In February 2024 London-based biotech Baseimmune announced the close of £9 million in Series A funding led by MSD Global Health Innovation fund and IQ Capital with participation from existing investors. The funding will support the development of three of Baseimmune’s vaccine candidates against African swine fever, coronavirus, and malaria. It will also contribute to the advancement of the technology and expansion of the team.
Baseimmune, founded in 2019, uses a vaccine design algorithm that “crunches genomic, epidemiological, immunological, clinical, and evolutionary data together”. This creates “entirely new synthetic antigenic proteins containing the parts of the pathogen that are most likely to evoke a strong protective immune response”.
AI algorithms and antigens
Baseimmune’s approach to antigens distinguishes itself from “conventional approaches” as the team creates synthetic antigens that “encompass all crucial elements of a pathogen” to increase the likelihood of “eliciting a robust immune response”.
“This revolutionary antigen design can seamlessly integrate into any vaccine technology platform for efficient lab testing and streamlined clinical trials.”
Big data, faster processes
Baseimmune states that the technology is based on a computational platform deciphering pathogen evolution to design cross-protective vaccines. Through big data and a design algorithm, the team has shortened the time it takes to develop a vaccine candidate.
“The antigen designs can be fed into any vaccine technology platform, including mRNA, DNA, and viral vectors, to create universal ‘future-proof’ vaccines engineered to be effective against current and potentially emerging variants.”
Dr Joshua Blight, CEO and Co-Founder of Baseimmune, is “thrilled to have the support of a top-tier investor syndicate”.
“This funding will enable us to accelerate the development of our technology, scale our programmes, and expedite the delivery of impactful vaccines against future viruses.”
Dr Blight is “more excited than ever” about the possibilities but remains “focused” on the commitment to “disrupting the future of pandemic readiness”. Dr David M. Rubin, Managing Director, MSD Global Health Innovation Fund, is “excited to support this forward-looking team”.
“We believe Baseimmune’s technology marks a significant advancement in proactive, adaptable vaccine solutions.”
Dr Alex Wilson, Partner, IQ Capital, is also excited by the investment.
“By using a computational platform and innovative AI prediction algorithm, Baseimmune is pioneering the next generation of universal vaccines against a spectrum of human and animal health threats, from COVID to malaria and African swine fever.”
It was great to welcome Baseimmune to our start-up zone at the Congress last year, and we’re glad to see the team go from strength to strength in vaccine development. If you’re interested in joining the start-up zone this year in Washington, head to this link to register interest. To get your tickets to attend the Congress click here, and don’t forget to subscribe to our weekly newsletters for more updates.
