Recently, Zhongshan Hengsai Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Hengsai Biotechnology) announced the completion of tens of millions of yuan Pre-A round of financing, led by Fuhui Venture Capital, followed by Hengyue Investment, and Company Capital as the exclusive financial advisor.
Founded in 2018 and with r&D center in Shanghai, Hengsai Bio is a high-tech enterprise focusing on the field of tumor immunotherapy, mainly engaged in the research and development and industrialization of a new generation of individualized dendritic cell tumor treatment vaccines (DC vaccines), aiming to develop internationally leading, domestic first-of-its-kind, inclusive, safe and convenient DC vaccine products with independent intellectual property rights. The company is jointly created and led by senior industry experts + industrialization team, integrating production, education and research, founder and CEO Dr. Liu Huining is a doctor of immunology from Tokyo Medical and Dental University in Japan, an MBA from Tulane University Business School in the United States, a doctorate at Harvard Medical School in the United States, and has worked for BMS, Quintiles and other well-known enterprises, leading and participating in more than 50 clinical trials and more than 10 new drug declarations, leading several drugs to be listed in many countries around the world, with rich experience in scientific research and drug development. Core team members have led the first DC vaccine treatment of adult T-cell leukemia in Japan and achieved breakthrough clinical results, which will accelerate the listing through the green review channel.
Dendritic cells (DC) are the most powerful full-time antigen-presenting cells found to date, and the only antigen-delivering cells that can activate the initial T cells to produce antigen-specific immune responses, playing an important role in the body's immune system. DC cells were discovered in 1973 by Professors Zanvil Cohn and Ralph Steinman. Professor Ralph Steinman treated himself with the DC vaccine for pancreatic cancer, which greatly prolonged survival. For his pioneering work in discovering DC, Professor Ralph Steinman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2011. DC vaccine has made breakthroughs in clinical research on tumor immunotherapy at home and abroad, and has become a research hotspot in the field of tumor immunotherapy vaccines.
At present, there is no approved DC vaccine product in China, hengsai biology has now built a complete DC vaccine comprehensive research and development platform and technical system, including the international leading level of DC cell isolation and induction technology, tumor antigen selection and loading platform, clinical trial level DC cell production center, quality control and management system. On the basis of overseas cutting-edge DC vaccine research and development experience, the company's technology has further improved and established a standardized, standardized, and convenient for industrialization of DC vaccine production mode, the overall technical level is in the international leading position, and has a number of invention patents, filling the gap in this field in China.
The DC vaccine developed by Hengsai Bio focuses on disease areas that do not yet have effective treatment methods, and lays out the related diseases caused by EBV virus, including lymphoma, lymphoproliferative diseases after transplantation, chronic active EPV infection, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, gastric cancer and multiple sclerosis, and will also lay out cervical cancer, hepatitis, glioma, AIDS, pancreatic cancer and other disease areas in the future.
At present, the company has reached cooperation intentions with a number of research institutions to comprehensively promote the application for clinical trials, including exploratory clinical studies (IIT) of individualized DC vaccines for various types of tumors, and evaluate the clinical effects of DC vaccines. This round of funding will be applied to the clinical development of DC vaccine products, the development of new pipelines, and the recruitment of teams.
Dr. Liu Huining, founder and CEO of Hengsai Biologics, said: Hengsai Biologics has a relatively mature DC vaccine preparation process and a scientific and compliant quality control system. Thank you very much to the investors in this round of Fuhui Venture Capital and Hengyue Investment for their recognition and trust in the company, and also thank you very much for the support of Company Park Capital. This round of funding will help us advance the clinical validation of our first product pipeline and further innovation in our platform technology." The Hengsai team will continue to be guided by clinical needs and driven by technological innovation to develop a safer, longer-lasting and inclusive DC vaccine.
Dr. Cheng Hao, Investment Partner of Fuhui Venture Capital, said: Fuhui Venture Capital, together with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Zhongshan Local Government Investment Platform, has long been concerned about the improvement, iteration and subversive innovation opportunities of emerging biotechnology in The field of innovative drugs in China, and tumor immunotherapy is one of the tracks we focus on, which is worth long-term investment layout. We are optimistic about the broad application prospects of Hengsai Bio's new generation of DC vaccine in the future immunocommunotherapy, and are very pleased to participate in this round of financing of Hengsai Bio to help the company improve rapidly in the future and grow into a world-leading DC vaccine research and development enterprise." At the same time, we are looking forward to the research and development products of Hengsai Bio to bring the gospel to the patient group as soon as possible.
Mr. Ding Huanxing, partner of Company Capital, said: "It is a great honor to be the exclusive financial advisor of Hengsai Biologics, DC as the most important antigen-presenting cell in the human immune system, due to its research and development technology difficulties have not been as widely used as CAR-T and other cell therapies, most of the current good clinical results are internationally leading startups and scientific research institutions, Hengsai Biology has the world's leading DC vaccine research and development technology and successful clinical experience, and looks forward to the company's products to benefit clinical patients as soon as possible.
About Fuhui Venture Capital
Fuhui Venture Capital is a VC investment institution focusing on the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and the early investment of technology enterprises, specializing in investment in medical and health, advanced manufacturing and other fields, and the management team has rich experience in real industry and equity investment. Projects already invested in the field of medical and health care include Nuohui Health (06606. HK), Eagle Pupil Technology (02251. HK), Weizhen Biologics [Medical Devices], Jinbaihui Biologics [Medical Devices], Kaiskaidi [New Drug R&D], Zhiben Pharmaceutical [Anti-Infective New Drugs], Nuland Bio [Exosomes], Huazi Bio [Long-Acting Protein], Baiji Hongye [New Drug R&D], Youli Pharmaceutical [New Drug R&D], Luo Qi Bio [Nano Antibody], Lingkang Times [Pharmaceutical CDMO], Ruishun Bio [Cell Therapy], Xinling Pharmaceutical [Transdermal Preparations], Respuly [Inhaled Preparations], Ruiyi Technology [Pharmaceutical CDMO] and many other high-quality enterprises.
About Hengyue Investment
Hengyue Investment is an industrial investment enterprise, specializing in investing in the most cutting-edge biomedical enterprises, composed of senior medical investors, and has invested in a number of high-growth early-stage enterprises.
About Company Park Capital
MedBio Capital is a boutique investment bank focused on the life sciences and healthcare sector, committed to becoming a capital and strategic partner for top scientists and entrepreneurs. The core team has been deeply involved in the medical industry for many years, covering key nodes in R&D, clinical and marketing, and has a composite background of investment, investment banking, and consulting. The team members have completed financing amounts of more than 10 billion yuan and have served more than ten top medical listed companies.
*Cover image source: 123rf
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