On April 2, 2020 GPB Scientific, Inc., a developer of breakthrough technologies for therapeutic cell production and bioprocessing, reported a $25.5 million funding commitment (Press release, GPB Scientific, APR 2, 2020, View Source [SID1234556113]). The financing is led by Vensana Capital alongside strategic investor Amgen Ventures with ongoing participation by existing investors.
Schedule your 30 min Free 1stOncology Demo!
Discover why more than 1,500 members use 1stOncology™ to excel in:
Early/Late Stage Pipeline Development - Target Scouting - Clinical Biomarkers - Indication Selection & Expansion - BD&L Contacts - Conference Reports - Combinatorial Drug Settings - Companion Diagnostics - Drug Repositioning - First-in-class Analysis - Competitive Analysis - Deals & Licensing
Schedule Your 30 min Free Demo!
GPB Scientific previewed its Curate Cell Processing System in January at the Phacilitate World Leaders / Stem Cell Summit, where it attracted high interest for its exceptional performance. The Curate system utilizes its proprietary microfluidic deterministic lateral displacement technology in an easy-to-use closed system that has demonstrated the ability to deliver high yield and quality to process CAR-T, stem, and other cells with the throughput and scalability required for cell and gene therapies.
"Vensana Capital looks to support entrepreneurs with medical technology products that can be scaled to have significant impact on healthcare. GPB’s Curate system can dramatically reduce the overall manufacturing cost, therapeutic yield losses, and process time for producing life-saving cell therapies for cancer and other diseases," said Justin Klein, M.D., co-founder and managing partner at Vensana Capital. "The enhanced cell quality and higher yield not only address current cell therapy manufacturing cost and challenges but also have the potential to enhance the therapeutic benefits for patients. With investment from our inaugural fund we will help GPB drive the clinical assessment, GMP production, and commercialization of the Curate system."
"The Curate system is poised to be transformative for cell and gene therapies," said Philip Tagari, Amgen Vice President, Therapeutic Discovery. "As the industry works to implement reliable, efficient and cost-effective systems for the global deployment of these breakthrough medical treatments, GPB has devised an elegant yet powerful solution for cell separation, washing and concentration. The broad potential of this innovation aligns with Amgen’s mission to partner with innovators in the fight against serious illness."
"We are grateful for the support and confidence that Vensana and Amgen Ventures have placed in GPB Scientific for the continued development and commercialization of our Curate system," said Mike Grisham, CEO of GBP Scientific. "Our company was founded with a commitment to apply the groundbreaking microfluidic technology we have developed to get people better, and the strength of this $25.5 million financing will ensure we achieve that goal."