Soteria Biotherapeutics–SEVERAL: investment, 202105 financing round Series A $42m co-led by Roche Venture Fund + 5AM Ventures

	Period	2021-05-17
	Money taker	Soteria Biotherapeutics Inc.
	Money source	SEVERAL
	Product	T-LITE platform (small molecule-dependent activation of T-cell engagers)
	Product 2	venture capital
	Person	Marathe, Nisha (Roche 202105 Investment Director at Roche Venture Fund)

Soteria Biotherapeutics, Inc.. (5/17/21). "Press Release: Soteria Biotherapeutics Launches with $42 Million Series A Financing Led by Roche Venture Fund and 5AM Ventures". San Francisco, CA.

> Proceeds to fund early pipeline of novel switchable bispecific T-cell engagers to treat solid tumor cancers

> Company’s proprietary T-LITE platform based on small molecule-dependent activation of T-cell engagers, enabling potentially safer and more efficacious tumor targeted therapy

> Seasoned leadership to steer company’s growth and pipeline development

Soteria Biotherapeutics, Inc. (“Soteria”), a privately-held, immuno-oncology company focused on developing a next generation of switchable bispecific T-cell engagers to treat patients with solid tumor cancers, today announced a $42 million Series A financing led by Roche Venture Fund and 5AM Ventures with participation from other leading investors, including M Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund and Alexandria Venture Investments.

Soteria’s T-LITE™ T-cell engagers are selectively switched on through oral administration of a small-molecule activator to modulate potent T-cell activity by controlling the timing, duration, and level of bispecific complex formation. This switchable activity enables precise on/off control over the timing and magnitude of T-cell redirection and cytotoxic activity. Unlike conventional T-cell engagers which lack a control switch and therefore are associated with significant side effects, Soteria’s T-LITE therapies are being designed to allow physicians to modulate T-cell activity to maximize efficacy while minimizing side effects.

“Soteria’s technology has the potential to revolutionize the T-cell engager field with its proprietary approach designed to control and target potent biologic immune activators to attack tumors,” said Nisha Marathe, investment director at Roche Venture Fund. “Specifically, we believe the T-LITE technology is highly differentiated, where the potent activity of a T-cell engager can be selectively switched on by small-molecule activators to direct tumor cytotoxicity and reduce cytokine release syndrome, ultimately resulting in a therapy with potentially greater safety and efficacy.”

“These funds will support the advancement of our technology and allow us to build a pipeline of T-LITE development candidates with potential in well validated cancer targets,” said Kristine Ball, chief executive officer of Soteria. “We appreciate the confidence and vision this syndicate of premier investors has shown in our opportunity to disrupt the T-cell engager field and our potential to create differentiated, potent therapies against solid tumors.”

Company Founders and Leadership

Soteria’s team of founders, management and board members brings together accomplished leaders from academia and the biopharma industry with successful track records discovering and developing therapeutics at companies such as Abgenix, Ascendis Pharma, AstraZeneca/Medimmune, Exelixis, Genentech/Roche, KAI (acquired by Amgen), Labrys (acquired by TEVA), Merck Research Laboratories, Novartis, Relypsa (acquired by Vifor) and Sunesis:

> Kristine Ball, Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board

> Zachary Hill, PhD, Co-Founder and SVP, Chief Scientific Officer, and Member of the Board

> Mohammad Tabrizi, PhD, VP Preclinical Development

> Alex Martinko, PhD, Co-Founder and Senior Director of Protein Science

> Jim Wells, PhD, Academic Co-founder, Chair of Scientific Advisory Board, and Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at UC San Francisco

> Steven P. James, Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Pionyr Immunotherapeutics

> David Allison, PhD, Member of the Board and Partner at 5AM Ventures

> Keno Gutierrez, PhD, Member of the Board and Vice President at M Ventures

> Nisha Marathe, PhD, Member of the Board and Investment Director at Roche Venture Fund

> David Morris, MD, Member of the Board and Operating Partner at Novartis Venture Fund

> Momo Wu, PhD, Member of the Board and Portfolio Investment Manager at Emerson Collective

About Soteria Biotherapeutics Inc.

Soteria is developing a next generation of switchable bispecific T-cell engagers to treat cancer patients with solid tumors. Soteria’s highly innovative T-LITETM platform provides small molecule-dependent activation of bispecific antibody therapies, enabling safer and more efficacious treatments through pulsatile activity, reduced side effects and higher dosing. Soteria was founded in 2018 with technology licensed from UC San Francisco and is based in San Francisco, California. For additional information, visit www.soteriabiotherapeutics.com

Contacts:

Sylvia Wheeler
swheeler@wheelhouselsa.com

Alex Santos
asantos@wheelhouselsa.com

info@soteriabiotx.com