Portfolio | 礼来亚洲基金参与Tempest Therapeutics 7000万美元的B轮融资

2018年3月28日，位于美国旧金山的Tempest Therapeutics宣布成功完成7000万美金的B轮融资。Tempest曾是Versant创投集团旗下的启动孵化器（Inception Discovery Engine）中的一员，是一家发展阶段的生物技术公司，主要方向为研发调节抗肿瘤免疫通路的小分子药。本轮融资领投方包括Versant Ventures，F- Prime和Quan Capital。参与投资的还包括Lilly Asia Ventures，Foresite Capital和Eight Roads Ventures。

Versant和Tempest的董事总经理兼主席Brad Bolzon表示：“我们坚信在肿瘤微环境中用小分子药调控免疫细胞这个策略。Tempest拥有一个具有多个高质量候选药物的管线组合，和经验丰富的管理团队，很适合对多种恶性肿瘤开辟新的治疗方法。”

Tom Dubensky被任命为Tempest首席执行官。 他已经组织了一个经验丰富的开发团队，将在接下来的几个月里把这些项目推进到临床试验阶段。 Dubensky博士说：“我们非常高兴今天能够首次向世界介绍Tempest，并期待快速推进一款优越的IDO抑制剂进入临床阶段。IDO抑制剂是我们四个新项目中的第一个。我们也非常高兴能够吸引顶级的投资者。这些投资者认同我们Tempest药物管线的深度和广度。我们与Inception的持续合作不仅将促进现有管线的开发，而且还可以帮助我们发现能够有效诱导抗肿瘤免疫力的补充药物候选物。”

Tempest正在研发能够调节不同免疫反应通路的first-in-class和best-in-class小分子药。 B轮融资的资金将用来支持先导项目TPST-8844，使其在2019年或更早达到1 / 2a阶段的测试，以及将其他至少两个项目推进到临床阶段。

TPST-8844是一种有效的IDO抑制剂。IDO是一种在肿瘤细胞中过度表达并抑制周围微环境中免疫细胞活性的酶。 IDO抑制剂和检查点抑制剂如抗PD-1的组合已被证明是一种有效的联合用药方式，可能会成为多种恶性肿瘤的治疗选择。从Tempest未发表的临床前数据来看，和目前所有正在被开发的其他药物相比较，TPST-8844在效价、给药方式和血脑屏障通透性等方面具有优越性。

TPST-1120是一个first-in-class PPARα转录因子拮抗剂。 Tempest的数据表明，阻断PPARα可激发肿瘤微环境并激活重要的抗肿瘤免疫细胞。 TPST-1120在多种肿瘤模型中显示出持久的疗效。它既可作为单一药物，也可与其他癌症疗法联合使用。

Tempest的E-前列腺素（EP）受体拮抗剂可以有效地中断前列腺素的免疫抑制作用。凭借着对EP受体亚型的独特见解， 公司已研制出与目前临床开发中的泛EP或单EP抑制剂相比具有更强的抗肿瘤功效的新化合物。

公司的这些小分子药是由Peppi Prasit领导的、Versant Ventures孵化的Inception Sciences开发的。 2017年末，Tempest作为一个由Dubensky博士领导的独立公司成立。Dubensky博士有着开发新型免疫治疗的一手经验。他之前担任Aduro Biotech的首席科学官，领导了first-in-class STING激动剂的研发。

随着此轮融资，Tempest已经在其董事会增加了三名新成员：Versant董事总经理Tom Woiwode，F-Prime合伙人Robert Weisskoff和Quan Capital董事总经理Stella Xu。他们加入了现任董事会成员Bubensky博士，Prasit博士和Bolzon博士。

关于Tempest Therapeutics

Tempest Therapeutics是一家发展阶段的生物技术公司，开发调节抗肿瘤免疫通路的小分子药。该公司平衡而又有深度的药物管线包括几个first-in-class和best-in-class小分子药，可调节不同免疫应答通路，建立有效抗肿瘤效应。 Tempest的投资者包括Versant Ventures，F-Prime，Quan Capital，Lilly Asia Ventures, Foresite Capital和Eight Roads Ventures。

附英文新闻： 

Tempest Therapeutics Closes $70 Million Series B Financing

-- Cancer immunology programs launched from Versant’s Inception Discovery Engine --

San Francisco, March 28, 2018    Tempest Therapeutics Inc., a development-stage biotechnology company advancing small molecules that modulate anti-tumor immunity pathways, today announced the completion of a $70 million Series B financing led by founding investor Versant Ventures and by F-Prime and Quan Capital. The syndicate also includes Lilly Asia Ventures, Foresite Capital and Eight Roads Ventures.

“We are strong believers in the promise of small molecule therapeutics that target immune cells in the tumor microenvironment,” said Brad Bolzon, managing director and chair of Versant and Tempest. “With a portfolio of several high quality drug candidates and an experienced management team, Tempest is well-positioned to introduce new therapies for multiple malignancies.”

Tom Dubensky has been appointed as Tempest CEO, and has recruited an experienced development team to translate these programs into the clinic over the coming months. “We are extremely excited to debut Tempest today and look forward to rapidly progressing a superior IDO inhibitor into the clinic as the first of four new programs,” said Dr. Dubensky. “It is very gratifying to have attracted a top-tier syndicate of investors who share our belief in the depth and breadth of Tempest’s pipeline. Our ongoing collaboration with Inception will not only facilitate development of the existing pipeline but also allow for discovery of complementary drug candidates that promote induction of effective anti-tumor immunity.”

Tempest is developing first-in-class and best-in-class small molecules that modulate distinct immune response pathways. Proceeds from the Series B financing will support the advancement of lead program TPST-8844 into Phase 1/2a testing by 2019, as well as the advancement of at least two other programs into the clinic.

TPST-8844 is a potent inhibitor of IDO, an enzyme that is over-expressed in tumor cells and suppresses the activity of immune cells in the surrounding microenvironment. The combination of an IDO inhibitor and checkpoint inhibitor such as an anti-PD-1 has been shown as a synergistic combination with the potential to be the therapy of choice in multiple malignancies. Tempest’s unpublished preclinical data suggest TPST-8844 has superior features to all others currently in development including potency, dosing regimen and blood-brain barrier permeability.

TPST-1120 is a first-in-class antagonist of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) transcription factor. Tempest has shown that blocking PPARα inflames the tumor microenvironment and activates important tumor-killing immune cells. TPST-1120 has shown durable efficacy in multiple tumor models both as a single agent and in combination with other cancer therapies.

Tempest’s E-prostanoid (EP) receptor antagonists can effectively interrupt the immuno-suppressive effects of prostaglandin. The company has translated its unique insights about EP receptor subtypes to produce novel compounds with increased anti-tumor efficacy compared with pan-EP or single EP inhibitors currently in clinical development.

The company’s molecules were developed by Inception Sciences, a Versant Ventures Discovery Engine led by Peppi Prasit. In late 2017, Tempest spun out as an independent company led by Dr. Dubensky. Dr. Dubensky brings significant expertise in the development and translation of novel immune therapies, having served most recently as chief scientific officer of Aduro Biotech where he led the advancement of first-in-class STING agonists.

In connection with today’s financing Tempest has added three new members to its board of directors: Tom Woiwode, managing director at Versant, Robert Weisskoff, a partner at F-Prime, and Stella Xu, managing director at Quan Capital. They join existing board members Dr. Dubensky, Dr. Prasit and Dr. Bolzon.

About Tempest Therapeutics

Tempest Therapeutics is a development-stage biotechnology company advancing small molecules that modulate anti-tumor immunity pathways. The company has a balanced and deep pipeline consisting of first-in-class and potential best-in-class small moleculetherapeutics, which modulate distinct immune response pathways relevant to mounting an effective anti-tumor response. Tempest’s backers include Versant Ventures, F-Prime, Quan Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures, Foresite Capital and Eight Roads Ventures.

Contact:

Steve Edelson

[e-mail]

415-801-8088

近期文章：

欢迎关注：