The investment round saw contributions from Gimv, HealthCap, Red Tree Venture Capital, and existing backers BioGeneration Ventures, M Ventures, and Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM).
The funds will be channelled towards advancing multiple oncology programmes into clinical trials.
Through this funding, Kivu also aims to advance its Topo1i-based ADC pipeline to clinics.
Kivu Bioscience president and chief operating officer Mohit Trikha said: “We’re excited to have the backing of this top-tier syndicate, who share our vision for developing kinder, gentler ADC therapies that are more effective and safer for cancer patients.
“Our next-generation ADCs address key limitations of current treatments, particularly by engineering stable ADCs we have the potential to reduce off-target side effects which in turn widens the therapeutic window. We are inspired by patients and driven by data to accelerate transformative medicines.”
The company leverages its Synaffix site-specific linker-payload technology, GlycoConnect, to develop ADC therapeutics.
The GlycoConnect technology attaches the linker to asparagine-297 to offer a “highly” homogenous product.
This technology is claimed to simplify manufacturing and enhance the ADC’s stability, to significantly reduce the risk of off-target side effects.
By improving the therapeutic gap, Kivu aims to improve the patient safety profile and address the high discontinuation and dose-reduction rates associated with current ADC treatments. This advancement could be crucial for the treatment of solid tumours.
Kivu is currently preparing to initiate Phase I trials for its lead candidate in 2025.