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ARTICLE | Company News

Anokion spinout Kanyos partners with Astellas

June 3, 2015 12:22 AM UTC

Astellas Pharma Inc. (Tokyo:4503) partnered with and invested in autoimmune company Kanyos Bio Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.), a newco spun out from Anokion S.A. (Ecublens, Switzerland). Astellas invested in Kanyos' $16 million series A round alongside Anokion investors Versant Ventures, Novo Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund and undisclosed individuals.

Kanyos will use Anokion's antigen-specific tolerance technology to develop treatments for Type I diabetes and celiac disease. Astellas will supply R&D funding for Kanyos' programs, and has an option to acquire Kanyos once its programs reach undisclosed preclinical milestones. ...