SpliSense, an Israeli biopharmaceutical company developing transformative mRNA-altering therapies for cystic fibrosis (CF) and other genetic pulmonary diseases, has closed a $28.5 million Series B funding round, the company announced Thursday.
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Orbimed, Israel Biotech Fund, Biotel Limited, Integra Holdings and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation participated in the round.
CF is a genetic multisystem disorder that originates from various mutations in the CFTR gene, which is responsible for the production of the CFTR protein, a chloride channel expressed, among other systems, in the lungs. SpliSense utilizes short, precisely targeted proprietary RNA stretches called ASOs to correct various mutations in the CFTR mRNA.
In particular, the ASO binds to the mutated CFTR RNA in the desired spot, leading to the elimination of the mutated region from the mRNA and allowing the cell to produce functional CFTR proteins. SpliSense utilizes proprietary algorithms to support the design of optimized ASOs, thereby maximizing efficiency and reducing the potential for undesired effects.
SpliSense' technology is based on the research of Prof. Batsheva Kerem, PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, who was part of the research team that identified and cloned the CFTR gene. The technology was licensed from Yissum, the technology transfer office of Hebrew University.
