– SPAIN, Barcelona – SpliceBio, a biotechnology company exploiting protein splicing to develop next generation gene therapies, today announced the completion of an oversubscribed €50 million series A financing co-led by UCB Ventures and existing shareholder Ysios Capital alongside new investors New Enterprise Associates, Gilde Healthcare, Novartis Venture Fund, and existing shareholder Asabys Partners.
Following the closing of the financing, the Board of Directors will include:
- Jean Philippe Combal (chair)
- Erica Whittaker, UCB Ventures;
- Joël Jean-Mairet, Ysios Capital;
- Ed Mathers, NEA;
- Arthur Franken, Gilde Healthcare;
- Beat Steffen, Novartis Venture Fund;
- Miquel Vila- Perelló, CEO.
The proceeds from the financing, the largest Series A round for a Spanish biotech company, will enable SpliceBio to build a pipeline of Protein Splicing gene therapy programs, while advancing the lead program in Stargardt disease to the clinic. Stargardt disease is the most common form of juvenile macular dystrophy affecting more than 80,000 people in US and EU.
Dr. Miquel Vila-Perelló, Co-Founder and CEO commented: “We are very pleased to attract this outstanding syndicate of institutional and corporate investors which validates our approach to developing next generation gene therapies. I am excited to lead an exceptional team as we continue to build our platform and advance our pipeline of gene therapy programs into the clinic.”
Erica Whittaker, Vice President and Head of UCB Ventures, stated: “We are delighted to support SpliceBio in the development of its innovative platform to create treatments for patients suffering from genetic diseases not currently addressable by existing gene therapy approaches.”
Joël Jean-Mairet, Managing Partner at Ysios Capital, added: “We are proud to have been involved with the Company since its early days and are very impressed with the progress achieved to date. SpliceBio’s platform represents an unprecedented opportunity to expand the universe of diseases that can be addressed with gene therapy. This financing is also a testament to the growing potential of the biotech hub in Barcelona.”
Ed Mathers, General Partner at NEA, commented: “We are very pleased to back this team, building on the founders’ early-stage research at Princeton’s Muir Laboratory to develop SpliceBio into a world leading gene therapy player. We believe SpliceBio’s innovative approach to maximizing the capacity of AAV vectors has the potential to make a meaningful impact in the delivery of much needed gene therapies, and we look forward to supporting the Company through its next stages of growth.”
About SpliceBio
SpliceBio is a biotechnology company exploiting Protein Splicing to develop the next generation of gene therapies. The Company’s proprietary platform enables efficient delivery of large genes with adeno-associated vectors, overcoming the most fundamental challenge in the quest to curing a broad range of genetic diseases. SpliceBio’s platform is based on technology developed in the Muir Lab at Princeton University after more than 20 years of pioneering intein and protein engineering research.
For more information : https://splice.bio/
About UCB Ventures
UCB Ventures is a strategic corporate venture fund established in 2017 to further strengthen UCB’s ability to create value from novel insights and technologies that can transform the lives of patients suffering from severe diseases. UCB Ventures invests in innovative therapeutics and technology platforms that are early stage and high risk, in areas adjacent to or even beyond UCB’s therapeutic focus on neurology/neurodegenerative diseases, immunology and muscular skeletal/bone health. UCB Ventures takes an active role in its portfolio companies, contributing expertise in drug discovery, development, and operations.
For more information : https://www.ucbventures.com/
About Ysios Capital
Ysios Capital is a leading Spanish venture capital firm that provides private equity financing to early- and mid-stage, highly innovative life science companies bringing life-changing treatments to patients, with a focus on indications with high unmet need. Our diverse international team in San Sebastián and Barcelona is driven by science, with the ambition to transform capital into medical breakthroughs. Ysios Capital was founded in 2008 and has over $450 million in assets under management through its three funds.
For more information : https://ysioscapital.com/
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