Luca Science, a Tokyo, Japan-based company developing functional mitochondria as therapeutic agents, an emerging platform to treat damaged tissues and organs, today announced the closing of a $9.8m Series A financing.
The round was led by Axil Capital Partners, with participation from Remiges Ventures, Nippon Venture Capital, Fast Track Initiative and CaHC.
Led by CEO Rick C. Tsai DMD, MD, Luca Science is a preclinical biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery of novel mitochondria therapy to treat diseases and injuries in multiple therapeutic areas. Mitochondria are the power plants in human cells that produce energy for human bodies. These small intracellular organelles house cellular aerobic respiration, the process used to turn oxygen and nutrients into energy.
The company is developing an innovative platform of highly functional mitochondrial using proprietary technologies. Its mitochondria can be stored and delivered as a biopharmaceutical agent. In addition, Luca’s mitochondrial engineering technology can enhance the quality and function of mitochondria, all the way from its cell source to the target site of delivery. With the functional mitochondria as a therapeutic agent to restore cellular bioenergetics in dysfunctional or damaged tissues and organs, it will be possible to treat myocardial and cerebral infarction, immune cell exhaustion from cancer and infectious diseases, and other unmet medical needs.
Luca is actively collaborating with both Japanese and international academic institutions to develop clinical applications in multiple therapeutic areas.
With this round of funding, the research and development of advanced drug delivery and formulation will be accelerated to realize the goal of enabling functional mitochondria as therapeutic agents.
FinSMEs
01/09/2020