4 days ago
Africa's first cell and gene therapy startup raises R29 million in landmark funding round
Altera Biosciences, Africa's first dedicated cell and gene therapy startup, has secured R29 million in one of the largest pre-seed funding rounds in South African biotech history.
The Cape Town-based company, co-founded by Alexandra Miszewski and Professor Michael Pepper, is developing a universal donor cell platform aimed at revolutionising transplant medicine and advancing treatments for conditions such as diabetes and cancer.
The investment round was led by OneBio Venture Studio and E Squared Investments.
'This investment signals a new era for biotech in Africa,' said Pepper, who is the Director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Pretoria. 'Africa is the most genetically diverse continent in the world, making it a relevant setting in which to develop advanced therapies.'
Miszewski explained that one of the biggest challenges in transplantation medicine is to find a suitable donor-recipient match to prevent rejection of the transplant.
'Rejection occurs when the recipient's immune system recognises the donor's cells as being foreign and mounts an immune response against the transplanted cells.'
She explained that Altera is developing 'a universal donor cell platform using gene silencing technology to remove the identity markers on the donor cells that trigger immune rejection.' This, she said, will allow the recipient's body 'to accept the cells as their own, and the problem of rejection is minimised.'
Miszewski, an entrepreneur with a background in medical device and biotech startups such as Equine Tendon, Regenesis Vet, and Novita Biotechnology, is a graduate of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship Entrepreneurial Programme.
Pepper, who was recently named one of South Africa's top Biology and Biochemistry Scientists, said the universal donor cell platform could allow for off-the-shelf cell therapies suited for genetically diverse populations.
'Many advanced therapies have been developed with a one-size-fits-all approach, which may not be appropriate in a genetically diverse population. By building solutions from a globally diverse genetic foundation, our research has the potential to be more universally applicable from day one,' he said.
While Altera has not disclosed which therapeutic areas it will pursue first due to strategic and intellectual property considerations, the company emphasised its commitment to making these technologies accessible in Africa.
'Our vision is global,' said Pepper, 'but we are deeply committed to ensuring these innovations are also accessible to patients in Africa, where access to advanced healthcare is often limited.'
The success of the funding round marks a significant milestone for the continent's biotechnology sector, reflecting growing confidence in Africa's potential to contribute to global healthcare innovation.
THE MERCURY
