French biopharmaceutical company Genticel, formerly known as BT Pharma, has secured €13.1m in funding to develop its immunotherapeutic treatments for cancers caused by the human pipillomavirus (HPV). Investors included IRDI, Amundi Private Equity Funds and InnoBio fund (CDC enterprises), in the round led by AGF Private Equity.
HPV is a family of viruses that is transferred through sexual activity and can infect the stratified epithelium of the skin or mucous membranes, in some cases causing cancer in sexual organs.
Genticel will use the new funding to advance its therapeutic platform, Adenylate Cyclase (CyaA), which targets cervical cancer in HPV-infected women. ProCervix, Genticel’s leading vaccine, should enter Phase I clinical trials in the second quarter of 2010.
Dr Benedikt Timmerman, CEO at Genticel, said, "This level of support from investors, particularly in the current economic environment, is extremely encouraging and confirms the potential of our drug candidates and our business plan.
“The new funding will not only enable us to conduct our 'first-in-man' clinical trial with the CyaA technology but also allow the company to prepare for Phase II in the same indication and prepare pipeline products up to the development stage."
Lead investor AGF Private Equity typically invests in the IT and life sciences industries and currently manages €2.5bn.
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Biopharma company Genticel receives €13.1m to treat cervical cancer