Niederer Kraft Frey advised NewBiologix on its launch and its USD 50 million series A financing.

Based in Lausanne, Switzerland, technology company NewBiologix, developing a proprietary platform focused on engineering cell lines used to manufacture gene and cell therapies, raised USD 50 million in series A financing.

The round was led by Recipharm AB (an EQT IX portfolio company) with participation from the company co-founders and serial entrepreneurs, Igor Fish and Nicolas Mermod.

The company intends to use the funds to begin beta testing of the cell line prototypes with key collaborators by 2024.

NewBiologix is developing a proprietary and breakthrough DNA integration platform for the advanced engineering of human and mammalian cell lines. It is currently focused on recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors, the preferred delivery vehicle for gene therapies. Specifically, the company’s technologies will be applied to human (HEK-293) and mammalian (CHO) cell lines. These cell lines will be engineered to be readily adaptable to meet the viral vector demands and requirements over a full range of therapeutic indications to help partners address rare, chronic, and currently incurable diseases.

The company has assembled a prestigious group of scientific thought leaders to sit on its scientific advisory board, including Mahendra Roa, Ph.D., Sir Gregory Winter, FRS, Anna Maurer, Ph.D., and Cori Gorman, Ph.D., MBA. Each member brings unique experience from gene and cell therapy, protein and vector engineering, stem cells, and biologics to guide the potential of NewBiologix’s innovative technology platform.

NewBiologix anticipates making viral production cell lines commercially available by 2026.

The NKF team was led by Corporate/M&A and Technology partner Jacques Bonvin, working with partner Andrea Wuerzner (Corporate/M&A) and junior associate Boris Catzeflis (Technology).

12 May 2023