Kupando raises €13m to push TLR4/7 agonist

Besides Remiges Ventures and LifeCare Partners, Brandenburg Kapital, High-Tech Gründerfonds, Ventura Biomed Investors and undisclosed family offices paticipated in the financing round. KUP101, which consists of two liposome-enclosed small molecules, acts as an adjuvant targeting the lucrative vaccine and immuno-oncology markets. Kupando’s ambition is to develop the first-in-class TLR 4/7 agonist as an anti-tumour mono- or combination therapy with checkpoint modulators as well as a prophylactic vaccine to prevent infectious diseases. The company licensed the candidate from the lab of Dennis Carson at UCLA San Diego. The ultimate goal of KUP101 administration is to turn cold (not inflamed) tumours hot (inflamed), something that other groups try e.g. with CAR-T cell therapies or bispecific antibodies. In solid tumours, the compound acted as an activator of the innate immune system that shifted the balance from tumour-promoting (M2) to  tumour-fighting (M1) macrophages in the tumour microenvironment and promoted an inflammatory tumour phenotype.

According to the company, the induction of cross-reactive antibodies and a broad cellular response in preclinical models are promising features for a broad portfolio of indications, in particular where different strains and antigens play a role like influenza, HPV and others. A high target specificity in the absence of relevant off-targets are indicators for a promising safety profile.

Johanna Holldack, CEO at Kupando sees the investment as "a great validation of our company strategy and pioneering approach". The Kupando Board comprises of Pierre Morgon, PharmD, LL.M, MBA, as Chairman and Wolfram Nothaft, MD, as Deputy Chairman, and of three Board members: Kazuhiko Nonomura, PhD (representing Remiges Ventures), Gerhard Ries, PhD (representing LifeCare Partners) and Thomas Krause (representing Brandenburg Kapital).