Seattle gene therapy biotech startup Immusoft raised $4.5M

Seattle-primarily based totally biotech startup Immusoft raised another $4.five million and landed a $467,000 NIH grant to assist in addition improvement of its drugs that deal with genetic diseases.

Founded in 2009, Immusoft develops immune cell technology that makes use of blood cells from a affected person to create healing proteins centered to deal with diseases. Its lead candidate, ISP-001, treats Mucopolysaccharidosis kind I, or MPS I, and has each orphan drug and uncommon pediatric sickness designations from the FDA.

Investors withinside the new spherical encompass preceding backers Ikarian Capital, Mesa Verde Venture Partners, and Breakout Ventures.

The 12-person agency remaining yr raised a $20 million Series B spherical.

Sean Ainsworth, a veteran biotech executive, leads the agency as CEO. In 2018 he changed founder Matthew Scholz. Ainsworth formerly based gene therapy agency RetroSense Therapeutics, which offered to Allergan in 2016 in a deal worth up to $555 million.