On June 26, 2020 Artiva Biotherapeutics, Inc., an oncology company focused on developing and commercializing allogeneic natural killer (NK) cell therapies, reported the launch of the company with the close of a $78 million Series A financing (Press release, Artiva Biotherapeutics, JUN 26, 2020, View Source [SID1234561489]). The financing was co-led by 5AM Ventures, venBio Partners, and RA Capital Management, and joined by Medivate Partners and seed investors and strategic partners GC LabCell (Green Cross LabCell Corporation) (KRX: 144510) and GC (Green Cross Holdings Corporation) (KRX: 005250). Artiva will use the proceeds of this financing to develop off-the-shelf universal NK cells for use in combination with monoclonal antibody therapy and tumor targeting CAR-NK cell therapies.

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"We have seen tremendous breakthroughs in redirecting immune cells against cancer, but patient access to these therapies has been limited by safety, scale, manufacturing, logistics, and cost issues," said Tom Farrell, President and CEO of Artiva. "Our goal at Artiva is to do more, leveraging GC LabCell’s foundational work on true off-the-shelf NK cells into a pipeline of product candidates that are accessible to any cancer patient who may benefit."

Artiva’s initial pipeline includes AB-101, a universal NK cell therapy for use in combination with monoclonal antibodies. The company plans to enter the clinic this year with AB-101 in combination with an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody for the treatment of relapsed refractory B-cell lymphoma. The company is also advancing AB-201, a novel HER2-specific CAR-NK cell therapy for the treatment of HER2+ solid tumors, and AB-202, a CD19-specific CAR-NK cell therapy for the treatment of CD19+ B-cell malignancies. In each case, a large scale of production along with effective cryopreservation enables high and repeat dosing.

Scaling NK Cell Therapy for Cancer

Artiva’s pipeline of universal and targeted NK cell therapies leverages the innate anti-tumor biology and safety features of NK cells. The therapies are optimized for enhanced efficacy through chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), therapeutic antibody combination therapy, and genetic engineering. The pipeline leverages a manufacturing platform that supports large-scale production and cryopreservation of off-the-shelf allogeneic NK cell therapies and proprietary CAR-NK and NK-specific gene-editing technologies to augment therapeutic activity.

Artiva’s platform incorporates cell expansion, activation, and engineering technology developed and enhanced through mid-stage clinical trials by the company’s corporate partner, GC LabCell. Artiva has exclusive ex-Asia-Pacific license agreements with GC LabCell covering their core manufacturing and CAR technology and initial product candidates and an option to take exclusive ex-Asia-Pacific licenses to additional research candidates generated by GC LabCell, under the governance of a Joint Steering Committee.

"The inherent biology of natural killer cells holds enormous therapeutic potential for cancer therapy, but until Artiva, technological barriers held back their advancement," said 5AM Ventures partner Brian Daniels, M.D. "Artiva is systematically resolving the barriers to safe and effective NK cell therapies at a scale that enables broader access to potentially life-saving cancer treatments."

Leadership Team: Deep Cell Therapy and Oncology Experience

Artiva’s proven executive team brings deep, diverse cell therapy and oncology experience to research and advance a pipeline of NK and CAR-NK cell therapies to treat cancer.