Gene therapy uses engineered viruses to reach their cellular destinations, but this process is not always without problems. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is the backbone of many approved and experimental gene therapies. It is foreign to the body and therefore triggers a dangerous immune response. Even if these complications do not occur, any antibodies produced by the immune system against the viral vector mean that the patient cannot receive a second dose when needed, because these antibodies will make the treatment ineffective.
Scientists at Ring Therapeutics believe that the answer to better gene therapy delivery is already in our minds. This startup is discovering viruses in humans.On Wednesday, this startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts announced the closure $117 million in financing Continue this research.
Ring is looking for candidate viruses from ring viruses that have co-evolved with humans and are unlikely to cause toxicity or side effects. The start-up company has established a database of ring viruses to classify them to determine their suitability for delivery to specific cells and the possibility of re-administration. The company said that these characteristics may lead to repeated use of gene therapy and nucleic acid drugs throughout the patient’s life without causing a dangerous immune response.
So far, Ring has not disclosed the leading indications. In fact, the company is casting a net. The company said that the “Anellovectors” library it will develop for internal and collaborative clinical projects may include oncology, cardiology, ophthalmology, central nervous system, rare diseases, lung diseases, etc.
Ring is not the only biotech startup that develops better ways to provide gene therapies and raises a lot of cash for research and development. Affinia Therapeutics (US$110 million in Series B financing)) Waltham, Massachusetts; Capsida (US$50 million in Series A financing plus US$90 million in cooperation with AbbVie) Thousand Oaks, California; and Cambridge Dyno Therapeutics ($100 million in Series A financing)) All closed financing rounds in recent months to support their own development of viral vector methods. However, the goal of these three companies is to produce better and more targeted AAVs. Ring stands out with its Anellovectors.
Ring’s research began with the venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering, which founded the company in 2017. Two years later, Flagship kicked off and lifted the veil of Ring. $50 million in fundingInvestors disclosed in the latest round of Series B financing include funds and accounts advised by Invus, Altitude Life Science Ventures, Partners Investment, UPMC Enterprises, T. Rowe Price Associates, and the founding investor Flagship.
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