US-based Normunity has raised $75m in a Series B funding round to support the clinical development of its lead programme, NRM-823, a potential first-in-class T-cell engager (TCE) targeting solid tumours.
NRM-823 is an engineered antibody that redirects T cells to attack cancer cells by binding to a highly specific tumour-associated target.
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Normunity said that this novel target is expressed across multiple types of solid tumours, making it a promising candidate for addressing cancers that are often challenging to treat. The company plans to initiate a Phase I clinical trial for NRM-823 in the second half of 2025.
The Series B round was co-led by Samsara BioCapital and Enavate Sciences, with participation from Pfizer Ventures, Regeneron Ventures, Sanofi Ventures, Taiho Ventures, and others. This latest round follows Normunity’s $65m Series A round in 2022, bringing the company’s total funding to $140m. The financing will also enable the expansion of Normunity’s pipeline, which focuses on novel targets implicated in tumour-specific immune suppression.
TCEs are a class of immunotherapies that direct T cells to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. Recent developments in this field suggest significant potential for transforming cancer treatment, particularly for solid tumours, which have historically been less responsive to traditional immunotherapies.
“The T-cell engager space has seen multiple recent successes in solid tumours, and we believe this modality is poised to transform the treatment of numerous cancers in the coming years,” said Sara Nayeem, executive vice president of investments at Enavate Sciences.
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By GlobalData“We are excited to support the development of NRM-823, which has demonstrated compelling preclinical efficacy and safety.”
Normunity’s progress aligns with broader trends in the TCE landscape. For example, Ipsen committed up to $610m last month to license a bispecific TCE from Biomunex Pharmaceuticals, which targets mucosal-associated invariant T cells (MAITs). This approach seeks to address safety challenges associated with traditional bispecifics by selectively engaging a cytotoxic T-cell subset.
Similarly, Candid Therapeutics entered the TCE market in September 2024 with $370m in funding. While initially focusing on autoimmune diseases, the company plans to expand its pipeline to include cancer therapies, highlighting the versatility of this technology.
Normunity’s trajectory is further supported by its collaboration with Alloy Therapeutics to develop precision immuno-oncology programs. Announced in November 2022, this partnership leverages Alloy’s antibody discovery capabilities to advance Normunity’s portfolio of therapies targeting immune suppression in tumours.
