Currus Biologics Wins FDA Clearance for CUR-001 Phase 1 Trial
America's medicines regulator has approved Currus Biologics to begin human trials of CUR-001, its solid-tumour CAR T-cell therapy combination, with dosing expected from early 2027.
Investor · 9 deals
Melbourne, VIC
Every published round Brandon Capital Partners took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
Companies Brandon Capital Partners has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allay Therapeutics | 16 Sep 2021, Series C | 1 | 0 | |
| Currus Biologics | 5 Jul 2021, Series A | 1 | 0 | |
| Myricx Pharma | 17 Nov 2020, Seed | 1 | 0 | |
| ENA Respiratory | Antiviral nasal spray to prevent severe respiratory viral infections | 27 Sep 2020, Series A | 2 | 1 |
| Glyscend | 12 Jun 2020, Series A | 1 | 1 | |
| EBR Systems | 27 Aug 2019 | 1 | 1 | |
| Respirion | 21 Mar 2019 | 1 | 1 | |
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | 13 May 2014, Series C | 1 | 0 |
Fund closes reported for Brandon Capital Partners, as distinct from the investments it has made.
| Fund | Announced | Committed | Target | Close | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRCF5 | 1 May 2019 | $210m | $250m | Interim | Startup Daily, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio, Brandon Capital portfolio |
| Medical Research Commercialisation Fund (MRCF) | 2007 | $30m | - | - | Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio, Brandon Capital portfolio |
Investors that coverage says has money in a fund Brandon Capital Partners runs. This is a stake in the fund, not in any company the fund has backed.
Companies Brandon Capital Partners has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal Brandon Capital Partners did.
| Company | Bought by | Kind | Announced | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Novartis International | Acquisition | 29 Jun 2015 | $200m+ |
| Spinifex Pharmaceuticals | Novartis | Acquisition | 29 Jun 2015 | $700m |
| Name | Role | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Bob Soh | Investment Manager | Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio (Tue 3 Aug 2021), Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio (Fri 12 Jun 2020), Brandon Capital portfolio |
| Dr Chris Nave | Managing Director | Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio (Fri 23 Oct 2020), Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio (Mon 28 Sep 2020) |
| Dr Chris Nave | Managing Partner (former) | Brandon Capital portfolio (Tue 27 Aug 2019), Startup Daily, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio, Brandon Capital portfolio (Wed 1 May 2019) |
| Dr Kath Giles | Consultant | Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio, Brandon Capital portfolio |
| Dr Melissa McBurnie | Investment Director | Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio |
| Dr Michael Bettess | Investment Manager | Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio |
| Dr Roberto Solari | Venture Partner (former) | Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio |
| Dr Stephen Thompson | Managing Partner (former) | Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio |
Stories naming Brandon Capital Partners. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
America's medicines regulator has approved Currus Biologics to begin human trials of CUR-001, its solid-tumour CAR T-cell therapy combination, with dosing expected from early 2027.
Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulator clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001; the company's backers include Brandon Capital, Main Sequence and Uniseed.
Australian biotech Currus Biologics has won US regulatory clearance to begin human testing of its lead cancer therapy, CUR-001, combining an antibody platform with CAR T cells for solid tumours.
ENA Respiratory receives a USD 4.38 million U.S. Department of Defense agreement to develop an intranasal dry powder antiviral; its past Series A backers are also recalled.
Antiviral nasal spray developer ENA Respiratory has joined the Blue Knight program run by JLABS and BARDA, the first Australian company selected; background notes recall its Series A backing by Brandon Capital, Minderoo Foundation and Uniseed.
Brandon Capital reports that ENA Respiratory has become the first Australian company chosen for BLUE KNIGHT, a JLABS-BARDA initiative supporting its intranasal broad-spectrum antiviral spray INNA-051.
Case study on how CSIRO's bioinformatics teams independently validated the cancer-target findings of Amaroq Therapeutics, a New Zealand biotech whose $14m seed round was funded by the Brandon Capital-managed MRCF and others.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio
New Zealand cancer biotech Amaroq Therapeutics had its lncRNA drug targets independently validated by CSIRO, according to this profile, which also recalls its $14 million seed round and support from Callaghan Innovation.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio
ENA Respiratory has begun a Phase 2a influenza-challenge trial in the UK of its INNA-051 antiviral nasal spray; the article also recalls its Series A backing by Brandon Capital, Minderoo Foundation and Uniseed.
ENA Respiratory has begun dosing healthy adults in a UK influenza challenge trial of its INNA-051 antiviral nasal spray, with a COVID-19 study to follow; the release also notes the company's earlier Series A backing.
Horizon 3 Biotech, an Australian life sciences venture fund, announces Dr Tam Nguyen joining its investment committee, citing his board, research commercialisation and healthcare experience and past Brandon Capital secondment.
US-Singapore biotech Allay Therapeutics has closed a $60 million Series C round led by Arboretum Ventures, with several healthcare investors taking part, to advance its long-acting post-surgical pain candidate into late-stage trials.
The federal government has announced $79 million in grants for ANDHealth, MRCF and MTPConnect to commercialise medical research, plus two industry fellowships for researchers, under its Medical Research Future Fund.
George Medicines, a George Institute spin-out developing combination blood pressure therapies, has appointed former CSL Behring chief medical officer Dr Charmaine Gittleson as an independent non-executive director as its drug GMRx2 enters Phase III trials.
Drug developer George Medicines has added Dr Charmaine Gittleson to its board as an independent non-executive director, bringing pharma and CSL Behring leadership experience as its hypertension candidate GMRx2 advances through Phase III trials.
Weekly roundup of Australian startup funding: Gilmour Space's $61m raise, rounds for Mindset Health, HowToo, Beer Cartel, Tracer DAO and Wimp 2 Warrior, Currus Biologics' $10m cancer-treatment raise, and Alberts' $16m impact fund.
Also Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily·Startup Daily
George Medicines has begun two Phase III trials testing its triple-combination pill GMRx2 as a first-line hypertension treatment, with patient availability possible by 2023 pending US regulatory approval.
Drug developer George Medicines has started two Phase III trials of its GMRx2 triple-combination pill as a first-line hypertension therapy, enrolling patients across seven countries, with possible availability by 2023 pending US regulator approval.
Australian biotech ENA Respiratory raised funding led by Brandon Capital and Minderoo Foundation to advance its Covid-19 nasal spray toward the clinic, and appointed Ruth Tal-Singer to its board.
ENA Respiratory secured up to AU$32 million, co-led by Brandon Capital Partners and Minderoo Foundation with Uniseed, to advance its INNA-051 nasal spray, and appointed Ruth Tal-Singer to its board.
Also Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·SmartCompany·SmartCompany
Drug developer George Medicines has named Stefan König, previously a senior Takeda executive, as its chief executive, while chief business officer Karl Roberts moves into the chief operating officer role.
George Medicines has named Stefan König, previously a Takeda franchise head, as its new CEO, while Karl Roberts moves from Chief Business Officer to Chief Operating Officer. The company also announced US FDA clearance to begin Phase III trials of GMRx2.
IP lawyer Kylie Diwell joins the board of the Brandon Capital-managed MRCF. She argues research commercialisation needs skilled teams, while MRCF leaders welcome government innovation support and urge patent box tax reform for biotech.
A French cardiac specialist performed the first leadless left bundle branch area pacing implant using EBR Systems' wireless pacing device, with the announcement recalling the company's private equity backers.
UK biotech Myricx Pharma launched with a £4.5 million seed round from Sofinnova Partners and Brandon Capital to advance its NMT-inhibitor cancer drug discovery work.
Also Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio
Eye-disease drug developer Azura Ophthalmics announced a $28 million round from existing backers including MRCF, OrbiMed, TPG Biotech and Ganot Capital, funding registration studies of its dry eye treatment candidate.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio
Anniversary profile of incubator Cicada Innovations' two decades, telling portfolio biotech Elastagen's story: its tropoelastin work, Series A backing, a government grant, and its 2018 sale to Allergan.
Also GBS Ventures·GBS Ventures
Cincera Therapeutics has received a million-dollar Biomedical Translation Bridge grant to advance its Des-1 inhibitor drug for obesity-related metabolic diseases. The Monash and UniSA spin-out previously secured venture funding from the Medical Research Commercialisation Fund.
A biotech spin-out from the University of Melbourne has raised a Series A to develop a gum disease vaccine, backed by a biomedical translation fund, a large biotech company and the university itself.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Startup Daily·denteric.com·denteric.com·@AuManufacturing·Startup Daily
EBR Systems' wireless cardiac pacing system won FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, bringing priority review, while its SOLVE CRT pivotal trial enrolls heart failure patients; the company counts Brandon Capital among its backers.
Cardiac pacing developer EBR Systems has completed a $30 million financing co-led by two Australian investors to finish its clinical trial, and has appointed John McCutcheon as president and chief executive.
PolyActiva finished enrolling patients in its Phase I glaucoma implant trial and closed a AU$10 million raise from existing backers including the MRCF and Yuuwa Capital to fund further clinical studies.
Brandon Capital's Medical Research Commercialisation Fund has launched its fifth vehicle, MRCF5, completing a NZ$224 million first close and targeting NZ$267 million, while recalling earlier portfolio exits of Elastagen, Spinifex and Fibrotech.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Startup Daily
The industry minister announced Biomedical Translation Fund backing: Brandon Capital invested $20 million in Respirion, OneVentures $4 million in Madorra, and $17.2 million went to an unnamed anti-fibrosis drug company.
The MRCF Biomedical Translation Fund has launched Respirion Pharmaceuticals, a Perth biotech developing an inhaled antibiotic for cystic fibrosis, committing up to A$20 million, with up to US$3 million from the CF Foundation.