Press Release | October 18, 2023
BERKELEY, CA — October 18, 2023
Actym Therapeutics, pioneering a new drug modality to treat solid tumors, announced today it has extended its Series A financing round with an additional close of $25.5 million, bringing the total Series A amount raised to $59.5 million. The extension was co-led by existing investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Illumina Ventures, with GKCC LLC as a new investor joining the round with Actym’s other current shareholders, Panacea Ventures and JLo Ventures.
Actym’s proprietary platform, S. Typhimurium-Attenuated Cancer Therapy (STACT), represents a new approach to achieving a comprehensive immunological re-activation of the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) for the treatment solid tumors. By leveraging a genetically modified bacterial vehicle, STACT-based therapeutics transport therapeutic payloads to initiate a selective immune response within the TME. Actym’s lead candidate, ACTM-838, safely introduces optimized IL-15 and STING, two highly potent and synergistic payloads, directly into the TME. In preclinical studies, ACTM-838 is effectively enriched within the TME, unlocking a comprehensive and durable innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune response. The Series A extension will support the company’s entry into a Phase 1 clinical trial. This trial is designed to achieve proof of mechanism for ACTM-838, demonstrating its ability to selectively enrich in tumors, deliver payload combinations there, and positively re-activate the immuno-compromised TME. In addition, the trial is designed to assess the dose selection, safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of ACTM-838.
“We have advanced the STACT platform and defined a value-building clinical pathway that will allow us to translate our deep understanding of the tumor microenvironment into a novel approach to an effective and safe cancer treatment,” said Christopher Thanos, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Actym Therapeutics. “We value the continued commitment from our current investors and welcome GKCC LLC into the syndicate. Through their combined support, we aim to bring innovative therapies to patients across multiple solid tumor indications.”
“Illumina Ventures is committed to driving innovation by supporting companies dedicated to using breakthrough science to transform the healthcare landscape. Actym’s pioneering approach to cancer treatment aligns perfectly with our vision,” said Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., Partner at Illumina Ventures. “We are convinced that the Actym team is well-positioned to deliver on the promise of its platform and its new drug modality.”
“Actym Therapeutics is pushing the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy with an adaptable platform that precisely targets the TME and can deliver a wide array of therapeutic payloads to treat solid tumors,” added Julie Cherrington, Ph.D., Executive Chair of the Actym Board of Directors. “We are excited by the transformative potential of ACTM-838 and look forward to the company’s next phase of clinical and corporate development.”
About Actym Therapeutics
Actym Therapeutics has engineered a new drug modality harnessing the power of a genetically modified bacterial vehicle that safely introduces therapeutic payloads to activate the immune response in the tumor microenvironment. To achieve targeted anti-tumor effects, we have developed a systemically administered treatment that exploits intrinsic TME-specific metabolites, enabling selective enrichment of the bacterial vehicle in tumors. After cell-specific entry, our lead candidate, ACTM-838, positively activates tumor-resident myeloid cells and delivers two synergistic payloads, optimized IL-15 and STING, unlocking a comprehensive and durable innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune response. With the ability to tailor our platform utilizing a range of payload combinations, we aim to achieve a new level of therapeutic impact for cancer patients across multiple tumor types.
Contacts:
For Actym Therapeutics
Dr. Christopher Thanos, CEO
E-Mail: [email protected]
Media Requests for Actym
Dr. Alison Opalko or Sara Ortiz
Trophic Communications
Phone: +49 172 861 8540 or +49 151 54041130
E-Mail: [email protected]