New venture capital fund will back early-stage life science startups translating Penn biomedical research into life-changing products

PHILADELPHIA: The University of Pennsylvania (“Penn”), BioNTech SE (“BioNTech”), and OUP (Osage University Partners) announced the launch of the $50 million Penn-BioNTech Innovative Therapeutics Seed Fund (“PxB Fund”), a dedicated venture capital fund focused on early-stage life science companies originating from Penn. The joint effort will provide additional fuel to advance Penn discoveries into products that benefit patients across the world, following a decade in which the university’s research teams have spawned 45 FDA approvals for transformative vaccines and novel medical treatments such as CAR T cell therapy, and garnered a Nobel Prize and four Breakthrough Prizes for Life Sciences.

The PxB Fund will provide capital to Penn-founded companies developing novel therapeutics, diagnostics, and research tools, including AI-enabled drug discovery platforms to address serious medical conditions. It is designed to help Penn investigators accelerate the translation of high-potential science from their labs to patients by providing early-stage capital to promising Penn startups. The fund will be managed by OUP, a Philadelphia-based venture capital firm with over $800 million under management that has invested in more than 150 startups commercializing university research, including more than 10 Penn startups.

“Penn has a remarkable track record of creating cutting-edge startups, with recent success stories including Capstan Therapeutics, which has been acquired by AbbVie, and Interius BioTherapeutics, acquired by Kite,” said Marc Singer, Managing Partner of OUP. “We have been a partner of Penn and have worked closely with the Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) over many years to promote the Penn entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through the PxB Fund, and with access to BioNTech’s insights, we intend to invest in the next generation of Penn innovations to translate breakthrough science into medicines that can improve patients’ lives.”

As part of the launch, Anna Turetsky, PhD has been appointed as General Partner. Dr. Turetsky is an experienced biotech investor and Penn alumnus who has spent her decade-long career backing and advising early-stage therapeutics companies. After earning her PhD in Biophysics at Harvard University, she began her venture career at Lightstone Ventures, where she invested in and helped build multiple successful life science startups. She then launched and led the venture arm of an oncology-focused non-profit, the Mark Foundation, where her investments included work with Penn on Interius BioTherapeutics.

Penn is a global leader in translating academic research into commercial impact, with hundreds of startups formed around Penn intellectual property and a large and growing list of FDA-approved therapies tied to inventions made by its scientists and physicians, including Nobel Prize winning mRNA technology used in some COVID-19 vaccines. The PxB Fund is a strong complement to Penn’s existing commercialization, incubation, and co-investment programs, providing a focused capital pool to lead financing transactions at the earliest stages of company formation.

“Penn’s mission is not only to perform groundbreaking research and generate and disseminate new knowledge, but to ensure that the fruits of those efforts are translated into real-world solutions,” said John S. Swartley, PhD, MBA, Chief Innovation Officer of the University of Pennsylvania. “This new fund is reflective of the deep trust and shared vision we have with BioNTech and OUP. It will allow us to move faster and more intentionally to support our faculty and other members of our research community as they build high-impact life science companies here in Philadelphia and beyond. We see this as a major step forward for Penn’s innovation ecosystem and a real boon for patients.”

BioNTech, a pioneer in mRNA-based medicines and next-generation immunotherapies, has longstanding scientific and translational ties to Penn. Through the PxB Fund, BioNTech aims to deepen its collaboration with Penn and increase its visibility into emerging therapeutic approaches at the university across a breadth of technologies and modalities.

“BioNTech has a longstanding R&D collaboration with Penn. Groundbreaking work, including in mRNA and immunotherapy, is aligned with our commitment to developing innovative therapeutics for patients with high unmet medical needs,” said James Ryan, Ph.D., Chief Business Officer and Chief Legal Officer, BioNTech SE. “By partnering with Penn and OUP on this fund, we will have the opportunity to support the next wave of scientific breakthroughs coming out of the university.”

About the PxB Fund

The PxB Fund (Penn BioNTech Innovative Therapeutics Seed Fund) is a $50 million venture capital fund formed by the University of Pennsylvania, BioNTech, and OUP to invest in early-stage life science companies based on Penn intellectual property and/or founded by Penn researchers. The fund focuses on seed and Series A investments in therapeutics, platforms, diagnostics, and research tools emerging from Penn’s faculty and researcher community.

About OUP

OUP (Osage University Partners) is a venture capital firm that invests in breakthrough start-ups emerging from the world’s leading research labs and innovation ecosystems. We leverage our global network of 150+ university partners as well as deep relationships with founders, entrepreneurs, and industry to source and support the translation of cutting-edge research into transformative companies with impact. Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Philadelphia, OUP manages over $800 million and has invested in more than 150 life science and technology start-ups. For more information, visit oup.vc.

About BioNTech

BioNTech (Biopharmaceutical New Technologies SE) is a global, next-generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer, infectious diseases, and other serious conditions. BioNTech leverages a broad portfolio of therapeutic modalities, including mRNA-based medicines, engineered cell therapies, antibodies, and small molecules, to develop individualized and off-the-shelf treatments. BioNTech is widely known for co-developing one of the first approved mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 and is advancing a robust pipeline of oncology and infectious disease candidates.

About the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1740, is an Ivy League institution with a distinctive past. Its 12 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools are located in Philadelphia on an attractive urban campus that serves a diverse community of more than 20,000 students from throughout the nation and around the world. Ranked consistently among the top universities in the nation, Penn has a longstanding reputation for excellence in graduate and professional education.

Fonte: Business Wire