Vivace Therapeutics has closed $35m in a Series D financing round to support the clinical development of its cancer drug VT3989.
VT3989 is a transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) autopalmitoylation inhibitor that blocks the palmitoylation of TEAD protein family members to target the Hippo pathway.
RA Capital Management spearheaded the financing round which also saw contributions from current investors Cenova Capital and Canaan Partners.
The investment will primarily facilitate the therapy’s development, with a focus on treating mesothelioma.
The small-molecule cancer drug has already been assessed in 150 subjects in an ongoing open-label Phase I study.
The multicentre trial aims to assess the drug’s biological activity, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and safety in subjects with refractory metastatic solid tumours, including refractory pleural malignant mesothelioma.
Clinical findings for the drug have been promising for individuals with mesothelioma who have not responded to chemotherapy and immuno-oncology combo regimens.
The company is preparing to progress the drug into a registrational Phase III trial. It aims to engage with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the discussion of its plans lin the second half of 2025.
The company also announced that RA Capital Management’s partner Jake Simsonto has joined its board of directors.
Vivace Therapeutics CEO and president Sofie Qiao stated: “The results of our clinical evaluation of VT3989 to date give us confidence that the appropriate next step for the programme is advancement into a registrational Phase III trial in patients with mesothelioma.
“We are now laser-focused on executing against this strategy, including completing our ongoing clinical study and meeting with the FDA to align on the next steps.”
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