Kivu announced the closing of a $92 million Series A financing in October 2024,  led by Novo Holdings. The funding will be used to advance multiple oncology programs into the clinic.

The Californian company is utilizing its proprietary Synaffix site-specific linker-payload technology to deliver next-generation ADC therapeutics; the GlycoConnect technology couples the linker specifically to asparagine-297. This approach widens the therapeutic window, improving the safety profile for patients. Addressing the discontinuation and dose-reduction rates seen with ADCs will establish Kivu’s place in treating solid tumors.

Kivu’s assets are in late-stage preclinical studies as of Q3 2024 and target areas of high unmet medical need. The company’s platform is differentiated by its superior ability to avoid the issues seen with currently marketed ADCs and addresses key limitations related to stability and therapeutic precision and delivery. The company is set to begin Phase I trials for its lead candidate in 2025.