Dren Bio has closed a $350 million private financing to support late-stage development, regulatory submission and a planned commercial launch of its experimental blood cancer treatment dibotatug, while advancing other pipeline programs.
Juvia Group and Lightspeed Venture Partners co-led the round, announced October 29. New investors included Mirae Asset Capital Life Science, General Catalyst, Cormorant Asset Management and OrbiMed, alongside eight participating existing investors.
Dibotatug, also known as DR-01, is a monoclonal antibody targeting CD94. It is designed to selectively remove disease-causing cytotoxic cells while preserving the broader immune system.
Its most advanced studies involve cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma and large granular lymphocytic leukemia, rare blood cancers for which the company said there are no approved therapies.
More than 300 patients have received dibotatug in its Phase 1/2 study involving those diseases. Dren Bio said results showed overall and complete responses in patients whose disease returned or resisted treatment, but the announcement provided no numerical response rates.
The company is also investigating dibotatug in aplastic anemia, other bone marrow failure syndromes and autoimmune diseases. Financing proceeds will support expansion into additional indications.
Other funding will go toward oncology and autoimmune programs, including candidates developed through Dren Bio’s Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform. The technology uses antibodies to engage immune cells that remove disease-causing targets.
Sanofi acquired the platform’s lead program, DR-0201, now called SAR448501, in May 2025. A second candidate, DR-0202, is being evaluated for solid tumors.
Juvia’s Sujal Shah and Lightspeed’s Shelley Chu joined Dren Bio’s board in connection with the financing.
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