SynOx Raises $75 Million to Advance Development of Potential Treatment for TGCT

Rare Daily Staff

Irish biotech SynOx Therapeutics raised $75 million in a series B financing to advance the late-stage development of its investigational antibody treatment for patients with tenosynovial giant cell tumors.

Forbion, HealthCap, and new investor Bioqube Ventures co-led the financing.

The proceeds will be used to generate registrational phase 3 clinical and CMC data for emactuzumab, SynOx’s potentially best-in-class CSF-1(R) inhibiting monoclonal antibody (mAb) for the treatment of tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT).

TGCT is a group of rare benign tumors that affect the soft tissue lining of joints and tendons often impacting large, important joints such as the knee, hip, and ankle. TGCT is a chronic disease that seriously impacts quality of life by causing significant loss of function of the affected joints, pain, stiffness, and limiting range of motion. While most patients receive surgical intervention, more than 50 percent of patients with diffuse disease experience tumor recurrence within three years of surgery.

Emactuzumab is a novel, next-generation CSF-1R mAb with a potentially best-in-class profile.  In earlier clinical work in TGCT, emactuzumab demonstrated substantial clinical activity with an objective response rate of 71percent, rapid and robust tumor reduction, a long duration of effect, and significant improvements in functional ability. Importantly, these studies also indicated that emactuzumab has good tolerability and a manageable safety profile. SynOx is initiating a phase 3 trial p to assess the efficacy and safety of emactuzumab in patients with localized and diffuse TGCT.

“This is a transformational time for SynOx. This substantial funding will allow us to generate registrational data for emactuzumab in TGCT,” said Ray Barlow, CEO of SynOx Therapeutics. “As a highly effective, next-generation therapy with a short treatment cycle, rapid onset, and long duration of response, we believe that emactuzumab is differentiated from other agents in development and will provide a much needed and valuable option for patients suffering from this grievous disease.”

Photo: Ray Barlow, CEO of SynOx Therapeutics