Aro Biotherapeutics raises $13 million for protein drug

Aro Biotherapeutics, a Philadelphia biotechnology company, recently raised $13 million in start-up funding to develop and commercialize its next-generation protein drug platform, Centyrins.

Centyrins are small, structurally simple, ultra-stable, highly soluble proteins that are used in medications for cancer patients and others diagnosed with serious diseases.

Aro has two Centyrin programs. The first is for advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer. The second is focused on creating a Centyrin-siRNA conjugate for other cancers.

Aro holds the exclusive worldwide license for Centyrin protein therapeutics. The drugs were discovered by Aro co-founder Dr. Karyn O’Neil and her team at Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson. O’Neil formerly worked in research and development at Janssen.

“Centyrins were conceived with the aim of simplifying the complexities of antibodies,” Sue Dillon, Aro co-founder and CEO, said. “This has enabled Aro scientists to rapidly create bi- and multi-specific Centyrins that are simultaneously optimized for potent anti-tumor activity and for efficient manufacture in E. coli. In addition, Aro is progressing Centyrin-nucleic acid drug conjugates to enable delivery to tumor cells, immune cells, and other tissues with the aim of addressing disease targets that have been considered undruggable.”

An initial start-up investment from Johnson & Johnson Innovation and BioMotiv was used to establish Aro.