Actym Therapeutics – a company pioneering a new drug modality to treat solid tumors – recently announced it has extended its Series A financing round with an additional close of $25.5 million, bringing the total Series A amount raised to $59.5 million. The funding extension was co-led by existing investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund and Illumina Ventures. GKCC LLC joined the round with Actym’s other current shareholders, Panacea Ventures and JLo Ventures.
Actym’s proprietary platform S. Typhimurium-Attenuated Cancer Therapy (STACT) represents a new approach to achieving a comprehensive immunological re-activation of the Tumor Microenvironment (TME) to treat solid tumors. Using a genetically modified bacterial vehicle, STACT-based therapeutics transport therapeutic payloads to initiate a selective immune response within the TME.
Actym’s lead candidate ACTM-838 safely introduces optimized IL-15 and STING, which are two highly potent and synergistic payloads, directly into the TME. In preclinical studies, ACTM-838 is enriched within the TME, unlocking a comprehensive and durable innate and adaptive anti-tumor immune response. The Series A funding extension will support the company’s entry into a Phase 1 clinical trial. This trial was designed to achieve proof of mechanism for ACTM-838, demonstrating its ability to selectively enrich in tumors, deliver payload combinations there, and positively re-activate the immuno-compromised TME. And the trial is designed to assess the dose selection, safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of ACTM-838.
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“We have advanced the STACT platform and defined a value-building clinical pathway that will allow us to translate our deep understanding of the tumor microenvironment into a novel approach to an effective and safe cancer treatment. We value the continued commitment from our current investors and welcome GKCC LLC into the syndicate. Through their combined support, we aim to bring innovative therapies to patients across multiple solid tumor indications.”
— Christopher Thanos, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder of Actym Therapeutics
“Illumina Ventures is committed to driving innovation by supporting companies dedicated to using breakthrough science to transform the healthcare landscape. Actym’s pioneering approach to cancer treatment aligns perfectly with our vision. We are convinced that the Actym team is well-positioned to deliver on the promise of its platform and its new drug modality.”
— Ron Mazumder, Ph.D., Partner at Illumina Ventures
“Actym Therapeutics is pushing the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy with an adaptable platform that precisely targets the TME and can deliver a wide array of therapeutic payloads to treat solid tumors. We are excited by the transformative potential of ACTM-838 and look forward to the company’s next phase of clinical and corporate development.”
— Julie Cherrington, Ph.D., Executive Chair of the Actym Board of Directors
