Single-cell analysis reveals biological insights that cannot be obtained when looking at cells collectively. Celsius Therapeutics has been using its single-cell analysis technology for four years, and the biotech startup now has an autoimmune disease drug candidate and $83 million Supports the development of this antibody drug and two cancer programs.
Celsius in Cambridge, Massachusetts roll out Received $65 million in Series A funding in 2018. The new cash announced Thursday is an extension of the biotech company’s Series A and B rounds.
Celsius’ primary autoimmune disease target is inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a disease currently treated with anti-inflammatory drugs, including therapies that block the pro-inflammatory signaling protein tumor necrosis factor (TNF). However, not all patients respond to anti-TNF therapy, so Celsius aims to provide an alternative by developing drugs against different targets.
The drug candidate, announced Thursday by Celsius, is an antibody that blocks TREM1. This protein, expressed by myeloid cells, also plays a key role in amplifying the inflammatory signature of IBD. Celsius said it identified the antibody, called CEL383, through single-cell analysis of hundreds of clinical samples. The company’s proprietary technology employs machine learning algorithms to identify and characterize subsets of disease-causing cell types that contribute to resistance to anti-TNF therapy. The biotech company added that it has defined a series of targets that regulate the behavior of these cell subtypes, and TREM1 is the first of these targets.
Celsius is also using its technology to discover drugs to treat cancer. The company has two in-house drug discovery programs in oncology, each targeting targets identified by single-cell analysis of hundreds of solid tumor samples. Those goals and other details about the plan remain undisclosed. The first Celsius cancer program is for colorectal cancer, and it is being carried out in partnership with France-based Servier. In a prepared statement, Celsius President and CEO Tariq Kassum said his company’s technology has now performed single-cell RNA sequencing on more than 1,000 clinical tissue samples to build the startup’s dataset .
Casdin Capital led the Series B round. Other participants in the latest round include early investors Alexandria Venture Investments, GV, Heritage Provider Network and Third Rock Ventures. They were joined by new investors including Amgen Ventures, Amplitude Ventures, Catalio Capital, Co-Win Ventures, Fast Track Initiative, Section 32. With the identification of the IBD candidate, Celsius expects to file an Investigational New Drug Application with the FDA within the next year; a Phase 1 study may begin in early 2023.
“2022 is a very exciting year for Celsius,” Kassam said in a short video posted to the biotech company’s Twitter feed. “This is a year where all the science and work we’ve done over the past few years has really translated into viable treatments for patients with inflammatory bowel disease and cancer.”
Today Celsius is pleased to share some recent company highlights, including the nomination of our first clinical candidate #IBD, an additional $83 million for financing and key initiatives in the coming year.More from the CEO @tkassum Below and here. ➡️ https://t.co/9pm9cbMa50 pic.twitter.com/nruGAwmcvd
— Celsius Therapy (@celsiustx) March 24, 2022
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