German Biotech CatalYm Raises $150M to Combat Cancer Therapy Resistance

2024-08-16 bio

Munich, Friday, 16 August 2024.
CatalYm secures $150 million in Series D funding to advance visugromab, a monoclonal antibody targeting GDF-15. The treatment shows promise in overcoming cancer therapy resistance, with durable responses exceeding 15 months in early trials.

CatalYm’s Strategic Focus

Founded in 2016, CatalYm is a Munich-based biotech firm dedicated to developing innovative cancer treatments. Their leading product, visugromab, is a humanized monoclonal antibody designed to target growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15). GDF-15 is a protein that tumors use to evade the immune system, reducing immune cell infiltration, inhibiting antigen-presenting cell activation, and interfering with T-cell priming. By neutralizing GDF-15, visugromab exposes tumors to the immune system, potentially overcoming resistance to existing cancer therapies.

How Visugromab Works

Visugromab works in conjunction with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as PD-1 inhibitors, like Keytruda (pembrolizumab), to enhance anti-tumor activity. The antibody’s mechanism involves blocking GDF-15, which helps restore the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells. This approach has shown promising results in clinical trials, with an objective response rate (ORR) of 14.8% in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 21.1% in urothelial cancer. Patients have experienced durable responses, with some lasting more than 15 months.

Funding and Investor Confidence

CatalYm’s recent $150 million Series D funding round, completed in July 2024, underscores growing investor confidence in the company’s innovative approach. The round was led by Canaan Partners and Bioqube Ventures, with participation from Novartis Venture Fund, Jeito Capital, and other investors. This funding will support the late-stage clinical development of visugromab, including randomized Phase 2b studies. These studies will further evaluate visugromab’s efficacy in treating solid tumors, potentially positioning it as a first-line treatment in the future.

Clinical Trial Successes

Visugromab’s development has been bolstered by positive results from early clinical trials. The Phase 1/2 GDFATHER trial, which included patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), urothelial cancer (UC), and NSCLC, demonstrated response rates of around 20% across different cohorts. These results are particularly notable given that typical response rates for heavily pretreated, late-stage patients range from 8% to 12%. The durability of responses, with some patients undergoing treatment for up to 18 months, further highlights the potential of visugromab to improve outcomes for cancer patients.

Future Prospects

Looking ahead, CatalYm plans to initiate randomized controlled studies for visugromab in frontline and second-line NSCLC patients starting in 2025. The company aims to achieve first-in-class status for visugromab by 2027, supported by the recent funding round. With promising early data and robust investor backing, CatalYm is poised to make significant strides in the fight against cancer therapy resistance.

Bronnen

www.labiotech.eu catalym cancer therapy synapse.patsnap.com www.life-sciences-benelux.com www.life-sciences-france.com