PDC*line Pharma is a Belgian-French a clinical-stage biotech startup developing a new class of off-the-shelf cancer immunotherapies based on a proprietary Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell line (PDC*line) loaded with peptides derived from target tumour antigens. Founded in 2014 as a spin-off of the French Blood Bank, this startup comprises a team of skilled professionals based in Grenoble (France) and Liège (Belgium).
PDC*line Pharma focuses on lung cancer with a new candidate in phase 1b/2 clinical trial and neoantigens. The objectives of phase I/II study are to assess the safety, tolerability, immunogenicity and preliminary clinical activity of the drug candidate, PDC*lung01.
Secures €20M funding
Now, PDC*line Pharma has raised €20 million Series B funding. This funding has come almost two and a half years after its previous funding round that took place in 2017. PDC*line Pharma has raised the investment from five new investors such as Korean Investment Partners, the leading multi-billion dollar South-Korean fund, two further South-Korean funds, Shinhan-Cognitive Start-up Fund and UTC 2019 BIOVENTUREFUND, as well as two Belgian funds, SRIW (The Regional Investment Company of Wallonia) and Sambrinvest (the investment fund of Charleroi).
These join the existing investors such a Sambrinvest (the investment fund of Charleroi). They join the company’s historical investors: SFPI-FPIM, the Belgian Federal Holding and Investment Company, Noshaq Group (ex-Meusinvest), the Financière Spin-off Luxembourgeoise/INVESTSUD Group and a group of international business angels and well-known entrepreneurs.
Develops lung cancer vaccine!
PDC*lung01 comprises PDCline professional antigen-presenting cells loaded with HLA-A2 restricted peptides derived from six shared tumour antigens. PDC*line Pharma focuses on the development of PDC*lung01, a candidate for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) currently in phase I/II, and PDC*neo with neoantigens in preclinical development. In March 2019, the PDC*line Pharma granted an exclusive license to the LG Chem Life Sciences company in South Korea and an exclusive option in other Asian countries for the development and commercialisation of the PDC*lung01 cancer vaccine for lung cancer.
According to François Fontaine, general advisor to PDC*line Pharma at SFPI-FPIM, “PDC*line Pharma’s cancer vaccine platform is both highly innovative and meets an important medical need. It also has a clear societal impact for the Liège region, for Belgium and beyond. We welcome the continued strong support of the Walloon region and the new funding by existing and new investors.”
Main image picture credits: PDC*line Pharma
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