Accro Bioscience, a clinical-stage biotechnology company headquartered in Suzhou, China, with a US presence in New York, has closed a USD 50 million Series C financing round to fund the Phase IIb development of AC-101, its selective RIPK2 inhibitor for moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, alongside other pipeline candidates targeting immune-mediated diseases.
OrbiMed led the round, with participation from TCG Crossover, LAV, Cenova Capital, and existing investors Shenzhen Capital Group and Oriza Holdings. The company said proceeds will support the Phase IIb trial of AC-101 in ulcerative colitis and advance additional inflammatory and autoimmune disease candidates. Accro previously closed a Series B of more than USD 50 million in January 2022, led by Hongtai Aplus with a consortium of Chinese institutional investors. In August 2025, the company also entered an exclusive license agreement with Fosun Pharma for AC-201, a TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor, covering Greater China rights, with upfront and near-term payments of RMB 80 million and up to RMB 76 million in additional development milestones.
AC-101 has completed Phase I studies in healthy volunteers in Australia and China and a Phase Ib/IIa proof-of-concept study in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis. The compound has received IND clearance from the US FDA for a Phase II trial. An ongoing Phase I/II study in participants with moderate-to-severe active ulcerative colitis is currently recruiting. AC-101 targets RIPK2, a kinase that mediates the NOD signaling pathway; dysregulation of NOD/RIPK2 signaling has been implicated in inflammatory bowel disease and other autoimmune conditions. The company describes the compound as a first- or best-in-class oral small molecule within this mechanism.
Beyond AC-101, Accro's pipeline includes AC-201, the TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor licensed to Fosun Pharma for Greater China. The company has not publicly named additional pipeline candidates, though its Series C announcement references a multi-asset program across inflammatory and autoimmune indications.