Allocure Inc. (Burlington, Mass.) raised $25 million in a series B round. New investor Lundbeckfond Ventures joined existing investors SV Life Sciences and Novo A/S in the round. AlloCure plans to start Phase II testing this summer of AC607 to treat acute kidney injury.
AC607 is a novel biologic therapy under development for the treatment of AKI. AC607 also possesses potential applications in other grievous illnesses. AC607 comprises allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells that are harvested from healthy adult donors and then expanded via a mature and state-of-the art manufacturing process. AC607 homes to the site of injury where it mediates powerful anti-inflammatory and organ repair processes via the secretion of beneficial paracrine factors, without differentiation and repopulation of the injured kidney. Importantly, AC607 avoids recognition by the host's immune system, enabling administration in an "off the shelf" paradigm without the need for blood or tissue typing.
The capital just raised will be used to support the next step of clinical development: "Building on the encouraging AC607 Phase 1 results presented last fall at the American Society of Nephrology annual meeting, AlloCure is poised to conduct a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of AC607 for the treatment of AKI beginning this Summer at a number of the leading academic institutions and hospitals in the United States.