Autolus raises $80M series C

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy company Autolus Ltd. (London, U.K.) raised $80 million in a series C round from new investors Cormorant Asset Management and Nextech Invest and existing investors Syncona Ltd., Woodford Investment Management and Arix Bioscience.

Last week, Autolus began the Phase I/II AMELIA and ALEXANDER trials of AUTO3 to treat relapsed or refractory B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), respectively. The product is designed to express separate CAR Ts targeting CD19 and CD22. The company’s AUTO2, a CAR T therapy targeting tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor superfamily member 17 (BCMA; TNFRSF17; CD269) and transmembrane activator and CAML interactor (TACI), is in the Phase I/II APRIL trial to treat relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (MM)...