Agoura Hills Biotech Raises $57 Million

A2 Biotherapeutics, a biotech company developing cell therapies for cancer patients in Agoura Hills, on Tuesday announced its official launch with $57 million in Series A funding. The company has a “unique and potentially broad solution” when it comes to cancer research: killing targeted tumor cells as opposed to normal cells in the body through binding technology. “Our unique approach to targeted killing of tumor cells has the potential to create breakthrough cancer therapies that we look forward to bringing to patients, particularly those in need of new approaches,” Scott Foraker, chief executive of A2 Biotherapeutics, said in a statement. The company was founded in 2018 and has veteran biotechnology leaders at its helm, including Foraker, who worked at Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks as vice president and general manager of the company’s biosimilars division, among other positions. Alexander Kamb, chief scientific officer, was senior vice president of research at Amgen prior to joining A2. More than 40 staff members, led by a management team made up of ex-Amgen and ex-Kite Pharma drug and cell therapy developers, have set up shop in Agoura Hills. A2’s facility has fully integrated discovery, development and manufacturing capabilities. Investors involved in Series A funding include Column Group, Vida Ventures, Samsara BioCapital and Nextech Invest.