UC Investments has backed cancer cell therapy developer A2 Biotherapeutics, bringing the company's total funding to $136m.
A2 Biotherapeutics, a US-based solid tumour cell therapy developer, closed a $71.5m series B round on Tuesday involving a division of University of California.
Hartford HealthCare Endowment, the philanthropic arm of healthcare provider Hartford HealthCare, took part in the round, as did Column Group, Vida Ventures, Samsara BioCapital, Nextech Invest, Casdin Capital and Euclidean Capital.
University of California backed the series B round through UC Investments, part of its Office of the Chief Investment Officer of the Regents.
Founded in 2018, A2 Biotherapeutics is working on cell therapies to destroy cancer tumours while sparing healthy cells whose genome remains intact.
The funding will go to platform and clinical development, before manufacturing its three candidates with a view of first-in-human studies in 2022.
A2 Biotherapeutics has now raised $136m in all, including $57m in series A funding in November 2019 from investors including Vida Ventures, Column Group, Samsara BioCapital and Nextech Invest.
Vida Ventures appears to have also invested in April 2018 when the company was still operating in stealth.
