Portfolio News

Argo Biopharma announced that its first independently developed siRNA new drug's phase 1 clinical trial application had been approved in the United States and China in May and July of this year, respectively. It is worthy to note that the drug was approved for clinical research in Australia in December 2022, and the first patient was successfully administered in January 2023. As of right now, the Phase 1 clinical trial in Australia has successfully completed the enrollment of all dose groups of subjects.

 

siRNA (small interfering RNA) drugs are a novel class of pharmaceuticals that have emerged in recent years. They have a wide variety of indications, covering cardiovascular diseases, rare diseases, neurological diseases, viral hepatitis, ophthalmic diseases, tumors, etc. They also have the advantages of multiple drug targets, strong efficacy, good safety, and low dosing frequency. They are now among the cutting-edge pharmaceutical industries with the most potential for global expansion. As of 2022, more than 49 siRNA pipeline collaborations had been concluded internationally, with a total transaction volume exceeding 16.6 billion US dollars, according to the press release from Argo Biopharma.

 

Argo Biopharma, established in 2021 by multiple scientists with extensive backgrounds in RNA interference drug research, is dedicated to developing a novel class of siRNA therapeutics and enhancing patient care around the globe. In May 2021, Argo Biopharma announced the completion of an angel round financing of nearly 5 million US dollars, invested exclusively by Apricot Capital. In March 2022, Argo Biopharma announced the completion of series A financing of US $63 million, led by Loyal Valley Capital, and co-invested by CPE fund, TAO CAPITAL, Trinity Fund, and GSR United Capital.