Lifordi Immunotherapeutics Secures $112 Million Investment to Advance Autoimmune Disease Treatment
TL;DR
Lifordi's $112 million funding from Sanofi Ventures and others provides a strategic advantage in advancing LFD-200, potentially capturing the autoimmune treatment market with targeted ADC technology.
Lifordi's LFD-200 delivers glucocorticoids directly to immune cells via antibody-drug conjugates, using VISTA targeting to maintain efficacy while limiting systemic toxicity through precise cellular delivery.
Lifordi's targeted ADC approach could revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment by enabling safe, long-term glucocorticoid use, improving quality of life for millions suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions.
Lifordi's novel ADC platform delivers glucocorticoids directly to immune cells, potentially solving a 75-year toxicity problem that has limited steroid treatments for autoimmune diseases.
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Lifordi Immunotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company developing antibody-drug conjugates for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, has announced a strategic investment from Sanofi Ventures alongside continued funding from existing investors ARCH Ventures, 5AM Ventures, and Atlas Venture. The new funding brings the total capital raised to $112 million and will support the ongoing Phase 1 study of LFD-200 in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
The investment will enable Lifordi to continue its Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating LFD-200, an antibody-drug conjugate designed to deliver potent glucocorticoids directly to immune cells. As part of the funding arrangement, Christopher Gagliardi, Ph.D., Principal at Sanofi Ventures, will join as an observer on Lifordi's Board of Directors. The additional capital also provides for Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls preparations to ensure Phase 2 clinical supply availability without unnecessary delays.
Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Lifordi, emphasized the significance of the partnership, noting that enrollment and dosing in the Phase 1 study of LFD-200 in rheumatoid arthritis is progressing as planned. The company anticipates sharing initial data from healthy participants in the coming months, marking a critical milestone in the drug's development pathway.
Christopher Gagliardi of Sanofi Ventures explained the investment decision, citing Lifordi's targeted ADC approach to deliver glucocorticoids without toxicity as particularly compelling. The due diligence process included evaluation of proof-of-concept data in multiple animal models of autoimmune disease together with extensive nonclinical studies. Gagliardi noted that Sanofi's involvement will enable the company to share expertise and experiences to help guide LFD-200 through clinical studies and support pipeline development using this approach to deliver other drug payloads, such as antisense oligonucleotides or siRNAs.
Lifordi's Phase 1 clinical trial is currently enrolling and dosing healthy participants, with the study designed to evaluate both safety and efficacy of LFD-200. Following single and multiple ascending dosing studies, the company plans to evaluate LFD-200 in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Recent non-clinical data presented at the American College of Rheumatology 2025 meeting demonstrated that clinically relevant doses of LFD-200 administered subcutaneously every 7 days for 13 weeks maintained glucocorticoid exposure in immune cells without evidence of systemic toxicity.
The potential impact of this development extends beyond rheumatoid arthritis treatment. By harnessing the efficacy of glucocorticoids while limiting toxicity, LFD-200 represents a potential solution to the problem that has limited the broad and long-term use of glucocorticoids for the past 75 years. This investment signals growing confidence in targeted ADC approaches for autoimmune diseases and could pave the way for similar therapeutic strategies across multiple inflammatory conditions. For additional information about the company's research and development programs, visit https://www.lifordi.com.
Curated from Reportable
