| Arix Bioscience PLC (ARIX) Arix Bioscience plc Portfolio company Ensoma announces closing of Series B Extension LONDON, 16 May 2023: Arix Bioscience plc (“Arix” or the “Company”) (LSE: ARIX), a transatlantic venture capital company focused on investing in breakthrough biotechnology companies, notes that its portfolio company Ensoma has closed an extension of its Series B financing, raising a further $50 million to bring the total round to $135 million. The $50 million extension round was raised by new investors Kite, a Gilead Company, Bioluminescence Ventures, Delos Capital, and by existing investor SymBiosis. Arix co-led the initial Series B financing in January 2023, committing $9 million to the round alongside co-lead investor, 5AM Ventures, as well as Alexandria Venture Investments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Catalio Capital Management, Cormorant Asset Management, F-Prime Capital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Mirae Asset, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Solasta Ventures, Takeda Ventures Inc., and Viking Global Investors. Following the Series B extension, Arix’s percentage holding has been diluted from 7.6% to 6.1%. The holding value remains unchanged. Robert Lyne, CEO of Arix Bioscience, said: “We are very pleased to see Ensoma being supported by a syndicate of top tier investors, including that of big pharma, which is a testament to the strength of the business. The funds raised will enable the company to advance the development of its in vivo engineered cell therapy platform and accelerate its pipeline of genomic medicines for immuno-oncology and other applications. We look forward to continuing our support to Ensoma as it seeks to bring a potentially breakthrough therapy to clinic.” The announcement can be accessed on Ensoma’s website at: https://ensoma.com/ and the full text of the announcement from the company is contained below. [ENDS]
Enquiries For more information on Arix, please contact:
Arix Bioscience plc +44 (0)20 7290 1050
Powerscourt Group Sarah MacLeod, Ibrahim Khalil, Nick Johnson +44 (0)20 7250 1446
About Arix Bioscience plc Arix Bioscience plc is a transatlantic venture capital company focused on investing in breakthrough biotechnology companies around cutting-edge advances in life sciences.
We collaborate with exceptional entrepreneurs and provide the capital, expertise, and networks to help accelerate their ideas into important new treatments for patients. As a listed company, we are able to bring this exciting growth phase of our industry to a broader range of investors. www.arixbioscience.com
Ensoma Closes Series B Extension, Bringing Total Round to $135 Million
Previously announced $85 million financing extended by $50 million
BOSTON, May 16, 2023 – Ensoma, a genomic medicines company developing one-time, in vivo treatments that precisely engineer any cell of the hematopoietic system, today announced the closing of an extension of its Series B financing by $50 million, bringing the total size of the funding round to $135 million. The $50 million was contributed by new investors Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), Bioluminescence Ventures and Delos Capital and by existing investor SymBiosis. These investors joined a syndicate of leading healthcare funds to advance the development of Ensoma’s Engenious™ in vivo engineered cell therapy platform and pipeline of genomic medicines for immuno-oncology, genetic disease and other therapeutic applications.
“Ensoma is creating a new generation of smart immune cell medicines by harnessing the concerted power of multiple immune cell types,” said Emile Nuwaysir, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Ensoma. “There are millions of patients that need better answers. With this financing, we are well positioned to bring our breakthrough therapies to the clinic.”
In connection with the extension financing, Kouki Harasaki, Ph.D., managing partner at Bioluminescence Ventures, will join Ensoma’s Board of Directors. Dr. Harasaki commented, “Ensoma’s Engenious platform brings together delivery and engineering capabilities to unlock the full promise of in vivo multiplexed therapies. We are very excited about working with the Ensoma team to make this a reality.”
Other investors in the Series B included 5AM Ventures, Arix Bioscience, Alexandria Venture Investments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Catalio Capital Management, Cormorant Asset Management, F-Prime Capital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Mirae Asset, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Solasta Ventures, Takeda Ventures, Inc., and Viking Global Investors.
About Ensoma
Ensoma believes the future of medicine lies within us. The company is poised to create a new therapeutic category addressing diseases that impact millions around the globe, such as cancer and autoimmunity. The Engenious™ platform can uniquely address these disorders by leveraging world-class technologies for in vivo delivery and genome engineering. The ability to target and reprogram both immune cells and self-renewing hematopoietic stem cells will create multicellular and multigenic medicines that solve potency and durability challenges limiting current approaches. Ensoma also has the potential to leapfrog therapies in well validated indications such as hemoglobinopathies and dramatically expand patient eligibility through its portable in vivo solutions. Ensoma is supported by top-tier investors, strategic partners and a passionate team committed to a bold, global vision for genomic medicine. For more information, please visit www.ensoma.com.
END Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. |
| ISIN: | GB00BD045071 |
| Category Code: | PFU |
| TIDM: | ARIX |
| LEI Code: | 213800OVT3AHQCXNIX43 |
| OAM Categories: | 3.1. Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of a Member State |
| Sequence No.: | 244160 |
| EQS News ID: | 1634691 |
| End of Announcement | EQS News Service |
| |
UK Regulatory announcement transmitted by EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.