Watertown, Massachusetts-based ai3Bio launched with USD 48 million in Series A funding to develop in vivo therapies designed to selectively eliminate pathogenic Th17 cells in autoimmune disease.
The round was led by founding investors UPMC Enterprises and Ziff Capital Partners, with participation from Cockrell Interests and Tanis Ventures. The financing will support IND-enabling development of the company's STARx and T Deplete platforms, with first-in-human studies planned in autoimmune disease.
STARx uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver mRNA intended to trigger selective elimination of disease-causing Th17 cells, while T Deplete uses an antibody-based approach to recruit immune cells against the same pathogenic T-cell population. ai3Bio said both approaches are designed to remove IL-17-producing Th17 cells while preserving the broader immune system.
In preclinical testing, the STARx approach depleted pathogenic Th17 cells in blood samples from patients with autoimmune disease, while T Deplete showed activity in a non-human primate model. IND-enabling safety studies are underway, although the company has not disclosed its lead autoimmune indication or the specific surface target used by the antibody platform.