Gene mAb platform drives $40m investment for Gennao Bio

Gennao Bio has raised 40 million in Series A financing to support its gene monoclonal antibody platform (GMAB) and the development of targeted nucleic acid therapeutics.

Non-viral gene therapy firm Gennao Bio has raised $40 million with finances led by Logos Capital, OrbiMed and Surveyor Capital (a Citadel company).

“Proceeds from the financing will enable us to accelerate the advancement of our proprietary, first-in-class gene monoclonal antibody platform (GMAB) and the development of targeted nucleic acid therapeutics for the treatment of oncology and rare monogenic skeletal muscle diseases,” Stephen Squinto CEO of Gennao Bio told BioProcess Insider.

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The firm’s GMAB platform technology is licensed from Yale University and according to Squinto while it “utilize[s] standard monoclonal antibody (mAb) manufacturing processes to develop our GMAB complexes […] our technology is unique.”

He added this is because “it does not require the use of a covalent linker to bind the nucleic acid to the antibody. In forming GMAB complexes, the antibody non-covalently binds to the nucleic acid, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process relative to other gene delivery platforms and potentially leading to a more optimal safety and efficacy profile.”

According to the firm, the non-viral delivery platform differs from the traditional gene delivery system and can deliver various types of nucleic acids, which allows for repeat dosing and an established manufacturing process.

Squinto said co-founder Pete Glazer “discovered the ability of a novel, cell-penetrating antibody to non-covalently bind to and deliver a wide range of nucleic acid payloads including DNA, mRNA, ASOs and siRNA,” which is one of the reasons the company was founded in 2020.

“Gennao Bio has the potential to benefit the industry by bringing a first-in-class delivery system that has the potential to be highly versatile across nucleic acid therapeutics, flexible with dosing/optimization, and convenient in terms of both patient administration and manufacturing,” said Squinto.