Vaxess Technologies announced a rebranding to Terrestrial Bio, Inc., along with $50 million in Series C financing.
Boston-based Terrestrial Bio rebranded to reflect its strategic focus on transforming the delivery and accessibility of its therapies. That starts with GLP-1 therapeutics, delivered using the company’s microarray patch (MAP). The technology features a soluble microarray with tips that gradually dissolve into the body after removal. These tips release their payload of therapeutics over time, mimicking how natural infections interact with the body.
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MAP technology removes sharps, eliminates the need for refrigeration and enables self-administration for user comfort. Clinical findings shared last year highlighted the platform’s capabilities in GLP-1 delivery.
RA Capital led the financing for the company, with support from Engine Ventures, GHIC and SiteGround. Along with the financing and rebrand, the company signed a lease in Boston to expand its manufacturing capabilities and establish a new headquarters. These moves all come as it prepares for clinical trials and commercialization of its lead GLP-1 program.
The new facility at Allston Labworks will span more than 40,000 square feet, according to a news release. The company said it supports automated, scaled production of the microarray patches. It expects the expanded capacity to support late-stage clinical development and early commercial entry.
As Terrestrial builds out the facility this year, it plans to incorporate leading automation, robotics, computer vision and quality control processes.
Rachel Sha, CEO of Terrestrial, said:
“In recent years, it became clear that our company name should more clearly reflect our focus on therapies and patient-centered delivery. Healthcare has become increasingly consumerized, with patient experience and access playing a growing role in how people choose therapies. The Terrestrial name reflects the company’s ambition to make therapeutics more patient-friendly for people around the world, while also pointing to the skin or surface-based nature of our proprietary microarray patch technology.”
