Valora Therapeutics – a biotechnology company pioneering a novel approach to immunotherapy – announced the closing of its seed funding round. The funding round was co-led by Avalon BioVentures together with Bregua Corporation and TigerGene, investors recognized for their expertise in supporting innovative biotech companies. And additional participation was provided by Alexandria Venture Investments and Correlation Ventures. This investment will advance Valora’s proprietary AbLec platform to develop novel immunotherapeutics.
Valora’s AbLec (Antibody-Lectin chimera) platform is expected to provide a fresh perspective on restoring proper immunological competency. And by precisely targeting specific sugar molecules on cells, AbLecs modulate glyco-immune checkpoints—a key control point in the body’s immune response.
This approach holds significant potential for developing first-in-class and best-in-class therapeutics in oncology, autoimmune diseases, and other therapeutic areas. Stanford University exclusively licenses the technology. It builds on the transformative work performed at the Stanford laboratory of Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, recipient of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and a world leader in glycobiology, together with Dr. Jessica Stark, who is currently an Assistant Professor of Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Both Drs. Carolyn Bertozzi and Jessica Stark are scientific founders and advisors for Valora.
This seed funding will enable Valora to explore and develop the full potential of the AbLec platform, validating specific mechanisms of action and advancing lead molecules into preclinical development. And Valora has established its R&D operations at the Avalon BioVentures Accelerator in San Diego, California, providing access to a supportive ecosystem of biotech experts and resources.
KEY QUOTES:
“We are incredibly honored to partner with highly recognized investors and Valora’s scientific founders, Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi and Dr. Jessica Stark, to develop the AbLec platform as a trailblazing approach for next-generation immunomodulators. This funding allows us to accelerate our R&D efforts, optimizing the AbLec platform and advancing AbLec therapeutics toward the clinic. We take great pride in the work we do at Valora and are deeply grateful for the support of our investors.”
– Miguel Garcia-Guzman, Ph.D., Valora’s CEO
“The AbLec platform represents a significant leap forward in manipulating glycoimmunology and unlocking new paradigms in immunotherapy. I look forward to providing scientific support to Valora as it advances lead molecules toward clinical development.”
– Dr. Stark
“We are excited to co-lead the seed funding round for Valora. We believe Valora has the team and resources to lead the development of novel AbLec therapeutics and to rapidly advance this groundbreaking technology toward the clinic.”
– Sandy Madigan, Ph.D., Managing Partner at Avalon BioVentures and a Board Member of Valora Therapeutics
“We are excited to collaborate with Valora’s team to advance the AbLec platform for developing novel therapies. This innovative approach has promising potential for creating leading-edge treatments across a range of therapeutic areas.”
– Stefan Heller, Ph.D., who represents Bregua Corporation on the Board of Valora Therapeutics
“We are very excited to partner with Valora’s team to explore the promise of glyco-immune checkpoint modulation and deliver innovative biological therapeutics to alleviate patient suffering across a multitude of indications.”
– Audrey Warner, Partner at TigerGene and Director of Valora Therapeutics
