January 7, 2022 -- ONK Therapeutics has closed $21.5 million in series A financing as it advances several of its preclinical programs through comprehensive investigational new drug-enabling studies.
The financing will also enable the company to pursue in vivo proof-of-concept models across multiple programs. ONK's pipeline currently has three programs in preclinical development for the treatment of hematological malignancies and solid tumors.
The company is engineering NK cell therapies using strategies to optimize cytotoxic potential, metabolic health, and persistence of NK cells while reducing the potential for cell exhaustion in the tumor microenvironment.
ONK's patents include the following:
These different strategies are being employed across the ONK preclinical product portfolio, including the following therapies:
ONK also recently started two programs focused on the potential of CISH KO NK cells, namely:
The series A financing round was led by current investors Acorn Bioventures and ALSHC, and was joined by Cormorant Asset Management.