The financing will be used to advance KYV-101, an autologous version of a clinical-stage anti-CD19 CAR T-cell construct with properties uniquely suited for use in B cell-driven autoimmune diseases such as lupus nephritis, systemic sclerosis, and inflammatory myopathies.

Kyverna has obtained exclusive, worldwide licenses from the National Institutes of Health to use this novel CD19 construct in both autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies. Kyverna intends to advance KYV-101 to clinical development for autoimmune diseases in the first half of 2022.

The company will advance the development of KYV-201, an investigational candidate for the treatment of select B cell-driven autoimmune diseases combining Kyverna's novel CD19 CAR T construct with Intellia's proprietary ex vivo CRISPR-Cas9-based allogeneic platform.

Proceeds from the financing round will also support the continued development of Kyverna's synReg T-cell platform, engineering a synthetic version of regulatory T cells (Tregs) by reprogramming T cells into CAR Treg cells. Kyverna has established a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Gilead to develop engineered T-cell therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases based on Kyverna's synReg T-cell platform and synNotch technology from Kite.

The series B financing round was led by Northpond Ventures. Additional investors included the company's founding investors Westlake Village BioPartners, Vida Ventures, and Gilead Sciences, with new investors RTW Investments, LP, CAM Capital, Insight Partners, HealthCor, Lyfe Capital, Intellia Therapeutics, Argentum Peak, Hudson Bay Capital, and JVen Capital.