Novartis-partnered Orionis secures $55M to push cytokine program into clinic

In seven years, a small company has built two programs in immuno-oncology and molecular glues and got itself into a partnership with one of the world’s biggest pharma companies. Now the transatlantic biotech has refilled its coffers.

Orionis Biosciences announced Wednesday morning that it finished a Series C round and secured $55 million. That infusion gives Orionis flexibility to expand its R&D operations, increase its pipeline and bring assets into human trials. The biotech plans to introduce its lead candidate, a conditionally active cytokine therapy, into the clinic sometime next year.