VC roundup: Tr1X, Disco among the week’s launches

The newest company developing cell therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions is Tr1X Inc., which is aiming to deploy its $75 million series A round by advancing allogeneic Treg cell programs, some bearing CARs. Launched Wednesday, Tr1X is among several biotechs attempting to navigate the emerging landscape for CAR Ts in autoimmune disorders.

Based on work by its scientific founder, Stanford University’s Maria Grazia Roncarolo, Tr1X’s platform allows the company to take donor-derived CD4⁺ T cells, convert them into cells that mimic the activity of a subset of Tregs known as Type 1 regulatory cells, and engineer them to target specific tissues or organs. Tr1X’s CEO is Bill Lis, the former CEO of Portola Pharmaceuticals Inc. and interim chairman and CEO of Jasper Therapeutics Inc...