With M in Funding, Kivu Aims to Create More Compassionate ADCs

With M in Funding, Kivu Aims to Create More Compassionate ADCs

With M in Funding, Kivu Aims to Create More Compassionate ADCs

Dive Brief:

  • Kivu Biosciences, a San Francisco-based biotech firm focused on creating targeted cancer treatments, has announced it secured million in a Series A funding round.
  • The funding will be directed towards advancing an innovative technology designed to tackle existing challenges associated with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Kivu claims that its approach will lead to ADCs that are not only more accurate but also more stable during transport to their intended targets, thereby minimizing potential side effects. The company has plans to initiate its first clinical trial aimed at solid tumors in the upcoming year.
  • Novo Holdings spearheaded Kivu’s Series A funding, with participation from six other investment firms, including Gimv, Red Tree Venture Capital, and BioGeneration Ventures.

Dive Insight:

ADCs, which are designed to connect cytotoxic agents to specific antibodies targeting tumors, have garnered significant interest from the biotech investment community and pharmaceutical companies alike. Despite being a subject of research for many years, a surge in recent technical improvements, successful trial outcomes, and drug approvals has reignited investor interest, resulting in new partnerships and the emergence of startups reinventing the concept.

New ventures are exploring various payloads or novel linker technologies, among other innovations. These initiatives aim to address the limitations of existing ADCs, endeavoring to produce medications that are both more targeted and effective.

Joining this wave is Kivu. COO Mohit Trikha highlighted that the tolerability of ADCs has constrained the dosage limits developers can safely apply, sometimes leading patients to discontinue treatment. Furthermore, unstable linker structures can inadvertently cause ADCs to release their therapeutic payload earlier than intended, diminishing their efficacy.

Kivu employs technology developed by Synaffix, recently acquired by Lonza in 2023, to construct its ADCs. The firm asserts that it has developed proprietary linkers that maintain stability longer, ensuring the precise delivery of the payload, which utilizes a widely recognized ADC toxin known as a topoisomerase inhibitor.

According to Trikha, “This technology allows us to target tumors and avoid systemic toxicity. Sometimes I refer to this as ‘kindler, gentler ADCs,’ as it’s essential to consider the benefit-to-risk ratio for cancer patients.”

Kivu is focusing on solid tumors that early ADC technologies struggled to effectively target due to challenges in toxicity and efficacy, although specific details about which tumors are being prioritized were not disclosed. Trikha, who has notable experience in oncology at AbbVie and as a venture partner at Apple Tree Partners, emphasized this focus.

The company’s name draws inspiration from Lake Kivu, situated by the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. This lake, alongside an active volcano, contains vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. Although currently stable, there is a potential risk of a future limnic eruption that could release a massive wave of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Kivu sees parallels between this situation and their mission to unlock the promising capabilities of ADCs while cautiously managing potential risks and side effects, as articulated by Trikha.