| Pionyr Immunotherapeutics Completes $62M Series B Financing to Advance Antibody-based Therapeutics Targeting the Tumor Microenvironment |
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| Max Krummel, PhD, Pionyr Co-Founder and Robert E. Smith Endowed Chair in Experimental Pathology, UCSF |
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| Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, a company at QB3@953, is developing antibody therapeutics that increase the body's antitumor immunity by rebalancing the myeloid infiltrate in the tumor microenvironment, announced the closing of a $62 million Series B investment round. This brings total funding since the company's founding in 2015 to $72 million. The Series B financing was led by New Enterprise Associates and included Sofinnova Ventures and Vida Ventures, along with Pionyr's existing investors, OrbiMed, SV Health Investors, Osage University Partners, and Mission Bay Capital.
Research conducted at Pionyr over the past year shows that its most advanced technology, Myeloid Tuning™, is capable of rebalancing the tumor microenvironment to favor immune-activating myeloid cells over immune-suppressing myeloid cells. This activity is believed to enhance antitumor efficacy, particularly in combination with checkpoint inhibition. The proportions of specific subpopulations of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment have been shown to correlate with clinical outcome and predict checkpoint inhibitor responsiveness. Full Press Release |
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| Naked Biome Entering Clinical Trials to Target Propionibacterium Acnes |
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Naked Biome is developing a probiotic therapy for acne. Instead of killing P. acnes, the QB3@953 startup, would have patients flood their faces with live, healthy strains of bacterium, ensuring the good bacterial will outcompete the bad. Full Scientific American Article |
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| Naked Biome Team (left to right): Daniel Nilson, Emma Taylor, David Hanzel |
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Aether empowers researchers to make history with the first 3D bioprinter truly capable of printing structures with tissue-scale complexity. |
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| Karen Dubbin, Science Director of Aether, here with Douglas Crawford receiving a bottle of champagne for completing an experiment on their first day! |
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| Seminar: January 23, 12:30 - 1:30 PM
Capitalizing on New Trends of Chinese Investments in the U.S. and Navigating Legal Issues for Startups in China
Karen Wong, PhD, Partner
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati
RSVP
The rapid growth of the healthcare market in China is fueling many Chinese funds and pharmaceutical companies to invest in healthcare companies in the US and to attract talent to set up companies in China. This presents an unprecedented cross-border environment and new business opportunities for Bay Area entrepreneurs.
Please join us for a lively and hands-on discussion with Dr. Karen Wong, a partner of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, to learn about real-life stories, opportunities, and pitfalls in setting up startups with planned growth or commercialization in China. Karen will cover the topics of US-China cross-border deal structures, technology transfer and licensing, fundraising and term-sheet negotiation, and patent filing strategies for both the US and China markets. |
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| Dr. Karen Wong has a wealth of experience in life sciences patent preparation and prosecution, technology transfer and licenses, and due-diligence studies in connection with VC financing, M&A, and public offering. Dr. Karen Wong has served as IP counsel to many venture-backed companies in the US and in China, and has worked on numerous major cross-border transactions, strategic alliance transactions, acquisitions, spin-outs, and IPOs. Karen is fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, and Sichuan dialect. |
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