Be Biopharma has raised $82m in financing to advance a gene therapy targeting hemophilia B to a Phase I/II trial, whilst also adding an ex-Roche exec who was involved with the launch of a haemophilia A treatment to its roster.
The financing had big pharma involvement in the form of Bristol Myers Squibb and Takeda Ventures, with venture capital firms ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, and RA Capital Management participating. Be Bio said the funds, which were also from Alta Partners and the Longwood Fund, will be allocated to the hemophilia B candidate BE-101 and a newly unveiled programme for hypophosphatasia called BE-102.
Alongside the funds, the US biopharma added Suha Patel and Dr. Kiran Patki to its ranks, who will serve as senior vice president of commercial & franchise strategy and senior vice president of clinical development, respectively. Patel was involved in launching the haemophilia A treatment Hemlibra (emicizumab-kxwh) at Roche’s Genentech, whilst Patki previously worked at rare disease biotech Rally Bio. Be Bio’s CEO Dr. Joanne Smith-Farrell said that “some valued colleagues will be moving on” as the company shifts resources toward product development.
Be Bio’s BE-101 is a genetically engineered B cell therapeutic that works by inserting the human Factor IX (FIX) gene into primary human B cells, which allows for continuous expression of active FIX levels with a single infusion. Haemophilia B, which affects around 40,000 globally, is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency in clotting factor IX and has traditionally been treated with regular infusions of the protein.
The advancement of gene therapies is changing the treatment paradigm for this disorder, with single infusions reducing the burden on patients taking repeated treatments. There are currently two US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved gene therapies for haemophilia B – CSL Behring’s Hemgenix (etranacogene dezaparvovec) and Pfizer’s Beqvez (fidanacogene elaparvovec). Be Bio’s candidate has an FDA orphan drug designation and fast track status, which confers benefits such as the possibility of seven years of market exclusivity.
The FDA approved an investigational new drug application (IND) in March this year, greenlighting the company to initiate a trial evaluating the gene therapy. The multi-centre, first-in-human dose escalation study (NCT06611436), called BeCoMe-9, will evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of intravenously administered BE-101 in adults with moderately severe to severe haemophilia B. The trial is estimated to enrol 24 patients and has a primary endpoint of adverse events and serious adverse events one year post dose.
Smith-Farrell said: “We are eager to clinically demonstrate BE-101’s potential to provide a highly durable FIX replacement therapy for Hemophilia B patients. Additionally, we are excited to advance BE-102 to address the needs of a large patient population with few to no therapeutic options.”
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