ROCHESTER, Minn.--Vyriad, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted genetic therapies for cancer and other serious diseases, today announced the closing of the $25M final tranche to its Series B financing, bringing the total Series B round to $85M. This additional funding supports the imminent first-in-human testing of VV169, Vyriad’s in vivo CAR-T candidate, in patients with relapsed or treatment-refractory multiple myeloma. The Series B, including this latest tranche, was led by Mr. Harry Stine of Stine Seed Farms, Inc., the world’s largest private seed company and a technology leader in plant genetics. Several significant family offices also participated. “Our mission is to transform the future of medicine with targeted genetic therapies,” said Vyriad co-founder and CEO, Dr. Stephen Russell. “We are excited to launch the first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of VV169 and bring this therapy to patients. Our work builds on years of research and optimization around cell-specific targeting, G-protein engineering, and immune evasion — the core capabilities needed to enable effective CAR T therapies. We’re looking forward to validating our delivery technology platform and our in vivo CAR T therapeutic candidates in the clinic.” “The closing of this final tranche reflects the confidence investors have in the Vyriad team, which continues to be laser-focused on improving patient care based on its best-in-class technology,” said Ed Kania, managing partner at Farfield Partners and chairman of the Vyriad board of directors. “The capabilities of this team have already been demonstrated through our partnered programs with Regeneron and Novartis, and it is increasingly clear that the company’s delivery platform has differentiated capabilities in targeted reprogramming of immune cells directly in the body — an advancement that could significantly broaden access to CAR T therapies. We are optimistic about the potential of our wholly owned in vivo CAR T therapy, which will enter the clinic in 2026.” Vyriad’s lentiviral platform leverages engineered G proteins to enable precise, direct in vivo CAR delivery without compromising transduction efficiency. By combining high specificity and blood stability with reduced immunogenicity, this approach eliminates complex ex vivo manufacturing. The result is a scalable solution that significantly expands patient access to CAR T therapies. VV169 is one of the first in vivo CAR T candidates leveraging this platform, combining an engineered CAR transgene with the optimized lentiviral delivery vector LV-169. It is being developed as a single intravenous administration targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) proteins on malignant cells in multiple myeloma. At the ASH 2025 Annual Meeting, Vyriad presented preclinical data that showed VV169 completely eliminated disseminated multiple myeloma in all humanized mouse models, even at the lowest dose level. About Vyriad, Inc. Vyriad is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing targeted genetic medicines for cancer and other serious diseases. The company uses engineered viruses, viral vectors, and viral envelope glycoproteins to deliver therapeutic genes directly to selected cells. It has ongoing corporate partnerships with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and Novartis. Vyriad’s developmental programs include oncolytic virotherapy, in vivo gene therapy, and gene-editing applications, with ongoing Phase 1–2 trials across multiple cancer indications. Vyriad is a privately held company based in Rochester, Minnesota and was co-founded by Mayo Clinician-Scientists, Dr. Stephen Russell and Dr. Kah-Whye Peng, to further develop and bring into clinical trials a set of research breakthroughs in their gene and virus therapy research labs. For more information, visit www.vyriad.com Contacts Media Contact: Jakub Cikowski HDMZ [email protected] --- source; (BUSINESS WIRE) Comments are closed.
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