Tumor-Specific Immuno-Gene (T-SIGn®) therapy platform to deliver novel immunotherapeutic proteins, biomolecules and transgene combinations to treat solid tumors, today announced $60 million in funding linked to the close of a Series A Prime financing round and entry into a strategic partnership for the development of its lead clinical candidate, NG-350A. The new funding will support the company’s work to advance NG-350A through a Phase 1b clinical proof-of-concept (PoC) study in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). NG-350A is an intravenously delivered, transgene-armed tumor gene therapy designed to drive intratumoral expression of a CD40 agonist monoclonal antibody in both primary and metastatic epithelial-derived solid tumors. The Phase 1b PoC study, known as FORTRESS ( NCT06459869 ), will evaluate clinical complete response (cCR) rates to NG-350A in combination with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in adult patients with LARC and at least one risk factor for local or distant recurrence. The Series A Prime financing was led by Sedgwick Yard, a global biotech venture capital firm with Greater China roots. In a separate transaction, Akamis Bio entered into a licensing agreement granting Xuanzhu Biopharma the Greater China Region Rights to NG-350A. Under the terms of the licensing agreement, Akamis Bio is eligible to receive undisclosed upfront payments plus regulatory and sales milestones, as well as tiered royalties in the high single- to low double-digit range on Greater China Region NG-350A sales. “We are grateful for this strong vote of confidence in NG-350A, the T-SIGn® platform and the Akamis Bio team. The Sedgwick Yard-led Series A Prime financing and Xuanzhu Biopharma licensing deal demonstrates our shared commitment with these partners to rapidly advancing NG-350A while also demonstrating the broader potential of T-SIGn,” said Howard Davis, PhD, CEO of Akamis Bio. “Compelling clinical data from our prior studies have shown the consistent safety profile of T-SIGn, as well as the potential of intravenously-delivered NG-350A to drive sustained transgene expression capable of altering the tumor microenvironment. Our aim over the next 12-18 months is to deliver clinical proof-of-concept data for NG-350A via the FORTRESS study.” “We believe T-SIGn offers a true platform approach and that NG-350A is just the beginning of what we anticipate will become a robust pipeline of IV-delivered, tumor-targeted immunotherapies. We are very confident in the scientific and drug development acumen of the Akamis Bio management team, as well as in their ability to deliver on this opportunity to advance the standard of care for patients with difficult to treat solid tumors,” said Richard Shen, Managing Director, Sedgwick Yard. A recently published paper in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (JITC), described data from the FORTITUDE first-in-human dose escalation study in patients with metastatic/advanced epithelial tumors that provided initial proof-of-mechanism for NG-350A and highlighted the advantages of its intravenous route of administration. These data demonstrated the consistent safety profile of NG-350A, as well as providing strong evidence of tumor-selective delivery, replication and transgene expression. Additionally, this study demonstrated that intravenous delivery of NG-350A results in a superior overall pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profile, with no apparent disadvantages versus intratumoral injection. "We are thrilled to partner with Akamis Bio to develop and commercialize NG-350A in the Greater China Region. The T-SIGn platform has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of advanced metastatic solid tumors, and we look forward to working closely with the Akamis Bio team to bring this novel tumor gene therapy to patients,” said Jiakui Li, PhD, CEO of Xuanzhu Biopharma. Linked to the close of the Series A Prime financing, Akamis Bio added two new members to its Board of Directors: Richard Shen, Managing Director, Sedgwick Yard, and Adrian Chan, Managing Director, Sedgwick Yard. About T-SIGn Akamis Bio’s T-SIGn® therapeutics are based on a replication competent, chimeric group B adenovirus backbone which has been adapted via directed evolution to home specifically to both primary and metastatic epithelial-derived solid tumor tissue following intravenous delivery. Once at the tumor site, T-SIGn therapeutics can drive the intratumoral expression of multiple transgene payloads, turning solid tumor cells into “drug factories” while leaving healthy tissue unaltered and intact. The intratumoral expression of immunologically active biomolecules and therapeutic proteins can result in the remodeling of the solid tumor microenvironment, triggering robust antitumor immune responses. T-SIGn therapeutics have the potential to be used in the monotherapy setting, as well as in combination with other immuno-oncology agents to target the key mechanisms that tumors use to evade the immune system. About Akamis Bio Akamis Bio is a clinical-stage oncology company using a proprietary Tumor-Specific Immuno-Gene Therapy (T-SIGn®) platform to deliver novel immunotherapeutic proteins, biomolecules and transgene combinations to treat solid tumors. The company is developing a portfolio of solid tumor-targeted T-SIGn therapeutics which aim to enable a patient’s own immune system to recognize, attack, and clear their cancer. Akamis Bio has a growing pipeline of T-SIGn therapeutics anchored by its lead clinical-stage program, NG-350A (an immuno-stimulatory tumor gene therapy driving intratumoral expression of a CD40 agonist monoclonal antibody) being investigated in ongoing Phase 1 clinical studies in patients with metastatic or advanced epithelial tumors. In addition to internal pipeline development efforts, Akamis Bio has a number of T-SIGn platform-focused collaborations with leaders in the immuno-oncology field including Merck and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI). To learn more, please visit www.akamisbio.com .