Mbrace Therapeutics, Inc.

For this round of fundraisings, TPG will seek companies across the spectrum, from preclinical to commercial to medical devices and pharma services. Asset manager TPG, which has supported biotechs such as Sionna Therapeutics and Santa Ana Bio, has topped up its Life Science Innovations fund, bringing total capital raised for the effort to $580 million.The fund is used for emerging life science companies, specifically to aid companies in advancing breakthrough technologies to clinical proof-of-concept. TPG specifically focuses on companies working in oncology, rare and orphan diseases, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, ophthalmology, cardiometabolic diseases and on different drug modalities and technology platforms.For this round of fundraisings, TPG will seek companies across the spectrum, from preclinical to commercial to medical devices and pharma services.The $580 million in capital includes commitments from TPG’s The Rise Fund, which was used to contribute to Sionna Therapeutics’ $182 million series C in March. The biotech is developing treatments for cystic fibrosis. TPG also participated in a $168 million raise for precision medicine antibody company Santa Ana Bio in June, and has contributed to Ellodi Pharmaceuticals, Saluda Medical, MBrace Therapeutics and Bicara Therapeutics.The firm had $224 billion in assets under management as of March 31, which was a 63% increase over the amount a year earlier. 

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- MBrace™ Therapeutics, Inc. (“MBrace”), a clinical-stage oncology company developing novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) against solid tumor targets, today announced that the Company will be presenting a Trial in Progress (TIP) poster at the upcoming 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, being held from May 31-June 4, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. The poster will highlight the trial design, dosing regimen and study protocol for the Company's ongoing Phase 1/1b clinical trial of MBRC-101. This first-in-human, multicenter, open-label study (NCT06014658) is examining the safety and efficacy of MBRC-101 in patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors refractory to standard treatment. The Company expects to report initial clinical data from this trial in the first half of 2025. MBRC-101 selectively targets the EphA5 receptor tyrosine kinase, a cell surface receptor highly expressed in many commonly occurring cancers. Through its precision targeting of EphA5, a novel mechanism for solid tumor-directed therapy, MBRC-101 offers a potential new treatment modality, particularly for patients with advanced tumors that are non-responsive to prior cancer therapy. “ADCs are an incredibly promising class of therapeutics with the potential to offer improved efficacy and greater tolerability,” said Shiraj Sen, M.D., Ph.D., medical oncologist and director of clinical research at NEXT Oncology – Dallas, and an investigator in the Phase 1/1b study of MBRC-101. “I look forward to seeing the clinical progress for MBRC-101 and the potential impact that this investigational therapy could have for patients with a cancer that isn’t responding to current treatments.” Details of the ASCO 2024 presentation are as follows: Abstract Title: A multi-center, open-label phase 1/1b dose finding, safety, and pharmacokinetic study of MBRC-101, an Anth-EphA5 monomethyl auristatin (MMAE) antibody drug conjugate, in advanced refractory solid tumors Presenter: Shiraj Sen, M.D., Ph.D., Medical Oncologist and Director of Clinical Research, NEXT Oncology – Dallas Session Type and Title: Poster Session – Developmental Therapeutics – Molecularly Targeted Agents and Tumor Biology Session Date and Time: Saturday, June 1, 2024, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM CDT Poster Bd #: 305b Abstract Number: TPS3161 About MBRC-101 MBRC-101 is an investigational antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) that uniquely targets the EphA5 receptor tyrosine kinase, which is present in multiple cancers including, but not limited to, breast, non-small cell lung (NSCLC), colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancers. MBRC-101 is currently being evaluated in the MBRC-101-001 Phase 1/1b clinical trial, a first-in-human, open-label, multicenter, dose escalation and dose expansion study enrolling patients with advanced metastatic solid tumors refractory to standard-of-care treatment. For more information about the MBRC-101-001 clinical trial and to review patient eligibility criteria visit clinicaltrials.gov (NCT06014658). About MBrace Therapeutics MBrace is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutic agents for patients with cancer. MBrace develops innovative treatments for cancer patients by developing and validating novel antibody-drug conjugates using the SPARTA technology pioneered by its founders. MBrace is headquartered in San Diego, CA, with research facilities at The Thomas O. Daniel Research Incubator in Summit, NJ. For additional information, please visit MBrace’s website at .

BTX-A51 is a Novel, Small Molecule, Multi-Kinase Inhibitor That Synergistically Co-Targets Master Regulators of Cancer to Promote Cancer Cell Death Enrollment is Underway in Phase 2a Combination Study in Acute Myeloid Leukemia; Enrollment in Phase 2a Targeted Breast Cancer Study to Start in Q2 2024 Financing Enables Company to Fund Multiple Studies to Clinical Proof-of-Concept into 2026 BROOKLINE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Edgewood Oncology, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on delivering BTX-A51 to patients with hematologic malignancies and genetically-defined solid tumors, today emerged from stealth with $20 million in Series A financing backed by Alta Partners to advance the clinical development of BTX-A51 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and a precision medicine approach to breast cancer. BTX-A51 is a first-in-class, small molecule, multi-kinase inhibitor of casein kinase 1 alpha (CK1α), cyclin-dependent kinase 7 (CDK7) and CDK9 that synergistically co-targets master regulators of cancer to promote programmed cell death, or apoptosis. Edgewood acquired the rights to BTX-A51 from Yissum, the technology transfer company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in 2023 and will use the Series A funding to advance efficacy studies in AML and breast cancer. “We formed Edgewood Oncology because of the synergistic mechanism of action and promising safety and anti-tumor data that was observed with BTX-A51 in Phase 1 in AML and solid tumor patients. We look forward to further developing this compound using a precision medicine approach in patient populations who lack effective treatment options,” said David N. Cook, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Edgewood Oncology. “Furthermore, we have taken a virtual approach to drug development, which allows us to remain highly-focused, agile and efficient as we advance this investigational compound in the clinic.” Testing the Use of Combination Therapy in AML There exists a significant unmet need for improved first-line regimens in AML as well as for patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) disease. In a Phase 1 study in heavily pre-treated R/R AML patients, monotherapy BTX-A51 demonstrated a favorable safety pro encouraging antileukemic activity. As a next step, Edgewood initiated a study of BTX-A51 in combination with azacitidine in R/R AML patients in December 2023. The aim of this Phase 2, multicenter, open-label study is to evaluate the response rate (CR, CRh and CRi) as well as the safety, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of BTX-A51 in combination with azacitidine in patients with R/R AML. “We’re incredibly excited about the potential of BTX-A51in this patient population, and we also have good reason to believe that BTX-A51 could be complementary to standard of care in first-line unfit AML,” said Zung Thai, M.D., Ph.D., chief medical officer, Edgewood Oncology. “In Phase 1 monotherapy, we observed several complete responses and a wide therapeutic window and our preclinical data also suggest that BTX-A51 acts synergistically with both azacitidine and venetoclax in human leukemia cells and animal models.” Edgewood is expecting to initiate a Phase 2 study in breast cancer patients with a genetically-defined pro Q2 2024. Leadership Team Comprised of Seasoned Biotech Veterans “Edgewood’s leadership team not only has a strong track record in company formation and drug development, but Dr. Thai brings an in-depth understanding of BTX-A51, having led all clinical and regulatory efforts for this program during his tenure at BiotheryX,” said Dan Janney, managing partner, Alta Partners. “Moreover, we believe Edgewood’s virtual approach to drug development is the best strategy to get innovative new medicines to patients as quickly and efficiently as possible.” The executive team includes Dr. Cook as chief executive officer, and Dr. Thai as chief medical officer. BTX-A51’s scientific founder is Yinon Ben-Neriah, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Immunology and Cancer Research, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The company’s board of directors includes Dr. Cook, Dan Janney, and Isan Chen, M.D., a noted clinical oncologist and co-founder, president and chief executive officer, MBrace Therapeutics, Inc. About Edgewood Oncology Edgewood Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that was founded to deliver on the promise of BTX-A51 for patients with hematologic malignancies and genetically-defined solid tumors. BTX-A51 is a novel small molecule, multi-kinase inhibitor that synergistically co-targets master regulators of cancer to activate programmed cell death, or apoptosis. BTX-A51 holds promise in acute myeloid leukemia and genetically-defined solid tumors, which are the focus of ongoing clinical programs. For more information, please visit , and follow us on LinkedIn. About Alta Partners Founded in 1996, Alta Partners is one of the nation's premier healthcare venture capital firms. Alta has raised $2.6 billion in capital through 11 venture funds and invests in healthcare companies across the development continuum, from company formation to later-stage opportunities, and has funded more than 175 companies in the sector to date. In August 2022, Stat Reports recognized Alta as the country's top performing biotech venture fund. Alta has offices in the San Francisco Bay Area, Denver, and Jackson, WY. For more information, please visit . View source version on businesswire.com: Contacts Tracy Lessor TLOW Communications, LLC 617-519-9827 tracy@tlowcommunications.com Source: Edgewood Oncology View this news release online at: