Biotech firms Simnova and Simcere Zaiming secure major funding and licensing deals

Simnova Biotech has secured approximately USD 59.5 million (CNY 400 million) in Series B funding to advance its off-the-shelf cell therapy research in China. The round was led by Fortera Capital and Pudong Venture Capital, with participation from Cenova Ventures, Oriza Holdings, and Youshan Capital. The capital will support confirmatory clinical trials for SNC103, a CAR-NK therapy for systemic lupus erythematosus, and the development of the In Vivo CAR-T platform, SNC116.

In a separate development, Simcere Zaiming, a subsidiary of Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, has entered into an exclusive global licensing agreement with Roche. Roche will develop and commercialize Sim0660, a tri-specific T-cell engager targeting CD79a, CD19, and CD3. The deal is valued at up to USD 1.53 billion, which includes a USD 75 million upfront payment, milestone-based payments, and tiered double-digit royalties on future net sales.