PRESS RELEASE
Metcela Secures Additional Series B Investment from Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital | Metcela Inc.
Kanagawa, Japan – Metcela Inc., a clinical-stage biotech startup specializing in fibroblast-based cell therapy, today announced the procurement of follow-on investment from Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital as a part of its Series B round.
As previously reported, the funds will be used to initiate a Phase I clinical trial in chronic heart failure for the company’s lead asset, MTC001. MTC001 is a cell therapy based on VCAM-1-positive Cardiac Fibroblast (VCF) that re-established a favorable microenvironment and repaired damaged heart tissues in preclinical studies. In addition, the company will accelerate expansion of its business globally.
Quote from Mr. Shinichiro (Sheen) Komoto, Partner at Eight Roads Ventures Japan and Board of Director at Metcela
“We have been closely working with the Metcela team since our initial investment in the Series A round back in 2018 and are excited about their continuous effort to solve large unmet medical needs. With this follow-on investment, we are delighted to support the expansion of Metcela’s business, including the launch of their first clinical trial in Japan, the development of their broader pipeline, and their international business efforts using their core technologies.”
Quote from Kenichi Nogami, Co-founder/ Co-CEO of Metcela
“Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital have been amazing partners for our pipeline development efforts and in supporting us in expanding globally. We are excited that they have followed up on their initial investment, which will propel Metcela into the clinic with and bring us closer to having a meaningful impact on patients and families impacted by heart failure.”
＜About Eight Roads Ventures＞
Eight Roads Ventures is a global investment firm backed by Fidelity. Eight Roads Ventures invests in high-quality, high-growth companies in Asia, Europe, Israel, and the US, focusing on healthcare, technology, and consumers. Eight Roads is committed to making the companies it invests in leaders in their industries through access to patient capital, a robust network of resources, and a team of investment professionals with a proven track record of success.
F-Prime Capital is a global venture capital firm investing in healthcare and technology. For the past 50 years, our independent venture capital group has had the privilege of backing great entrepreneurs building groundbreaking companies. With over two billion dollars under management and a global portfolio of more than 200 companies, we champion those dedicated to creating positive change in the world. F-Prime is headquartered in Cambridge, MA, with offices in London, UK and San Francisco, CA.
<Metcela Inc.>
Metcela Inc., established in 2016, is a clinical-stage biotechnology startup pioneering the research and development of fibroblast-based therapy for chronic diseases that currently have limited therapeutic options. MTC001 is a combination product of autologous cardiac cells (VCAM-1-positive Cardiac Fibroblast, VCF) and a novel catheter delivery system targeting chronic heart failure patients. MTC001 offers two major advantages over other cell therapies: (1) the therapeutic cells are autologous (patient-derived) and homologous (tissue-specific i.e. cardiac-derived), which is most suitable for the heart, as it is a highly immunogenic organ, and (2) the minimally invasive catheter system is equipped with a highly functional injection needle specifically designed for this therapy to achieve reliable and safe administration of the cells.