AI Enhances Solid Tumour Cell Therapies, Outpace Secures $144M

In 2025, Outpace Bio aims to dose its first patient with an AI-engineered cancer cell therapy, a significant step bolstered by the recent acquisition of $144 million in funding. This funding milestone was reached through a Series B round led by RA Capital Management, elevating the total investments in the biotech firm to $200 million since its inception. Outpace Bio first emerged in 2021 with a $30 million Series A round and a mission to address the limitations of cell therapies in treating solid tumors.

Cell therapies have shown considerable success in treating blood-related cancers, but their efficacy in solid tumors remains limited. Common challenges include poor cell survival rates and rapid inactivation, necessitating high doses that pose safety risks. Outpace Bio aims to overcome these hurdles with its state-of-the-art AI-powered protein design platform. This platform allows the company to engineer cell therapies capable of better accessing and persisting in tumors, thus improving their effectiveness.

CEO Marc Lajoie elaborated on the company's innovative approach, stating that their technologies enable them to explore novel biological pathways that traditional protein engineering methods cannot reach. This capability allows Outpace Bio to design cell therapies that can effectively navigate the tumor environment, survive and expand within it, and enhance the host immune response.

One of Outpace Bio's lead candidates, OPB-101, exemplifies the potential of their technology. OPB-101 is a mesothelin-specific CAR-T cell therapy that has shown complete elimination of cancer cells in rigorous in vivo models. Clinical trials for this candidate are set to begin next year, targeting patients with advanced stages of platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer, fallopian tube cancer, or primary peritoneal cancer.

The recent funding will also support the expansion of Outpace Bio's internal and partnered pipelines. These pipelines are optimized for rapid clinical validation and include programs targeting various cell types and disease indications.

The Series B funding round saw participation from a mix of new and existing investors. New investors included Qatar Investment Authority, Surveyor Capital, Sheatree Capital, Black Opal Ventures, and Alexandria Venture Investments. They joined the ranks of existing backers such as ARTIS Ventures, Playground Global, Bristol Myers Squibb, Abstract Ventures, Civilization Ventures, Mubadala Capital, Breton Capital Ventures, WRF Capital, and Sahsen Ventures.

With this financial backing, Outpace Bio is well-positioned to advance its groundbreaking work in cell therapy, potentially transforming the landscape of cancer treatment. The company's platform and lead candidate, OPB-101, hold promise for improving the efficacy and safety of cell therapies in treating solid tumors, a long-standing challenge in oncology. As Outpace Bio prepares for its first patient dosing in 2025, the biotech community will be watching closely to see if this innovative approach can deliver on its promise.

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