Verseau Therapeutics launches with focus on immunotherapies

Verseau Therapeutics has launched to develop immunotherapies that act as checkpoint modulators of macrophages, inducing an immune response against cancer. The company received a $50m investment from 3SBio, 20 / 20 HealthCare Partners, Yonghua Capital, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, InHarv Partners, Highlight Capital and Alexandria Venture Investments. Verseau Therapeutics will use the funds to advance macrophage checkpoint modulator (MCM) programmes into the clinic. Macrophages exhibit a variety of functional responses such as pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune responses. The company has licensed the siRNA delivery technology from the MIT laboratories. It intends to leverage the technology, among similar delivery approaches, with its all human translational system to identify and validate macrophage targets. The company’s pipeline comprises a PSGL-1 candidate, which reprogrammes macrophages to a pro-inflammatory state, stimulates T-cells and attracts other immune cells to produce a coordinated anti-tumour response.