Key Takeaways
- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) raised $67.0M (Series B) from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), 8VC, Wing Venture Capital, Artis Ventures, Pfizer Ventures, Amgen Ventures.
- Sector: Biotechnology & Life Sciences.
- Geography: United States.
Analysis
Cartography Biosciences, Inc., a pioneer in oncology focused on developing innovative T-cell engaging bispecific and multi-specific antibody therapies that target unique and highly specific tumor antigens, has successfully closed a $67 million Series B financing round. The funding will enable the company to advance its lead program, CBI-1214, into clinical trials and continue to accelerate other unique oncology programs derived from its ATLAS and SUMMIT drug discovery platforms.
The Series B round was spearheaded by new investor Pfizer Ventures, with participation from additional new investors including LG Corp, Amgen Ventures, Finchley H.V., Global BioAccess Fund, and Lotte Holdings CVC. Existing investors Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Bio + Health, 8VC, Wing Venture Capital, Catalio Capital Management, AME Cloud Ventures, ARTIS Ventures, and Gaingels also participated. As a result of the funding, Michael Baran, MBA, Ph.D., Partner at Pfizer Ventures, has been appointed to Cartography’s Board of Directors. In addition, Troy E. Wilson, Ph.D., J.D., previously an Independent Director, has been elected Chairman of the Board.
Cartography's lead program, CBI-1214, is a T-cell engager molecule targeting LY6G6D, an emerging and highly specific tumor antigen for treating colorectal cancer patients. This target, with minimal expression on healthy cells, is uniquely expressed within the microsatellite stable and microsatellite instability-low subtypes of colorectal cancer, representing the majority of colorectal cancer patients and a significant area of unmet medical need. CBI-1214 features protein engineering elements specifically designed to optimize anti-tumor activity.
Kevin Parker, Ph.D., CEO of Cartography Biosciences, revealed that their ATLAS and SUMMIT platforms have identified several novel targets and target pairs by combining insights from thousands of patient tissue samples. According to him, CBI-1214, their first announced program, has the potential to be a first and best-in-class molecule targeting colorectal cancer, positioning Cartography Biosciences as an emerging leader in new targeted therapies.