PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage immunotherapy company specializing in the development of innovative cell therapies for hard-to-treat diseases, today announced the successful completion of a $25 million private financing round. This funding is a $10 million extension to its previous $15 million financing secured in November 2023. The latest round was led by Valley Forge Investment Corporation, with new investments from the Global BioAccess Fund and Hatch Biofund, alongside ongoing support from existing investors Agent Capital, Tellus BioVentures, NYBC Ventures, and the University of Pennsylvania.
The funds will primarily support the company’s Phase 1 clinical trial of its lead oncology candidate, VIPER-101, an autologous, dual-population T cell therapy, as a potential treatment of T-cell Lymphoma. VIPER-101 leverages the company’s proprietary Senza5TM platform technology, which enhances T cell effector function by abrogating CD5-mediated immunosuppression through gene editing. The platform also features a rapid, five-day manufacturing process that significantly improves production efficiency while delivering enhanced functional benefits in preclinical testing. Senza5 has demonstrated outstanding preclinical anti-tumor efficacy across a range of liquid and solid tumor models. Vittoria’s broader pipeline includes novel assets targeting solid tumors and autoimmune diseases.
“This milestone represents a vote of confidence from both our existing and new investors, and reinforces our commitment to pioneering innovative immunotherapies,” said Dr. Nicholas Siciliano, Chief Executive Officer of Vittoria Biotherapeutics. “This capital infusion will accelerate the clinical progression of VIPER-101, and we are excited to explore its potential to deliver meaningful therapeutic benefits to patients battling T-cell Lymphoma.”
Brian McElwee, President of Valley Forge Investment Corporation, commented, “The recent progress seen with next-generation cell therapies reinforces Vittoria’s potential to revolutionize cancer treatment. Its cutting-edge platform and highly differentiated pipeline position the company to make a significant impact, and we are excited to support their efforts as they advance VIPER-101 into the clinic with the potential to transform patient outcomes for T-cell Lymphoma.”
As part of the financing, Michael F. Young, Partner at Valley Forge Investment Corporation, will join the Board of Directors of Vittoria Biotherapeutics.
Vittoria’s VIPER-101 clinical trial is actively recruiting patients and information about the trial can be found at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT06420089).
About VIPER-101
VIPER-101 is a gene-edited, autologous, dual-population cell therapy being evaluated as a potential treatment for patients with T-cell lymphoma. VIPER-101 is designed to target CD5, which is present on cancer cells in more than 85% of patients with T-cell lymphoma. VIPER-101 leverages the company’s proprietary Senza5 platform technology, which enhances T cell effector function by abrogating CD5-mediated immunosuppression through gene editing. In preclinical studies, VIPER-101 has shown superior efficacy compared to classical CD5-targeted CAR T.
About Vittoria Biotherapeutics
Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage cell therapy company, is developing novel CAR T-cell therapies that transcend the limitations of current cell therapies. Based on technology exclusively licensed from the University of Pennsylvania, the Company’s proprietary Senza5TM platform unlocks the cytotoxic potential of engineered T cells and utilizes a five-day manufacturing process to maximize stemness, durability, and potency. By acting on the fundamental biology of T cells, Senza5 can be used to improve the efficacy of engineered T-cell therapies with pipeline applications in oncology and autoimmune diseases. To learn more, visit vittoriabio.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
