GamaMabs from France (Paris & Toulouse) has secured a €15M Series B Fundraising round for its Antibody targeting Gynecological cancers.
GamaMabs Pharma is a French biotechnology company developing innovative monoclonal antibodies in cancer. GamaMabs’ lead project is the monoclonal antibody (mAb) GM102 (formerly known as 3C23K), and they have previously partnered with Curie Cancer Institute which helped develop GM102 at the pre-clinical stage – evidently to good effect, now the candidate is ready for human trials.
As a first-in-class monoclonal antibody, GM102 (3C23K) targets the Anti-Mullerian Human Receptor II (AMHRII), a protein expressed on tumor cell’s membrane surface in cancers such as Ovarian.
Ovarian cancer is responsible for over 50,000 deaths every year in Europe and the United States (according to the WHO), so this phase I trial (due to start around mid 2016) is particularly encouraging now GamaMabs has the necessary funding. Indeed, GM102 showed a very good safety-efficacy profile at the pre-clinical stage.
The Series B round was led by the new investor BioDiscovery 4, a fund managed by Edmond de Rothschild. Their lifesciences Team has over €450M through its Biodiscovery franchise and is currently completing the investment of BioDiscovery 4 fund.
Other investors included InnoBio, Irdinov, Alto Invest and iXO Private Equity, to a total of €15M. This shows good growth, particularly after a successful series A round in 2013 when Gamamabs raised €3.6M in a round led by InnoBio (Bpifrance).
So, roll on phase I for GamaMabs, any developments in this area of Oncology is sure to be keenly anticipated.