Commit Biologics, a pioneer in activating the complement system to treat cancer and autoimmune disease, has exited from stealth mode with €16 million in seed funding from Bioqube Ventures and Novo Holdings.
Commit plans to accelerate the development of its Bispecific Complement Engaging (BiCE) platform, which utilizes single-domain antibodies that bind to the complement protein C1q to activate the complement system, a fast-acting and potent part of the innate immune system. And BiCE is a modular system that can arm antibodies to direct the complement system in a highly targeted way so that it selectively kills cancer cells or immune cells that drive autoimmune diseases.
Commit spun out of Aarhus University in Denmark, which has built a global reputation as a center of excellence in complement system biology over the last three decades. And the company was initially incubated and supported by the BioInnovation Institute in Denmark.
Commit’s engineered and precise approach to triggering the complement system is expected to have a wide therapeutic index and broad applicability. And BiCE technology is modular and active across multiple tumor-associated and target antigens. This approach to activating the immune system can be used in conjunction with other mechanisms of action like T-cell directed therapies or other targeted treatments.
While antibody-drug conjugates, T-cell engages, and CAR-Ts made important advances in recent years, these approaches can be limited by toxicities, specific target density considerations, and T-cell-directed therapies, T-cell exhaustion. BiCE’s technology can potentially address these limitations to enable the development of effective therapeutic options for treating cancer and autoimmune diseases.
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“This financing from Novo Holdings and Bioqube Ventures validates our pioneering approach of engaging and activating the complement system for therapeutic purposes. Our BiCE™ platform gives us the ability to engage the complement system so that it attacks targeted cells in a highly selective manner. This platform also means we can use established antibodies, which cuts development times and reduces risk, to develop best-in-class therapeutics. This is a novel way of harnessing the immune system to tackle cancer and autoimmune disease, and we are confident in the tremendous potential it offers.”
– Krishna Polu, MD, Chief Executive Officer of Commit Biologics
“With over 30 years of academic rigor from leaders in the complement field behind it, Commit is now unlocking the potential of the complement system to transform the fight against cancer and autoimmune diseases. The team has an incredible track record of domain expertise, and we look forward to working with them to support them on their journey.”
– Jeroen Bakker, Partner at Novo Holdings
“We believe Commit is doing something truly novel in the field of complement and advancing a technology with a multitude of therapeutic applications. Through its direct engagement of the complement system, this BiCE™ technology is a best-in-class approach for complement activation. The ability to arm conventional antibodies with potent complement activators for the development of targeted cell killing therapeutics is also a very attractive way of accelerating and derisking product development.”
– Roderick Verhelst, Principal at Bioqube Ventures
