Soufflé Therapeutics has raised $135 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing round to advance its RNA therapy pipeline and move three lead programmes towards clinical studies.
The financing was led by Juvia Group, with participation from new investors including TCG Crossover Management, BB Biotech, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Balyasny Asset Management and a sovereign wealth fund. Existing investors, including Amgen Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Breyer Capital, Temasek and Vida Ventures, also supported the round.
The company will use the funding to advance its three lead programmes towards clinical development and expand its research into therapies targeting additional cell types and tissues.
Soufflé Therapeutics is developing RNA medicines using its proprietary REMEDY™ platform, which is designed to deliver therapies to specific cell types. The technology identifies receptors that can bring therapeutic molecules into cells and develops specialised binders, including antibodies and other ligands, to direct treatments to selected tissues.
The company aims to use this approach to improve the delivery of genetic medicines, with the potential to develop treatments that are more targeted, effective and durable while limiting unwanted effects on other tissues.
Amir Nashat, chief executive officer of Soufflé Therapeutics, said the investment reflects confidence in the company’s cell-specific delivery technology and its potential to benefit patients. He added that the funding would support the company’s efforts to advance its first programme into clinical testing.
Stefan Vitorovic, co-founder and managing director of Juvia Group, said targeted delivery could expand what medicines can achieve across a wide range of diseases. He highlighted Soufflé’s technology, research pipeline and leadership team as key reasons for leading the financing round.
Soufflé’s most advanced programme targets striated muscle to treat facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness. The company is pursuing this programme in an area with significant unmet medical need and no approved disease-modifying therapies, according to the announcement.
The second programme targets the phospholamban (PLN) gene in heart muscle cells, also known as cardiomyocytes, with the aim of treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The company’s third programme focuses on an undisclosed target for muscle and metabolic disorders.
Chen Yu, managing partner at TCG Crossover Management (TCGX), said the investment was driven by the potential of Soufflé’s programmes in FSHD and heart failure, two conditions with limited treatment options.
The $135 million financing provides Soufflé Therapeutics with additional resources to progress its RNA medicine candidates and expand its cell-specific delivery platform. The next stage will focus on advancing its lead programmes towards clinical studies and evaluating their potential to address serious diseases.