EpiBiologics Closes $107M Series B to Advance Pipeline of Novel Bispecific Antibodies to Selectively Degrade Extracellular Protein Targets in Oncology and Immunology

Proceeds advance multiple programs, including EPI-326 into first-in-human clinical trial in early 2026 for EGFR-driven lung cancer and head and neck cancer

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EpiBiologics, a leader in tissue-selective extracellular protein degradation, today announced the completion of a $107 million Series B financing co-led by GV (Google Ventures) and Johnson & Johnson, through its corporate venture capital organization, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc (JJDC).

Novartis Venture Fund (NVF), Aulis Capital, Avego BioScience Capital, and Samsara BioCapital joined JJDC as new investors. In addition to GV, existing investors Polaris Partners, Digitalis Ventures, Taiho Ventures, Vivo Capital, Codon Capital, and Mission BioCapital participated in the round.

“We’re delighted to work with this distinguished group of investors as we enter the next stage of EpiBiologics’ growth. This financing allows us to advance our pipeline of novel bispecific antibodies to selectively degrade disease-driving membrane and soluble targets in oncology and immunology,” said Ann Lee-Karlon, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of EpiBiologics. “Our lead program, EPI-326, is moving rapidly to the clinic as a highly differentiated therapeutic to address substantial unmet needs for patients with EGFR-driven cancers.”

EPI-326 is a tissue-selective bispecific antibody that degrades all oncogenic forms of EGFR, is mutation-agnostic, and overcomes limitations of existing EGFR therapies by localizing degradation to the tumor while sparing normal healthy tissue. In preclinical studies, EPI-326 drives strong and durable efficacy with favorable safety and pharmacokinetics, enabling both monotherapy and combination approaches for multiple cancer types.

EpiBiologics plans to initiate a first-in-human clinical trial of EPI-326 in early 2026 for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The company continues to build key capabilities as it moves towards the clinic and appointed two new executives in 2025, Eric Humke, M.D. Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, and Aaron Mishel, Chief Financial Officer, who both have deep biopharma leadership expertise.

Concurrent with Series B financing, the company welcomes new Board members: Anika Gupta Vatsa, Ph.D. (GV), Laura Brass, Ph.D. (NVF), Gaurav Aggarwal, M.D. (Vivo), and a representative from JJDC. Nisa Leung (Aulis), Eric Pham, Ph.D. (Avego), and Mitchell Mutz, Ph.D. (Samsara) will join as Board observers.

“As an early investor, I’ve been impressed by EpiBiologics’ rapid scientific and operational progress as they’ve built the EpiTAC platform and portfolio in oncology, immunology, and beyond,” said David Schenkein, M.D., General Partner at GV. “Anika and I are excited to co-lead this financing as the company translates this innovation into transformative medicines for patients.”

About EpiBiologics
EpiBiologics is advancing a next-generation protein degradation pipeline and platform that targets extracellular membrane and soluble proteins. EpiBiologics was founded on pioneering work from scientific founder Dr. Jim Wells of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The Company’s proprietary EpiTAC platform is a modular bispecific antibody system that enables targeted degradation of disease-driving extracellular proteins in a tissue-specific manner. Headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, EpiBiologics is backed by leading healthcare investors and aims to develop first-in-class and best-in-class targeted therapies across multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and immunology. For more information, please visit epibiologics.com and follow us on LinkedIn.