Sanofi and Lilly have joined InduPro’s $77 million series B after each struck separate deals with the biotech, backing a proximity-guided platform designed to map cancer-cell protein neighbourhoods that conventional target-discovery methods can miss. The financing will support clinical development of IDP-001, with the company also disclosing that the first patient has been dosed in a phase I study expected to enrol up to 132 adults with advanced squamous non-small-cell lung cancer and other solid tumours.

Why It Matters To Oncology

• InduPro’s approach aims to identify co-target pairs on the cell surface by studying proteins in close proximity, a strategy that could expand the pool of actionable targets in solid tumours.

• Its lead programme, IDP-001, is a potential first-in-class bispecific antibody-drug conjugate targeting EGFR and the tumour-associated proximity antigen TAPA-E1.

• Management says the candidate has shown enhanced tumour-cell internalisation, robust in vivo antitumour activity and encouraging tolerability in preclinical work.

The Financials

• The $77 million series B was led by The Column Group, with participation from Sanofi, Lilly, Vida Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Emerson Collective advised by Yosemite, Euclidean Capital and Solasta Ventures.

• The round follows an $85 million series A raised about two years ago.

• In January, Lilly signed a deal worth up to $950 million to explore up to three targets using InduPro’s platform.

• Sanofi also partnered with the company last year on a bispecific PD-1 agonist for autoimmune disease; terms were not disclosed.

What They're Saying

• Board chair Sarah Hymowitz said the platform “has opened a window into cell-surface biology by mapping protein neighbourhoods overlooked by conventional target-discovery approaches.”

• CEO Prakash Raman said ongoing programmes with both Sanofi and Lilly “are progressing well.”

• Raman added that the pharma investments signal confidence in the science and in the platform’s ability to identify novel target pairs for more selective and effective therapies.

What's Next

• InduPro plans to use the new capital to advance IDP-001 in the clinic and continue building its preclinical pipeline.

• The phase I trial is enrolling patients whose disease has progressed after standard treatment.

• Initial clinical data for IDP-001 are المتوقع in late 2027 or early 2028.