Emendo Biotherapeutics Raises $61 Million to Advance Next Generation Genome Editing Therapeutics

• Expands strategic partnerships with AnGes and Takeda
• Accelerates novel OMNI gene editing platform into a broad therapeutic product pipeline

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Emendo Biotherapeutics, a leader in next-generation gene editing using synthetic biology to address untreatable diseases, today announced a Series B investment totaling $61 million led by AnGes, Inc., a Japan-based biopharma, reflecting its strategic interest in partnering with Emendo on the development of specific indications.

“This financing provides a strong foundation from which we can accelerate our proprietary OMNI gene editing platform towards a broad clinical pipeline for addressing devastating untreatable diseases,” said Dr. David Baram, President & CEO, Emendo Biotherapeutics. “We are grateful for such strong support from so many high-quality investors and strategic partners including AnGes, OrbiMed Advisors, OrbiMed Israel Partners and Takeda Ventures who share our vision to translate this powerful science into transformative medicines.”

Emendo Biotherapeutics is pioneering OMNI, a next-generation allele-specific gene editing platform that uses synthetic biology to expand what is possible in genome-editing. In 2019, Emendo granted an option to Takeda to use the OMNI nuclease gene editing program for two research and development targets. Emendo received an undisclosed investment from Takeda Ventures that was converted in the Series B.

Emendo’s OMNI technology enables precision gene editing while maintaining high efficiencies, uniquely addressing dominant indications such as Severe Congenital Neutropenia (SCN), caused by mutations in the neutrophil elastase gene ELANE. Dominant indications represent the vast majority of genetic diseases which until now have been untreatable.

About AnGes

AnGes is a Tokyo and Osaka, Japan-based biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of gene-based medicines including gene therapy and oligonucleotide molecules. AnGes’ lead product HGF plasmid, which received conditional approval in Japan in 2019, is a DNA plasmid which encodes the human Hepatocyte Growth Factor (HGF) gene, an angiogenic (new blood vessel growth) factor for critical limb ischemia (CLI). The company is also developing NF-kB Decoy oligonucleotide for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. For more information please visit www.anges.co.jp.

About Emendo

Emendo Biotherapeutics is transforming the landscape of genome-editing based medicine through its use of novel CRISPR nucleases, advanced cutting-edge protein engineering platforms, diverse pipeline of clinical programs and extensive intellectual property portfolio. For more information please visit us at www.emendobio.com.