LifeMine raises $55M in series A

On Sept. 18, LifeMine Therapeutics Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) raised $55 million in a series A round led by WuXi Healthcare Ventures. Foresite Capital, GV, Arch Ventures Partners, Boyu Capital, Blue Pool Capital, Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE:MRK) and Alexandria Venture Investments also participated.

The company's drug discovery platform combines genomics with artificial intelligence and synthetic biology to identify small molecules from fungi. LifeMine told BioCentury the company plans to use the funds to build out its drug discovery engine and identify the first targets, with plans to enter the clinic within the next four years. The company added that its goal is to focus on oncology "for the foreseeable future."...