Kupando raises €13 million in Series A funding round
Kupando, a Berlin-based biopharmaceutical company developing TLR 4/7 agonists that stimulate innate immunity for use in oncology and infectious diseases, has closed its Series A funding round which raised €13 million.
The funds will be used to complete IND-enabling work and to initiate the clinical development of Kupando’s lead candidate KUP101 in a solid tumour indication. KUP101 is the only TLR 4/7 agonist in development, and consists of two small molecules, a TLR 4 agonist and a TLR 7 agonist, co-encapsulated in a liposomal formulation. The compounds induce a broad immune response, which will facilitate their development as an anti-tumour agent, as a stand-alone product, in combination with other anti-tumour modalities, or a prophylactic vaccine for infectious diseases. The induction of cross-reactive anti-bodies and a broad cellular response are promising features for a broad portfolio of indications, in particular where different strains and antigens play a role, like influenza, HPV and others. A high target specificity in the absence of relevant off-targets are indicators for a promising safety profile.
The investment was led by Remiges Ventures and co-led by LifeCare Partners with an additional investment by Brandenburg Kapital, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Ventura Biomed Investors and undisclosed family offices.
Kazuhiko Nonomura, PhD Principal at Remiges Ventures, the lead investor said: “We are impressed by the tremendous progress made by Kupando since its inception. Kupando is a real pioneer in the development of a novel innate immunity stimulator, and we look forward to working with the team and supporting the advancement of KUP101 into clinical development.”
