Forge Biologics, a gene therapy-focused contract development and manufacturing organization, reported that the closing of a $120 million Series B financing (Press release, Forge Biologics, APR 29, 2021, View Source [SID1234578742]). The financing was led by RA Capital Management with participation from Perceptive Advisors and related affiliates, Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company), Octagon Capital, and Marshall Wace. Existing investors Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund and Drive Capital also participated. In connection with the financing, Matthew Hammond, Ph.D., of RA Capital, and Fred Callori of the Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund will join the Company’s Board of Directors.

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"We are very pleased to be working with RA Capital and a strong syndicate of top-tier life sciences investors who share our vision as we now advance our growth as a global gene therapy manufacturing and development company," said Timothy J. Miller, Ph.D., CEO, President and Co-Founder of Forge Biologics. "We have built Forge into a focused gene therapy development engine with a firm commitment to helping our clients provide potentially life-saving gene therapies to patients. We believe that focusing entirely on gene therapy will allow us to best serve our clients and patients by efficiently delivering high quality product."

Forge will use the proceeds of this Series B financing to accelerate the expansion of its AAV manufacturing CDMO capabilities with cGMP production capacity, as well as operate its subsidiaries that are advancing novel AAV gene therapy programs. Forge brings a patients-first approach to accelerate the development of transformative medicines for those who need them most and is addressing the growing demand for gene therapy manufacturing capacity. Through its currently-operational 175,000 square foot cGMP facility in Columbus, Ohio, dedicated to AAV viral vector manufacturing, Forge offers end-to-end manufacturing services, including research and toxicology grade AAV production, to accelerate gene therapy programs from preclinical through clinical and commercial stage manufacturing.

"The success of complex biologics like AAV is exhausting existing manufacturing capacity around the industry. This financing will help to address this industry-wide capacity shortage by properly capitalizing an emerging gene therapy-focused CDMO capable of producing high quality cGMP product for its clients," said Matthew Hammond, Ph.D., principal at RA Capital Management. "We are confident that Forge’s experienced team will become the trusted partner of innovative therapeutics companies, working collaboratively with clients to successfully deliver AAV manufacturing solutions."

Through its subsidiaries, Forge is also working to advance a proprietary pipeline of novel gene therapies, including its lead program FBX-101 for the treatment of patients with Krabbe disease, a first-in-human gene therapy utilizing an adeno-associated virus (AAV) to deliver a functioning copy of the GALC gene intravenously to cells in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral organs.

Chardan Capital Markets acted as exclusive placement agent for the offering, with Ice Miller acting as legal advisor.