COUR Pharma Closes $50 Million Series B to Advance First-in-Class Immune Tolerance Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes
Key Insights
COUR Pharma (search) secured $50 million in Series B financing led by Lumira Ventures (search) and Roche Venture Fund, with new investment from Sanofi and continued support from Pfizer Ventures (search), Alpha Wave Ventures, Angelini Ventures, and the T1D Fund.
Proceeds will fund the Phase 2 trial of CNP-103, a nanoparticle-based antigen-specific immune tolerance therapy targeting the underlying autoimmune pathology in type 1 diabetes (search) rather than merely managing blood glucose.
CNP-103 encapsulates four recombinant proteins covering over 95% of known antigens driving T1D, aiming to prevent islet cell destruction and preserve insulin production in patients aged 12–35 diagnosed within six months.
COUR Pharma (search), a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on antigen-specific immune tolerance therapies, announced the closing of a $50 million Series B financing round on June 18, 2026. The round was led by existing investors Lumira Ventures (search) and Roche Venture Fund, with new participation from Sanofi. Existing investors Alpha Wave Ventures, Pfizer Ventures (search), Angelini Ventures, and the T1D Fund: A Breakthrough T1D Venture also joined the round, signaling sustained confidence in the company's tolerance platform.
The financing will primarily support the clinical advancement of CNP-103, COUR's lead investigational candidate for type 1 diabetes (search) (T1D).
A Disease-Modifying Approach to Type 1 Diabetes (search)
CNP-103 is being evaluated in an active Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (NCT06783309) designed to assess safety, tolerability, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy in adolescents and adults aged 12 to 35 who have been diagnosed with T1D within the last six months. The therapy is built on COUR's proprietary nanoparticle platform and encapsulates four recombinant proteins that are believed to cover more than 95% of known antigens driving the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing islet cells.
By inducing antigen-specific immune tolerance to these proteins, COUR aims to reprogram the inflammatory autoimmune response at its source, potentially preventing further islet cell destruction, maintaining clinically meaningful insulin production, and possibly reversing dysglycemia.
"New technological innovations have transformed the management of type 1 diabetes (search), yet the standard of care remains focused on controlling blood glucose rather than addressing the underlying autoimmune disease," said Dannielle Appelhans, President and Chief Executive Officer of COUR Pharma (search). "Our clinically validated antigen-specific immune tolerance platform has the potential to change the treatment paradigm for T1D through a disease-modifying approach that is designed to protect insulin-producing cells from immune-mediated damage."
Platform Technology and Pipeline Strategy
COUR's proprietary nanoparticle platform is designed to mimic the anti-inflammatory nature of apoptotic cells, encapsulating disease-specific antigens to reprogram upstream immune pathways and induce tolerance toward relevant autoantigens. Data from multiple clinical and preclinical programs have demonstrated the platform's ability to induce antigen-specific immune tolerance, with potential applications across a broad range of autoimmune diseases.
With the prioritization of CNP-103 in T1D, COUR is actively seeking partners for the clinical development of two additional pipeline candidates: CNP-104 for primary biliary cholangitis (search) and CNP-106 for myasthenia gravis (search). This strategic focus reflects the company's commitment to building evidence for immune tolerance therapies while leveraging partnerships to advance programs in other autoimmune indications.
The Series B financing underscores growing investor interest in therapies that address the root causes of autoimmune disease rather than managing symptoms, positioning COUR to generate pivotal clinical data that could reshape the T1D treatment landscape.