Auron Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotechnology company targeting cell-state plasticity to improve patient outcomes in oncology and inflammatory disease, today announced progress for its lead KAT2A/B program and clinical candidate, AUTX-703, and the completion of a $27 million Series B financing.
Auron has received clearance of its Investigational New Drug (IND) application by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is initiating clinical development of AUTX-703 in hematological malignancies. AUTX-703 is a novel, first-in-class, oral KAT2A/B degrader discovered and developed by Auron using its AURIGIN™ Platform. Last December, at the 2024 American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, the Company presented preclinical data supporting the ability of AUTX-703 to provide a significant survival advantage in acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In addition, the Company intends to study AUTX-703 in patients with solid tumors such as neuroendocrine prostate and small-cell lung cancer.
Proceeds from the raise will be used to advance AUTX-703 through a Phase 1 clinical proof-of-concept trial in AML, which will begin enrolling patients in the first quarter of this year. In addition, funds will be used to evaluate the therapeutic potential of targeting KAT2A/B in autoimmune disease and advance drug discovery efforts of novel EMT tumor targets identified using AURIGIN.
“I’m proud of the work the Auron team has done establishing a strong product profile for AUTX-703, using an innovative approach to cell state biology to tackle some of the deadliest cancers,” said Kate Yen, Ph.D., Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Auron. “With the funding from this raise, we’re ready to advance AUTX-703 into clinical trials for hematological malignancies and evaluate the promising potential of KAT2A/B in treating inflammatory conditions, all in pursuit of our mission to deliver transformative medicines to patients.”
“The power of Auron’s approach lies in its ability to leverage novel biological insights, enabling the discovery of validated therapeutic targets, optimized model systems for early de-risking, and biomarkers that guide precise patient selection,” said Serge Messerlian, Operating Partner at DCVC Bio and Auron Board Director. “As the demand for targeted therapies and patient-specific trials continues to grow, Auron is uniquely positioned to address these critical needs. We are very impressed by the progress made across the Company’s founding scientific hypothesis, novel platform, and pipeline, led by AUTX-703, and are excited to collaborate with Kate and the Auron team in this next phase of their growth.”
The Series B financing was led by DCVC Bio with additional support from Apollo Health Ventures, Arkin Bio Ventures, BrightEdge (the investment arm of the American Cancer Society), Casdin Capital, Franklin Berger, Mubadala Capital, Polaris Partners and Qiming Venture Partners USA.
