Autoimmunity BioSolutions (ABS) has closed a $1 million seed extension, bringing total seed capital raised to $3.1 million. The round was anchored by lead investor Eos BioInnovation and includes participation from existing investors Independent Capital and Elmstead Partners, alongside new investor NewTech Investment Holdings.
ABS is developing a personalized, genetically guided therapy designed to normalize elevated levels of soluble IL7 receptor (sIL7R) – a biomarker the company’s team has linked to greater disease severity, increased progression, and reduced response to standard-of-care treatments across multiple autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, lupus nephritis, and type 1 diabetes. The approach targets a genetic variant estimated to be present in roughly 50% of the overall population.
The funding will support animal model work and patient bio-sample analyses in rheumatoid arthritis as the lead indication.
“With the participation of seasoned investors who understand the pace and promise of life sciences innovation, we are well-positioned to deploy this capital with purpose,” said CEO Eugene Williams.
Autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect women – roughly 80% of autoimmune patients are female – making this a significant area of unmet need in women’s health, even when the companies developing therapies don’t frame it that way. Lupus nephritis, one of ABS’s target indications, affects women at nine times the rate of men. ABS’s approach of targeting the genetic subpopulation that responds poorly to existing immunosuppressive therapies could be particularly meaningful for the women who make up the majority of refractory autoimmune patients.
