Expedition Therapeutics Raises $115M Series B as DPP1 Inhibitor EXPD-101 Enters Phase 2 COPD Trial
核心洞察
Expedition Therapeutics (搜索) closed an oversubscribed $115 million Series B financing led by General Atlantic (搜索), with participation from RA Capital (搜索), Vivo Capital (搜索), and all existing investors.
The first patient has been dosed in a global, randomized Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating EXPD-101 (搜索), a next-generation DPP1 (搜索) inhibitor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (搜索) (COPD).
EXPD-101 (搜索) targets neutrophilic inflammation, a key underlying driver of COPD, and demonstrated dose-proportional pharmacokinetics supporting once-daily oral dosing with no dose-limiting toxicities in Phase 1.
Expedition Therapeutics (搜索), a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel oral small molecule therapies for inflammatory and respiratory diseases, has closed an oversubscribed $115 million Series B financing while simultaneously dosing the first patient in its global Phase 2 clinical trial of EXPD-101 (搜索), a next-generation DPP1 (搜索) inhibitor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (搜索) (COPD).
The financing was led by General Atlantic (搜索), with participation from RA Capital (搜索) and Vivo Capital (搜索), alongside existing investors Sofinnova Investments, Novo Holdings, Forbion, Dawn Biopharma (a platform controlled by KKR), Adage Capital Management, Balyasny Asset Management, Logos Capital, Sanofi Ventures, BVF Partners, and Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners. In connection with the financing, Brett Zbar, M.D., Managing Director and Global Head of Life Sciences at General Atlantic, will join Expedition's Board of Directors.
A Differentiated Mechanism Targeting Neutrophilic Inflammation
EXPD-101 (搜索) is designed to target neutrophilic inflammation, which Expedition describes as a key underlying driver of COPD across the disease spectrum. The company is positioning the therapy as having first-and-best-in-class potential, and states that it is the first company to conduct a global, randomized Phase 2 trial of a DPP1 (搜索) inhibitor specifically in COPD.
"COPD remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet current therapies primarily manage symptoms and do not adequately address the chronic neutrophilic inflammation that drives disease progression and exacerbations," said James Chalmers, M.D., Ph.D., Rhodes Chair of Experimental Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Oxford. "By selectively targeting DPP1 (搜索), this investigational therapy has the potential to interrupt a key upstream inflammatory pathway, offering a novel approach that could improve outcomes for patients. We are excited to begin evaluating its safety and clinical potential in this global Phase 2 study in patients with COPD."
Phase 1 Data Supporting Once-Daily Oral Dosing
In Phase 1 studies, EXPD-101 (搜索) was well tolerated with no dose-limiting toxicities, and demonstrated dose-proportional pharmacokinetics supporting once-daily oral dosing. Expedition's approach seeks to intervene upstream by selectively targeting DPP1 (搜索), potentially reducing the neutrophil-driven inflammatory process associated with exacerbations and disease progression.
Financing to Advance Clinical Development and Pipeline Expansion
The $115 million financing will support advancement of EXPD-101 (搜索) through Phase 2 clinical development, expand the company's pipeline of next-generation therapies for inflammatory diseases, and further enhance its research and discovery operations.
"Today marks a defining milestone for Expedition as we complete an oversubscribed Series B financing and dose the first patient in our global Phase 2 COPD clinical trial," said Yi Larson, Founder and CEO of Expedition Therapeutics (搜索). "This financing brings together a top-tier investor syndicate who share our conviction in the potential of our science and our mission to develop differentiated therapies for patients living with serious chronic diseases."
"Expedition is taking a differentiated scientific approach to addressing significant unmet need in inflammatory and respiratory disease," said Brett Zbar, M.D., Managing Director and Global Head of Life Sciences at General Atlantic (搜索). "The company's transition into Phase 2 marks an important inflection point, and we are excited to support Yi and the Expedition team as they advance EXPD-101 (搜索) through clinical development."