Serina Therapeutics Receives Second $5 Million Tranche to Strengthen Cash Position Ahead of Phase 1 Clinical Trial in Advanced Parkinson's Disease Patients
Rhea-AI Summary
Serina Therapeutics (NYSE: SER) has successfully closed the second $5 million tranche of its $10 million equity financing with JuvVentures (UK) . This funding will support the advancement of SER-252, a treatment for advanced Parkinson's disease, into Phase 1 clinical trials in the second half of 2025.
The transaction involved issuing 500,000 shares at $10 per share, representing a 113% premium to the January 31, 2025 closing price. Additionally, warrants for up to 755,728 shares at $18.00 per share were issued to JuvVentures. The company's POZ Platform™ drug optimization technology enables SER-252 (POZ-apomorphine) to provide continuous dopaminergic stimulation through an innovative drug delivery system.
Positive
- Secured second $5M tranche of $10M total financing
- Shares issued at 113% premium to market price ($10 vs market price)
- Strategic investment from existing shareholder strengthens financial position
- On track for Phase 1 clinical trial initiation in H2 2025
Negative
- Potential dilution from 500,000 new shares and 755,728 warrants
Insights
The successful closing of the second
The warrant structure, with an exercise price of
JuvVentures' continued investment as a strategic shareholder is particularly noteworthy in the current challenging biotech funding environment. This financing structure provides Serina with sufficient runway to reach critical clinical milestones while maintaining flexibility for future capital raises. The premium pricing could also set a favorable benchmark for future financing rounds.
The advancement of SER-252 into clinical trials marks a significant milestone in addressing the unmet needs in advanced Parkinson's disease treatment. The POZ Platform™ technology's approach to continuous dopaminergic stimulation could potentially overcome the limitations of current treatments, which often result in motor fluctuations and wearing-off effects.
The innovative drug delivery system, combined with apomorphine (a proven dopamine agonist), suggests a sophisticated approach to maintaining steady drug levels in the body. This could potentially reduce the "on-off" phenomena that significantly impacts patient quality of life in advanced Parkinson's disease. The timing of the Phase 1 trial initiation in H2 2025 positions Serina to generate important clinical data in a therapeutic area with substantial unmet needs.
The market opportunity is substantial, given that approximately
HUNTSVILLE, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Serina Therapeutics, Inc. (“Serina”) (NYSE American: SER), a clinical-stage biotechnology company, today announced the successful closing of the second
The financing reinforces Serina’s ability to advance SER-252 into first-in-human studies. At closing, Serina issued 500,000 shares of common stock at
“This financing strengthens our cash position as we advance SER-252 into the clinic,” said Steve Ledger CEO of Serina Therapeutics. “With a differentiated approach to continuous dopaminergic stimulation and an innovative drug delivery system, we believe SER-252 has the potential to provide meaningful benefits for patients with Advanced Parkinson’s disease. We remain focused on initiating our Phase 1 trial in the second half of this year.”
Serina previously announced the first
About SER-252 (POZ-apomorphine)
SER 252 is an investigational apomorphine therapy developed with Serina’s POZ platform and designed to provide continuous dopaminergic stimulation (CDS). CDS has been shown to reduce the severity of levodopa-related motor complications (dyskinesia) and enable greater on time, with reduced off time, in advanced Parkinson’s patients. SER-252 leverages strategic partner Enable Injections’ enFuse™ wearable drug delivery platform to enhance patient comfort and convenience, providing CDS to patients via an easy-to-administer, long-acting subcutaneous injection without skin reactions.
About the POZ Platform™
Serina’s proprietary POZ technology is based on a synthetic, water soluble, low viscosity polymer called poly(2-oxazoline). Serina’s POZ technology is engineered to provide greater control in drug loading and more precision in the rate of release of attached drugs delivered via subcutaneous injection. The therapeutic agents in Serina’s product candidates are typically well-understood and marketed drugs that are effective but are limited by pharmacokinetic profiles that can include toxicity, side effects and short half-life. Serina believes that by using POZ technology, drugs with narrow therapeutic windows can be designed to maintain more desirable and stable levels in the blood.
Serina’s POZ platform delivery technology has potential for use across a broad range of payloads and indications. Serina intends to advance additional applications of the POZ platform via out-licensing, co-development, or other partnership arrangements, including the non-exclusive license agreement with Pfizer, Inc. to use Serina’s POZ polymer technology for use in lipid nanoparticle drug (LNP) delivery formulations.
About Serina Therapeutics
Serina is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a pipeline of wholly owned drug product candidates to treat neurological diseases and other indications. Serina’s POZ Platform™ provides the potential to improve the integrated efficacy and safety profile of multiple modalities including small molecules, RNA-based therapeutics and antibody-based drug conjugates (ADCs). Serina is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama on the campus of the HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology.
For more information, please visit https://serinatherapeutics.com.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statement
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. These statements are based on management’s current expectations, plans, beliefs or forecasts for the future, and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Any express or implied statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about the potential of Serina’s POZ polymer technology, are forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from our clinical studies; whether and when any applications may be filed for any drug or vaccine candidates in any jurisdictions; whether and when regulatory authorities may approve any potential applications that may be filed for any drug or vaccine candidates in any jurisdictions, which will depend on a myriad of factors, including making a determination as to whether the product’s benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product’s efficacy and, if approved, whether any such drug or vaccine candidates will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any drug or vaccine candidates; and competitive developments. These risks as well as other risks are more fully discussed in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, the company’s Current Report on Form 8-K that was filed with the SEC on April 1, 2024, and the company’s other periodic reports and documents filed from time to time with the SEC.
The information contained in this release is as of the date hereof, and Serina assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.
For inquiries, please contact:
Stefan Riley
sriley@serinatherapeutics.com
(256) 327-9630
FAQ
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