BioCentury
ARTICLE | Financial News

Calimmune raises $15M in series B

May 28, 2015 1:47 AM UTC

Gene therapy company Calimmune Inc. (Tucson, Ariz.) raised $15 million in a series B round led by AbbVie Biotech Ventures Inc., the venture arm of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV). New investor Alexandria Venture Investments and existing investors RA Capital and Translational Accelerator also participated.

Calimmune is conducting a Phase I/II study of lead candidate Cal-1, an autologous T cell and blood stem cell therapy that blocks CC chemokine receptor 5 ( CCR5). The therapy is designed as a one-time infusion to prevent HIV patients from progressing to AIDS. The current cohort of 12 patients were previously treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). CEO Louis Breton told BioCentury the company is planning to enroll additional cohorts over the next six to nine months, including HIV patients with a malignancy requiring bone marrow transplantation. The company expects to report some data within 12 months, and full data within 20-24 months. ...