ViferaXS secures up to €12M for leukemia trial
German biotech ViferaXS has closed a Series A financing of up to €12 million, including grant funding, to advance its peptide-based cancer immunotherapy into a randomized Phase 2 trial in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).
Why it matters: The trial will test whether an immune response seen in a small Phase 1 study translates into a clinical benefit for patients.
Zoom in: The round was led by Germany’s Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, SPRIND, and health technology company Huma, with private investors also participating. ViferaXS said Huma will support the company through both investment and its clinical trial technology. The company did not disclose how much of the €12 million is equity or grant funding.
The backstory: In a Phase 1 study published in The Lancet Haematology, 19 of 20 patients developed T-cell responses after receiving the peptide treatment alongside a BTK inhibitor. The study was designed to assess immune responses and safety, rather than establish whether the treatment improves patient outcomes.
- “We are encouraged by the early clinical data,” ViferaXS CEO Sezai Taskin said in the funding announcement. He said the financing would allow the company to test that signal in a randomized study.
What’s next: ViferaXS also expects Phase 1 data from programs in acute myeloid leukemia and fibrolamellar carcinoma. It has not given a start date or further design details for the CLL Phase 2 trial.
