UK-based biotechnology company CellCentric has secured $120 million in Series C funding to advance the development of inobrodib, a first-in-class oral p300/CBP inhibitor targeting multiple myeloma. The financing round was co-led by RA Capital Management and new investor Forbion, with additional participation from Avego Bioscience Capital and BrightEdge, the American Cancer Society's venture capital arm.
The substantial investment comes at a critical time for the company as it works toward a potential accelerated approval pathway for inobrodib in multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that affects plasma cells in the bone marrow.
"We are delighted to secure the investment required to continue to advance inobrodib fully and as effectively as possible. This is a significant raise in a challenging market," said Will West, CEO of CellCentric. "Today's announcement is a testament to the data we have in hand, the clear clinical and commercial opportunity inobrodib represents, and the strength of our expanded team."
Novel Mechanism Addresses Unmet Need
Despite recent therapeutic advances in multiple myeloma treatment, the majority of patients eventually succumb to the disease. Many patients either aren't eligible for the latest therapies or develop resistance over time, creating a significant unmet medical need.
Inobrodib's novel mechanism of action as a p300/CBP inhibitor, combined with its oral administration route and favorable safety profile, positions it as a potentially valuable addition to the treatment landscape. The drug could become a versatile agent used across multiple treatment settings and in various combination therapies.
A representative from RA Capital Management noted, "CellCentric has developed an innovative and impactful therapy for multiple myeloma with inobrodib, a first-in-class oral p300/CBP inhibitor. This novel agent has demonstrated promising efficacy and a manageable safety profile in early clinical trials. We are enthusiastic about supporting CellCentric as it advances inobrodib into registration studies, aiming to transform multiple myeloma treatment across various stages of the disease."
Accelerating Clinical Development
The newly secured funds will support several key initiatives in CellCentric's clinical development program:
- Initiation of a Phase II/III study in heavily pretreated multiple myeloma patients, with potential to support an accelerated approval pathway
- Development activities for a Phase III program scheduled to begin in mid-2026
- New clinical trials starting in Q2 2025, including combinations of inobrodib with bi-specific antibodies and evaluation of inobrodib in a maintenance setting
Currently, a Phase IIa dose optimization study is ongoing, evaluating an all-oral triplet regimen of inobrodib combined with pomalidomide and dexamethasone.
Regulatory Recognition and Expansion
The company's momentum has been building steadily. In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted both Fast Track designation and orphan drug status to inobrodib for the treatment of relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. These designations acknowledge the drug's potential to address serious conditions and provide benefits over existing therapies.
CellCentric also presented promising efficacy and safety data at the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting last year, further validating the drug's potential.
The company's growth extends beyond clinical development. CellCentric recently opened a new office in Burlington, Massachusetts, just outside Boston, as part of its global expansion strategy. This follows earlier investments, including an initial $35 million from RA Capital last year and a $25 million strategic investment from pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
Market Potential
The multiple myeloma treatment landscape has evolved significantly in recent years with the introduction of immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and CAR-T cell therapies. However, the disease remains incurable for most patients, with relapse being common.
As an oral therapy with a novel mechanism of action, inobrodib could offer advantages in terms of convenience and combinability with existing treatments. The p300/CBP pathway plays a crucial role in gene expression regulation and has been implicated in various cancers, making it an attractive therapeutic target.
If successful in late-stage trials, inobrodib could provide a new option for patients who have exhausted other treatment approaches or who require more convenient oral therapy options, potentially addressing a significant portion of the multiple myeloma market.
