SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Firefly Bio emerged from stealth mode with a $94 million Series A financing co-led by founding investor Versant Ventures and by MPM BioImpact alongside Decheng Capital and with participation from Eli Lilly & Company. Firefly has developed a novel platform to treat cancer using degrader antibody conjugates (DACs)..

加利福尼亚州南旧金山（商业新闻短讯）--Firefly Bio从隐形模式中脱颖而出，获得了9400万美元的a系列融资，由创始投资者Versant Ventures和MPM BioImpact与德成资本共同牵头，礼来公司（Eli Lilly＆Company）参与。Firefly开发了一种使用降解物-抗体偶联物（DAC）治疗癌症的新型平台。。

DACs represent the convergence of two technologies – antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) and protein degraders. Despite the power of each approach, both have important limitations. While traditional ADCs have favorable bioavailability and the ability to target cells, they often have a limited therapeutic index due to their broadly cytotoxic payloads.

DAC代表了两种技术的融合-抗体-药物偶联物（ADC）和蛋白质降解剂。尽管每种方法都很强大，但都有重要的局限性。虽然传统的ADC具有良好的生物利用度和靶向细胞的能力，但由于其广泛的细胞毒性有效载荷，它们通常具有有限的治疗指数。

Additionally, ADCs lack the ability to knock down specific intracellular proteins..

此外，ADC缺乏敲除特定细胞内蛋白质的能力。。

With protein degraders, the converse is true – these therapies have intracellular selectivity, protein knock down, and are highly catalytic. However, they struggle with bioavailability and do not have the ability for cell-specific targeting.

对于蛋白质降解剂，情况正好相反-这些疗法具有细胞内选择性，蛋白质敲低，并且具有高度催化作用。然而，它们与生物利用度斗争，并且不具有细胞特异性靶向的能力。

Firefly’s platform combines the respective strengths of ADCs and degraders while overcoming their deficiencies. The result is a new class of therapeutics able to precisely drug a range of intracellular biological targets that were previously hampered by therapeutic index issues when delivered systemically..

Firefly的平台结合了ADC和降解器各自的优势，同时克服了它们的缺陷。结果是一类新的治疗方法，能够精确地治疗一系列细胞内生物靶标，这些靶标以前在全身递送时受到治疗指数问题的阻碍。。

“DACs are a new modality for cancer,” said Firefly CEO Scott Hirsch. “They give us the ability to hit biologically validated targets with minimal collateral damage. Our platform enables DACs at scale and vastly expands the number of payloads for ADCs.”

Firefly首席执行官斯科特·赫希（ScottHirsch）表示：“DAC是治疗癌症的一种新方式。”。“它们使我们能够以最小的附带损害击中经过生物学验证的目标。我们的平台可以实现大规模的DAC，并大大扩展了ADC的有效载荷数量。”

An Industry-Leading Platform

业界领先的平台

Firefly’s platform uses potent catalytic protein degraders as the payloads of ADCs. The company’s proprietary Firelink linker technology joins these modalities, decreasing free payload in circulation and minimizing uptake in healthy cells. This leads to lower doses needed for optimal efficacy. In preclinical studies in both solid and liquid tumors, single administration of Firefly’s DACs showed significant reductions in tumor volume at very low doses..

Firefly的平台使用有效的催化蛋白质降解剂作为ADC的有效载荷。该公司专有的Firelink链接器技术加入了这些模式，减少了流通中的免费有效载荷，并最大程度地减少了健康细胞的摄取。这导致最佳疗效所需的较低剂量。在实体瘤和液体肿瘤的临床前研究中，单次给予Firefly的DAC显示在非常低的剂量下肿瘤体积显着减少。。

Firefly was incubated in close collaboration with scientists at Versant’s Ridgeline Discovery Engine in the Basel Technology Park. These efforts helped the company rapidly establish proof-of-concept and advance its lead asset.

Firefly与位于巴塞尔技术园的Versant Ridgeline Discovery Engine的科学家密切合作孵化。这些努力帮助该公司迅速建立概念验证并推进其领先资产。

“At Firefly, we’ve assembled a unique talent base and platform to significantly advance this promising field,” said Jerel Davis, Ph.D., Managing Director at Versant and a Firefly board member. “The company has made rapid progress and is poised to become the leader in discovering clinically meaningful DACs in oncology and immunology.”.

Versant董事总经理兼Firefly董事会成员Jerel Davis博士表示：“在Firefly，我们已经建立了一个独特的人才库和平台，以显著推进这一前景广阔的领域。”。“该公司取得了快速进展，有望成为在肿瘤学和免疫学领域发现具有临床意义的DAC的领导者。”。

“Firefly is the first company with a platform specifically suited for DACs,” said Todd Foley, managing director at MPM BioImpact and a Firefly board member. “The company’s platform upgrades multiple aspects of existing linker technologies and does so all under one roof, making it ideally positioned to pioneer these new therapies.”.

MPM BioImpact董事总经理兼Firefly董事会成员Todd Foley表示：“Firefly是第一家专门为DAC提供平台的公司。”。“该公司的平台升级了现有链接器技术的多个方面，并在一个屋顶下完成，使其成为开拓这些新疗法的理想位置。”。

Leadership Team and Founders

领导团队和创始人

Firefly is led by experienced executives with a deep history and expertise in biotech creation, ADC development, and degrader chemistry. The team is led by CEO, Scott Hirsch who was previously Chief Operating Officer at Allakos and has overseen multiple early- and late-stage ADC programs as well as directly managed commercial, portfolio, and operations teams.

Firefly由经验丰富的高管领导，他们在生物技术创造、ADC开发和降解化学方面拥有深厚的历史和专业知识。该团队由首席执行官斯科特·赫希（ScottHirsch）领导，他曾担任Allakos的首席运营官，负责监督多个早期和晚期ADC项目以及直接管理的商业、投资组合和运营团队。

Co-founder and CSO John Flygare, Ph.D., previously led ADC teams at Genentech and Merck and has advanced ADCs and degraders into the clinic. Co-founder and CTO Bernhard Geierstanger, Ph.D., is a biotherapeutics expert and previously led ADC teams at Novartis and Merck and built protein modification and conjugation platforms.

联合创始人兼CSO John Flygare博士曾领导Genentech和Merck的ADC团队，并将ADC和降解物推进临床。联合创始人兼首席技术官Bernhard Geierstanger博士是一位生物治疗专家，曾领导诺华和默克的ADC团队，并建立了蛋白质修饰和结合平台。

Co-founder Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., was awarded the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for her work in bioorthogonal chemistry and is a world expert in ADCs..

联合创始人卡罗琳·贝托齐（CarolynBertozzi）博士因其在生物正交化学方面的工作而获得2022年诺贝尔化学奖，并且是ADC领域的世界专家。。

About Firefly Bio

关于萤火虫生物

Firefly has developed a novel platform to treat cancer using degrader antibody conjugates (DACs). The platform results in highly specific delivery of payload to target tissue. Firefly is based in South San Francisco and is backed by a leading syndicate including founding investor Versant Ventures, MPM BioCapital, Decheng and Eli Lilly & Company..

Firefly开发了一种使用降解物-抗体偶联物（DAC）治疗癌症的新型平台。该平台可以将有效载荷高度特异性地传递到目标组织。Firefly总部位于旧金山南部，由一个领先的财团支持，该财团包括创始投资者Versant Ventures、MPM BioCapital、Decheng和Eli Lilly＆Company。。

About Versant Ventures

关于Versant Ventures

Versant Ventures is a leading healthcare venture capital firm committed to helping exceptional entrepreneurs build the next generation of great companies. The firm’s emphasis is on biotechnology companies that are discovering and developing novel therapeutics. With $5.5 billion under management and offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe, Versant has built a team with deep investment, operating and R&D expertise that enables a hands-on approach to company building.

Versant Ventures是一家领先的医疗保健风险投资公司，致力于帮助杰出的企业家建立下一代伟大的公司。该公司的重点是正在发现和开发新疗法的生物技术公司。范思哲在美国、加拿大和欧洲拥有55亿美元的管理和办事处，建立了一支拥有深厚投资、运营和研发专业知识的团队，能够以动手的方式建立公司。

Since the firm’s founding in 1999, more than 100 Versant companies have achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs. For more information, please visit www.versantventures.com..

自1999年成立以来，已有100多家范思哲公司成功收购或首次公开募股。欲了解更多信息，请访问www.versantventures.com。。

About MPM BioImpact

关于MPM BioImpact

MPM BioImpact is a world-leading biotechnology investment firm with more than three decades of experience creating and investing in innovative biotechnology companies seeking to deliver transformative therapies to patients in the areas of highest unmet medical need. MPM BioImpact strives to power novel medical breakthroughs that transform patients’ lives.

MPM BioImpact是一家世界领先的生物技术投资公司，拥有30多年的创建和投资创新生物技术公司的经验，这些公司寻求在未满足医疗需求最高的领域为患者提供变革性疗法。MPM BioImpact致力于推动改变患者生活的新型医学突破。

It invests across the biotech landscape with its early-stage venture capital funds, a public equities fund, and impact funds investing in both private and public companies. For more information visit www.mpmcapital.com..

它通过其早期风险投资基金、公共股票基金以及投资于私人和上市公司的影响力基金，投资于整个生物技术领域。有关更多信息，请访问www.mpmcapital.com。。

About Decheng Capital

关于德成资本

Decheng Capital is an investment firm that provides capital and strategic support to early-stage life science companies with revolutionary technologies and growth stage healthcare companies with strong market presence. We are a group of dedicated professionals with complementary expertise to build highly successful companies globally.

德诚资本是一家投资公司，为拥有革命性技术的早期生命科学公司和具有强大市场影响力的成长期医疗保健公司提供资金和战略支持。我们是一批具有互补专业知识的专业人士，致力于在全球建立高度成功的公司。

Founded in 2012, Decheng continues to capitalize on a historic opportunity in the rapid growth of healthcare industry as well as breakthroughs in life science research. With over $2 billion in capital and the support from some of the most prestigious limited partners in the world, Decheng is poised to create value for our investors and entrepreneur partners.

德诚成立于2012年，继续利用医疗保健行业快速增长的历史机遇以及生命科学研究的突破。凭借20多亿美元的资本和世界上一些最负盛名的有限合伙人的支持，德诚准备为我们的投资者和企业家合作伙伴创造价值。

For more information, please visit https://www.decheng.com..

For more information, please visit https://www.decheng.com..

About Lilly

关于莉莉

Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help more than 51 million people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases.

礼来是一家将科学转化为治疗的医药公司，旨在让世界各地的人们生活得更好。近150年来，我们一直在开创改变生活的发现，今天，我们的药物帮助了全球5100多万人。利用生物技术、化学和遗传医学的力量，我们的科学家正在迫切推进新发现，以解决世界上一些最重大的健康挑战：重新定义糖尿病护理；治疗肥胖并减少其最具破坏性的长期影响；推进与阿尔茨海默病的斗争；为一些最致命的免疫系统疾病提供解决方案；并将最难治疗的癌症转化为可控制的疾病。

With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn..

在迈向更健康世界的每一步中，我们都有一个动机：让数百万人的生活变得更好。这包括提供反映我们世界多样性的创新临床试验，并努力确保我们的药物可获得且负担得起。要了解更多信息，请访问Lilly.com和Lilly.com/news，或在Facebook、Instagram和LinkedIn上关注我们。。