Wa’ed Ventures Spearheads $10 Million Pre-Series A Round for Biotech Innovator Kure Cells
Wa’ed Ventures, the substantial $500 million venture capital fund supported by Saudi Aramco, has taken the lead in a $10 million Pre-Series A funding round for Kure Cells. This significant investment backs the US-based biotechnology firm, renowned for its pioneering work in developing expedited manufacturing platforms for critical CAR-T and gene-modified cell therapies. The move underscores a growing commitment to fostering cutting-edge medical advancements, poised to revolutionize treatment approaches for severe diseases and enhance patient outcomes globally.
Transforming Cell Therapy Manufacturing and Saudi Arabia’s Biotech Landscape
At the core of Kure Cells’ innovation is its proprietary Ultra-Fast CAR (UF-CAR) platform, a breakthrough developed by co-founders David Wald and Sayer Alfuraydi. This remarkable technology dramatically shortens the cell therapy production timeline, allowing for the engineering of patient T-cells within a single day – a process that traditionally took several weeks. This reduction to less than 24 hours promises to make these life-saving therapies more accessible and timely for patients. Kure Cells has already demonstrated the efficacy of its lead candidate, UF-KURE19, which has achieved an impressive 88% complete response rate in trials involving patients suffering from non-Hodgkin lymphoma, highlighting its potential to significantly impact oncology treatment. The recently secured funding is earmarked to accelerate Kure Cells’ strategic expansion into Saudi Arabia. This localization effort will involve establishing state-of-the-art research and development facilities, setting up manufacturing operations, forging collaborations with Saudi researchers, and adapting the UF-CAR platform to comply with local regulatory frameworks. This initiative perfectly aligns with the strategic objectives of the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) and the Research, Development, and Innovation Authority (RDIA). Their shared vision is to position Saudi Arabia as a hub for global biotech innovation and to substantially advance the nation’s burgeoning cell and gene therapy ecosystem, creating a robust framework for future medical breakthroughs within the region.
This strategic investment by Wa’ed Ventures into Kure Cells represents more than just financial backing; it’s a testament to the transformative power of rapid biotech innovation and a clear signal of Saudi Arabia’s ambition to become a global leader in advanced healthcare. By localizing Kure Cells’ groundbreaking technology, the partnership aims to deliver faster, more effective cell therapies to patients while simultaneously building a vibrant, research-driven biotechnology sector in the Kingdom. This collaboration sets a precedent for how venture capital can fuel scientific progress and drive national strategic goals in the vital field of medicine.
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