Weston, Florida-based ILiAD Biotechnologies, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on the prevention and treatment of diseases caused by Bordetella pertussis, has entered into securities purchase agreements for an oversubscribed Series B financing. The company said the round is expected to generate approximately USD 115 million in gross proceeds before fees and expenses.

The financing was led by RA Capital Management, with participation from new institutional investors including Janus Henderson Investors and BNP Paribas Asset Management, alongside support from existing investors. The company said the funds will be used to advance the clinical development of its lead candidate, BPZE1, a next-generation intranasal pertussis vaccine. Specifically, the capital is earmarked for upcoming Phase 3 trials and the expansion of its manufacturing capabilities to address the global resurgence of whooping cough.

The ILiAD portfolio is centered on its proprietary live-attenuated vaccine platform, which originated from research conducted at the Institut Pasteur de Lille and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). Unlike traditional acellular vaccines, the company’s lead candidate, BPZE1, is designed to colonize the nasopharynx to induce mucosal immunity, potentially blocking both disease and transmission. To date, BPZE1 has completed four Phase 2 human clinical studies, including the CHAMPION-1 human challenge trial and the SUPER study in school-age children. The US FDA has granted BPZE1 Fast Track designation for the prevention of pertussis.

ILiAD was founded in 2012 by CEO Keith Rubin, MD, who previously held leadership roles at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and founded Seedlings Life Science Ventures. The company’s underlying science is derived from a 2013 licensing agreement with the Institut Pasteur de Lille for the BPZE1 strain. This Series B round follows a 2022 financing that raised approximately USD 42.8 million, bringing the company’s total funding to date to approximately USD 215 million. Additionally, ILiAD has previously received over USD 10 million in European Union funding to support early-stage research into its pertussis vaccine candidates