Cellestia Biotech AG attracts Series A financing

The company, which is in Phase I testing of CB-103 in 25 patients with advanced blood cancers and solid tumours, said it will use the proceeds to finance the ongoing Phase I/II study enroling 165 patients and advancement of pipeline products. The oral compound blocks signalling through the NOTCH signalling pathway through zeroing in on the NOTCH transcriptional activation complex in the nucleus. According to Cellestia preliminary data from the trial so far confirm its expectations towards safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics.

Together with CHF8m in seed financing and CHF1m non-dilutive research grants the EPFL spin-off company has raised CHF29m. Upon closing of the transaction, Melissa Kay Epstein has also been elected to Cellestia’s Board of Directors.

NOTCH signalling is known to play critical roles during embryonic development as well as for regulation of self-renewing tissues. Aberrant activation of the NOTCH pathway leads to deregulation of the self-renewal process resulting in sustained proliferation, invasion and metastasis, all of which are hallmarks of cancer.