News
DCPrime B.V. closes first financing round
DCPrime B.V. announced on September 20 the closure of its first financing round led by Thuja Capital Management B.V. (Thuja Capital).
Therapeutic cancer vaccine therapy is aimed at stimulating the patient’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. DCPrime has developed a unique platform technology consisting of allogeneic (non-self, standardized) dendritic progenitor cells (named “DCOne”) and a proprietary method to grow them into functional mature dendritic cells (DCs). These dendritic cells can subsequently be loaded with cancer recognition markers (antigens) to yield an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine.
The company was founded by Professors Ada Kruisbeek and Rik Scheper, both renowned cancer immunologists, as a spin off of the VU University medical center in Amsterdam in 2005. The current investment marks the first venture capital backed VU University spin-off company.
Ada Kruisbeek, CEO and CSO of DCPrime, said: “We are very pleased to have partnered with Thuja Capital, as they bring much relevant experience and a valuable network to the table. Their investment will allow us to start a clinical Phase 1 study to test for safety and immune responses in patients. After the clinical study approval by the Dutch CCMO, obtained in December 2009, this financing is another important milestone for DCPrime. The next will be to complete this financing round by getting one additional investor on board.”
Dr. Michel Briejer, partner at Thuja Capital: “DCPrime has an exciting proposition. A first cancer vaccine, Provenge®, notably also based on dendritic cells, was recently approved in the US. This has confirmed the validity and feasibility of using dendritic cells for cancer immunotherapy. Provenge® however is based on a patient’s own cells (autologous cells product), giving logistical complexities and quality issues. With the platform of DCPrime it will be possible to produce off-the-shelf products based on otherwise the same principles, thus combining the best of both worlds.”
Michel Briejer will join the Supervisory Board of Directors DCPrime, along with seasoned biotech entrepreneurs Dr. Herb Heyneker and Dr. Henk Viëtor.
About DCPrime - DCPrime BV is a Dutch biotechnology company dedicated to developing cancer vaccines based on its proprietary dendritic cell-based cancer vaccine technology platform. The main advantage of DCPrime’s platform is that it generates off-the-shelf dendritic cell vaccines for which a scalable manufacturing process has been developed. This platform therefore allows development of therapeutic vaccines for a broad range of cancer types. DCPrime’s mission is to improve healthcare for cancer patients by developing these vaccines as novel, well tolerated and efficacious second line treatments.
About Thuja Capital - Thuja Capital Healthcare Seed Fund B.V. (TCHSF) is a healthcare dedicated venture capital fund structured to invest in life sciences innovations with a focus on therapeutics, diagnostics and medical devices. The prime focus of TCHSF is on financing privately held early-stage life sciences companies located in the Netherlands. TCHSF is managed by Thuja Capital, whose team have a long-standing and successful track record in life sciences investments. Thuja Capital actively helps portfolio companies to strengthen and grow their business. Apart from managing the TCHSF, Thuja Capital is also the exclusive manager of the Thuja Capital Healthcare Fund and of AlpInvest Partners' portfolio of early stage life sciences companies.
Contact:
DCPrime B.V.
Prof. Ada Kruisbeek, PhD, CEO
T: +31 (0) 20 598 5601
E: kruisbeek@tto.vu.nl
W: www.dcprime.com
Thuja Capital Management B.V.
Michel Briejer, PhD
T: +31 (0)30 253 3849
E: michel.briejer@thujacapital.com
W: www.thujacapital.com
