REG-Arix Bioscience PLC Portfolio company Ensoma announces closing of Series B Extension

Arix BioscienceAnnouncement

16/05/2023 16:45

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   Arix Bioscience PLC (ARIX)
   Portfolio company Ensoma announces closing of Series B Extension

   16-May-2023 / 16:36 GMT/BST

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                              Arix Bioscience plc

        Portfolio company Ensoma announces closing of Series B Extension

   LONDON, 16 May 2023: Arix Bioscience  plc (“Arix” or the “Company”)  (LSE:
   ARIX), a transatlantic  venture capital  company focused  on investing  in
   breakthrough biotechnology  companies, notes  that its  portfolio  company
   Ensoma has  closed an  extension  of its  Series  B financing,  raising  a
   further $50 million to bring the total round to $135 million. 

   The $50 million extension round was raised by new investors Kite, a Gilead
   Company, Bioluminescence Ventures, Delos Capital, and by existing investor
   SymBiosis.

   Arix co-led the initial Series B financing in January 2023, committing  $9
   million to the round alongside co-lead investor, 5AM Ventures, as well  as
   Alexandria Venture  Investments,  the  Bill &  Melinda  Gates  Foundation,
   Catalio Capital Management, Cormorant  Asset Management, F-Prime  Capital,
   Fred Hutchinson  Cancer Center,  Mirae Asset,  Qatar Investment  Authority
   (QIA),  Solasta  Ventures,  Takeda   Ventures  Inc.,  and  Viking   Global
   Investors.

   Following the  Series  B extension,  Arix’s  percentage holding  has  been
   diluted from 7.6% to 6.1%. The holding value remains unchanged.

   Robert Lyne, CEO  of Arix Bioscience,  said: “We are  very pleased to  see
   Ensoma being supported  by a  syndicate of top  tier investors,  including
   that of big pharma, which is a testament to the strength of the  business.
   The funds raised will enable the company to advance the development of its
   in vivo engineered cell  therapy platform and  accelerate its pipeline  of
   genomic medicines  for immuno-oncology  and  other applications.  We  look
   forward to  continuing  our support  to  Ensoma as  it  seeks to  bring  a
   potentially breakthrough therapy to clinic.”

   The   announcement   can   be    accessed   on   Ensoma’s   website    at:
    1 https://ensoma.com/ and  the full  text of  the announcement  from  the
   company is contained below.

                                      ENDS 

    

    

   Enquiries

   For more information on Arix, please contact:

    

   Arix Bioscience plc

   +44 (0)20 7290 1050

   ir 2 @arixbioscience.com

    

   Powerscourt Group

   Sarah MacLeod, Ibrahim Khalil, Nick Johnson

   +44 (0)20 7250 1446

    3 arix@powerscourt-group.com

    

   About Arix Bioscience plc

   Arix Bioscience plc is a transatlantic venture capital company focused  on
   investing in  breakthrough  biotechnology  companies  around  cutting-edge
   advances in life sciences.

    

   We collaborate  with exceptional  entrepreneurs and  provide the  capital,
   expertise, and networks to help accelerate their ideas into important  new
   treatments for patients. As  a listed company, we  are able to bring  this
   exciting growth phase  of our industry  to a broader  range of  investors.
    4 www.arixbioscience.com

    

    

     Ensoma Closes Series B Extension, Bringing Total Round to $135 Million

    

       Previously announced $85 million financing extended by $50 million

    

   BOSTON, May 16, 2023 – Ensoma, a genomic medicines company developing
   one-time, in vivo treatments that precisely engineer any cell of the
   hematopoietic system, today announced the closing of an extension of its
   Series B financing by $50 million, bringing the total size of the funding
   round to $135 million. The $50 million was contributed by new investors
   Kite, a Gilead Company (Nasdaq: GILD), Bioluminescence Ventures and Delos
   Capital and by existing investor SymBiosis. These investors joined a
   syndicate of leading healthcare funds to advance the development of
   Ensoma’s Engenious™ in vivo engineered cell therapy platform and pipeline
   of genomic medicines for immuno-oncology, genetic disease and other
   therapeutic applications.

    

   “Ensoma is creating a new generation of smart immune cell medicines by
   harnessing the

   concerted power of multiple immune cell types,” said Emile Nuwaysir,
   Ph.D., chief executive officer of Ensoma. “There are millions of patients
   that need better answers. With this financing, we are well positioned to
   bring our breakthrough therapies to the clinic.”

    

   In connection with the extension financing, Kouki Harasaki, Ph.D.,
   managing partner at

   Bioluminescence Ventures, will join Ensoma’s Board of Directors. Dr.
   Harasaki commented, “Ensoma’s Engenious platform brings together delivery
   and engineering capabilities to unlock the full promise of in vivo
   multiplexed therapies. We are very excited about working with the Ensoma
   team to make this a reality.”

    

   Other investors in the Series B included 5AM Ventures, Arix Bioscience,
   Alexandria Venture

   Investments, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Catalio Capital
   Management, Cormorant

   Asset Management, F-Prime Capital, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Mirae
   Asset, Qatar

   Investment Authority (QIA), Solasta Ventures, Takeda Ventures, Inc., and
   Viking Global

   Investors.

    

   About Ensoma

    

   Ensoma believes the future of medicine lies within us. The company is
   poised to create a new therapeutic category addressing diseases that
   impact millions around the globe, such as cancer and autoimmunity. The
   Engenious™ platform can uniquely address these disorders by leveraging
   world-class technologies for in vivo delivery and genome engineering. The
   ability to target and reprogram both immune cells and self-renewing
   hematopoietic stem cells will create multicellular and multigenic
   medicines that solve potency and durability challenges limiting current
   approaches. Ensoma also has the potential to leapfrog therapies in well
   validated indications such as hemoglobinopathies and dramatically expand
   patient eligibility through its portable in vivo solutions. Ensoma is
   supported by top-tier investors, strategic partners and a passionate team
   committed to a bold, global vision for genomic medicine. For more
   information, please visit www.ensoma.com.

    

                                      END

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   Dissemination of a Regulatory Announcement, transmitted by EQS Group.
   The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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   ISIN:           GB00BD045071
   Category Code:  PFU
   TIDM:           ARIX
   LEI Code:       213800OVT3AHQCXNIX43
   OAM Categories: 3.1. Additional regulated information required to be
                   disclosed under the laws of a Member State
   Sequence No.:   244160
   EQS News ID:    1634691


    
   End of Announcement EQS News Service

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