Oblenio Bio announced that it has closed an oversubscribed $62 million Series B financing round to advance its lead autoimmune disease program into clinical development. The round was led by Pfizer Ventures, with participation from new investors Deep Track Capital and GV. Aditum Bio, Oblenio’s founding and Series A investor, also participated.
Oblenio is developing LBL-051, a tri-specific T-cell engager designed to achieve a broad immune system reset for patients with refractory autoimmune diseases.
The company plans to use the Series B proceeds for the initial clinical development of LBL-051, including the initiation of a first-in-human proof-of-concept study this year.
LBL-051 unites three validated targets: BCMA, CD19, and CD3. The therapy is specifically engineered for autoimmune patients and is designed to safely and completely deplete B cells and plasma cells with the goal of achieving long-term drug-free remission.
Oblenio recently presented preclinical data at the 2026 European Congress of Rheumatology, highlighting LBL-051’s potential to safely achieve a deep and durable immune reset.
In non-human primates, step-up dosing resulted in complete depletion of peripheral and tissue B cells and plasma cells, followed by the emergence of immature, non-memory B cells in the blood upon recovery. Oblenio said these findings are consistent with changes seen in autoimmune patients who have achieved long-lasting drug-free remissions in the clinic.
The study also showed that the treatment did not cause cytokine release syndrome, including at high exposure levels. And it demonstrated dose-dependent decreases in peripheral blood immunoglobulins, consistent with plasma cell depletion.
In connection with the financing, Irena Melnikova of Pfizer Ventures and Rebecca Luse of Deep Track Capital joined Oblenio’s Board of Directors. They will serve alongside Oblenio CEO Samantha Truex and Aditum Bio representatives Joe Jimenez and Josh Gertsman.
Xiaoqiang Kang, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Leads Biolabs, will serve as a Board Observer. Oblenio holds an exclusive option from Leads Biolabs for a global license to develop, manufacture, and commercialize LBL-051 worldwide.
KEY QUOTES:
“Long-term drug-free remission could have a life-changing impact for autoimmune disease patients, and LBL-051’s differentiated preclinical profile suggests it may have the potential to contribute to that goal. Oblenio’s leadership has brought multiple groundbreaking therapeutics to patients, and I look forward to working with this accomplished group to rapidly advance LBL-051 through a robust clinical development plan.”
Irena Melnikova, Ph.D., Partner at Pfizer Ventures
“LBL-051 has the potential to transform the treatment of autoimmune disease, supported by robust preclinical data demonstrating broad B-cell and plasma cell depletion without causing cytokine release syndrome. This financing will accelerate LBL-051’s clinical development, including the initiation of our first-in-human proof-of-concept study this year, and we as a team will be singularly focused on establishing the power of this approach across indications.”
Samantha Truex, Chief Executive Officer of Oblenio Bio
“Aditum founded Oblenio to execute on the significant potential of combining BCMA, CD19 and CD3 targeting in autoimmune disease, differentiating from other single-target or bispecific options. We are excited to continue supporting Oblenio as it validates this approach in the clinic, alongside an exceptional syndicate of world-class investors.”
Josh Gertsman, Partner at Aditum Bio
