Chinese CAR-T biotech Oricell Therapeutics raises USD110M in pre-IPO funding round

CHINA—Shanghai-based Oricell Therapeutics has raised more than USD110 million in its pre-IPO funding round as the company accelerates its journey toward a public market listing.

Vivo Capital, Beijing Medical and Health Care Industry Investment Fund, and Qiming Venture Partners co-led the financing initiative.

The consortium also included backing from E-Town Capital, Luxin Venture Capital, NGS Super, and a prominent global healthcare fund.

The company will deploy the capital across three strategic priorities: expanding into international markets, advancing its clinical development pipeline, and enhancing its technological capabilities.

These investments position Oricell to reach key milestones on its path to becoming publicly traded.

Lead therapy shows promise against liver cancer

Ori-C101 forms the cornerstone of Oricell’s pipeline—a GPC3-targeted autologous CAR-T therapy developed specifically for hepatocellular carcinoma.

The company completed a phase 1 study that evaluated three dose levels across ten patients with this aggressive liver cancer.

Results demonstrated that patients receiving the highest dose achieved meaningful objective responses.

Based on these findings, Oricell characterizes the therapy as offering best-in-class efficacy and safety.

The company now plans to conduct additional studies to establish Ori-C101 as the first globally approved CAR-T treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma.

This would represent a major breakthrough for patients facing limited treatment options.

Diverse portfolio explores revolutionary cell therapies

Beyond Ori-C101, Oricell actively develops a range of next-generation modalities that push the boundaries of cell therapy innovation.

The company has particularly prioritized in vivo CAR-T programs, an increasingly dynamic field within cell therapy research.

Unlike traditional CAR-T approaches that require external manufacturing, in vivo CAR-T enables immune cells to develop therapeutic capabilities directly within the patient’s body.

Huanfeng Yang, Ph.D., Oricell’s chief executive officer, emphasized the company’s dual focus in a statement accompanying the funding announcement.

He highlighted the need to expedite global development of core assets while simultaneously advancing research into transformative technologies, particularly in vivo CAR-T and solid tumor therapies.

Consistent fundraising reflects investor confidence

Oricell’s capital-raising track record demonstrates sustained investor confidence since its founding in 2015.

The company began operations with 100 million Chinese yuan (USD 14 million) in initial funding.

Subsequent rounds reflected strong backing: a USD 125 million Series B in 2022, a USD 45 million B1 round in 2023, and a USD 70 million Series C1 financing four months prior.

Each funding milestone strengthened Oricell’s position as a leading player in cell therapy development for cancer treatment.