ZWI Therapeutics, Inc., a Watertown, MA-based biotechnology company focused on the development of protein therapeutics using proprietary new polymers, announced the close of a $10m Series A financing.
Backers included Co-win Ventures and Sherpa Healthcare Partners.
The company also announced the appointment of pharmaceutical industry veterans Drs. Larry Miller and Ron Cohen as Independent Directors to the company’s Board of Directors, and Dr. Ed Mascioli as Chief Executive Officer and Board Director.
Founded in 2020 by Drs. Bob Langer and Shaoyi Jiang, ZWI is a biotechnology company using a novel, patented polymer, polycarboxybetaine, to develop protein-polymer conjugates with potentially superior safety and efficacy over currently marketed therapeutics conjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG). In preclinical animal models, polycarboxybetaine conjugates have demonstrated consistently low or no immunogenicity and excellent pharmacokinetics compared to PEG conjugates. These attributes are expected to translate to enhanced clinical durability and safety compared to pegylated drugs. The ZWI platform polymer technology is also broadly useful in the development of nanoparticles and hydrogels, the latter especially for cellular therapies. ZWI will out-license its technology to pharmaceutical companies for specific development programs.
ZWI’s lead program, ZWI-001 (uricase-polycarboxybetaine conjugate), has demonstrated preclinical proof of concept and is currently in development to treat hyperuricemia in severe gout. ZWI has gained meaningful guidance on CMC, non-clinical, and clinical plans from the FDA via an INTERACT meeting and is progressing toward filing an IND.
FinSMEs
24/01/2024