Soufflé Therapeutics has raised $135 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing, securing backing from a heavyweight roster of investors as the RNA therapeutics company prepares to advance three lead programs toward clinical trials.

 

The funding will support the advancement of Soufflé’s three lead programs into clinical studies and expand its pipeline across additional cell types and tissues.

 

At the heart of the company’s strategy is its REMEDY product engine, designed to identify receptors that enable therapies to reach specific cell types and tissues. Soufflé uses the platform to develop proprietary binders, including monoclonal antibodies and other ligands, that could enable more precise delivery of treatments.

 

The approach aims to improve the potency, safety and durability of therapies across a range of diseases.

 

“The confidence this exceptional group of investors has placed in Soufflé supports our belief that the REMEDY cell-specific product engine can make an impact in patients’ lives”, said Amir Nashat, Chief Executive Officer, Soufflé Therapeutics. “We are honored and grateful for their support and partnership as we advance our first program into the clinic.”

 

Soufflé’s most advanced program targets striated muscle to address facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), a disease with significant unmet medical need and no approved disease-modifying therapies.

 

Its second program targets the phospholamban (PLN) gene in cardiomyocytes, the muscle cells of the heart, with the aim of addressing heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). The company’s third program targets muscle and metabolic disorders, although its specific target remains undisclosed.

 

The company was founded by leaders in genetic medicine and targeted delivery and is led by a team with experience spanning the discovery, development and commercialization of potential best-in-class therapies.

 

Juvia Group’s Stefan Vitorovic, co-founder and managing director, said the company’s targeted delivery platform could help overcome a longstanding challenge in drug development.

 

“Cell-selective delivery could change what medicines can achieve for patients across countless diseases. We believe Soufflé has the platform, the pipeline and the people to make it happen,” said Stefan Vitorovic, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Juvia Group. 

 

“Patients have waited long enough for real precision from targeted therapies. This is a team we trust to deliver it. Juvia is excited to lead this round and partner with Soufflé in its mission to unlock a new paradigm in drug discovery and development.”

 

TCGX also pointed to the company’s progress in two disease areas where treatment options remain limited.

 

“We were compelled by Soufflé’s lead programs that are already making meaningful progress in FSHD and heart failure, two diseases with very limited treatment options,” said Chen Yu, Managing Partner, TCGX. “We are excited by the vision of the Soufflé team and what we believe they can achieve for patients.”

 

The $135 million financing gives Soufflé additional capital to move its lead candidates closer to clinical testing while broadening its research into cell-specific delivery. The company’s next major milestone will be advancing its first program into the clinic, testing whether its targeted-delivery approach can translate into potential treatments for patients with serious diseases.