ImmuneXcite

About ImmuneXcite

ImmuneXcite, Inc. was a biopharmaceutical company that developed anti-tumor biotherapeutics designed to leverage both the innate and adaptive immune systems. The company's proprietary mAbXcite platform attached a specific fungal sugar, beta-1,6-glucan, to cancer-targeting monoclonal antibodies. This process was designed to make cancer cells appear as fungal, thereby recruiting neutrophils—the immune system's first responders—to initiate a potent and precise attack on the tumor. Subsequently, these neutrophils would recruit other immune cells, including T-cells, to create a lasting anti-tumor response and immunological memory.

The company was co-founded by Yaniv Bejerano, who served as CEO, and Ifat Rubin-Bejerano, the scientific co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer. The technology was based on research from the Whitehead Institute at MIT, where a unique carbohydrate was identified that could activate neutrophils. Based in Lexington, Massachusetts, ImmuneXcite aimed to develop treatments for a wide range of cancers with high unmet medical needs. The company is now listed as out of business.

Throughout its operation, ImmuneXcite secured several rounds of funding. This included a $2.42 million financing round in 2011, a Series B of $3.58 million in 2014, and a Series A-1 round of $8.6 million in 2016. Investors included Cormorant Asset Management, Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures, and Partners Innovation Fund. The capital was intended to advance its lead programs toward Investigational New Drug (IND) filings and clinical trials.