Ipilimumab

For the second month in a row, it appears Forbion and RA Capital are the main backers behind a new biotech formed around an investigational drug in-licensed from China. Solstice Oncology was forced out of stealth last month when its partner Harbour BioMed disclosed it had out-licensed an anti-CTLA-4 medicine to the startup. At the time, Solstice was characterized as receiving backing from “major venture capital investors.” Now, a regulatory filing this week hints at a nine-figure fundraising haul for the Boston-based startup. The filing indicates Solstice has gotten $121 million so far from eight investors in an up to $298 million fundraise. The money will likely support development of the clinical-stage cancer drug and pay for part of the licensing deal. The February pact carried with it a $50 million upfront cash payment from Solstice to Harbour, a global biotech with hubs in China, the US and the Netherlands. It’s in the Netherlands where Solstice appears to have found one of its key investors. The biotech’s board includes Morgan Haller, a principal at investment firm Forbion. The Dutch group is one of the leading biotech investors in Europe and has done multiple similar newco deals. The filing also reveals an executive and two board members associated with RA Capital. That includes Solstice chief medical officer and RA venture partner David Feltquate, managing director Emily Minkow, and partner Andrew Levin. Last month, Forbion and RA Capital, along with Foresite Capital, backed Slate Medicines ’ $130 million megaround to take a migraine drug forward from Guangdong-based DartsBio. Solstice’s filing also lists Canaan general partner Julie Grant as a board member. Spokespeople for RA, Forbion and Canaan declined to comment or didn’t provide comment. Solstice gained the ex-China rights to a monoclonal antibody called porustobart, or HBM4003. The anti-CTLA-4 medicine has been tested as a single agent in a Phase 1 study, Harbour said on its website. Harbour has previously said it plans to test porustobart for melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer and other solid tumors. The most famous anti-CTLA-4 is Bristol Myers Squibb’s immunotherapy Yervoy. Solstice’s CEO is Caroline Loew, the former CEO of Mural Oncology. Mural stopped development of its IL-2 drug last year and was bought by XOMA Royalty. As part of the deal with Solstice, Harbour also gets a $50 million equity interest in the startup and the chance to secure up to $1.1 billion in biobucks. Harbour has also done deals with AstraZeneca , Bristol Myers and others.

PRESS RELEASE 10/03/2025, 08:00 CET Biocartis Receives European IVDR Certification for the Idylla™ CDx MSI Test Idylla™ CDx MSI Test is the Second Fully Automated Companion Diagnostic Test Approval for Biocartis under IVDR Mechelen, Belgium, 10 March 2026 – Today, Biocartis announced that its Idylla™ CDx MSI Test has received Class C companion diagnostic ( CDx ) certification under the EU’s IVDR 1 as a CDx for colorectal cancer (CRC). The Test is indicated as an aid to identify adult patients with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) metastatic CRC patients , who may benefit from treatment with nivolumab in combination with ipilimumab . Designed for use on the Idylla™ Platform , the Idylla™ CDx MSI Test qualitatively detects MSI-H/MSS in CRC tissue samples within a single-use cartridge, requiring less than three minutes of hands-on-time and delivering straightforward results in under three hours . For more information about the test, please visit the Biocartis website or contact the Biocartis team . Roger Moody, Chief Executive Officer of Biocartis , commented: “In May 2025 , we received IVDR certification for the Idylla™ EGFR Mutation Test and have now expanded our IVDR-approved portfolio with the Idylla™ CDx MSI Test. Building on its FDA approval in the United States , the Idylla™ CDx MSI Test is now also empowering clinicians across Europe with rapid and reliable results that support groundbreaking therapy selection for CRC patients, enabling timely and informed treatment decisions when every moment counts.” The IVDR-certified Idylla™ CDx MSI Test will be available soon to customers across Europe and additional regions where IVDR regulations apply. The Idylla™ CDx MSI Test is already commercially available in the US . ----- END ----- More information: Biocartis NV. Generaal De Wittelaan 11B, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium Biocartis US Inc. 2 Pierce Place, Suite 1510, Itasca, IL 60143, US | info@biocartis.com About Biocartis Biocartis is committed to helping cancer patients worldwide access the right treatment faster. With our proprietary Idylla™ Platform, we deliver in-house molecular biomarker results in only 3 hours, enabling healthcare professionals to make timely, informed decisions that guide personalized therapy. Our expanding portfolio of diagnostic tests and research assays addresses key unmet clinical needs across multiple cancers, including lung, skin, thyroid, colorectal, endometrial, blood, brain, and breast cancer. Learn more at and follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook and X (Twitter) . Disclaimers Idylla™ Platform is CE-marked in Europe in compliance with EU IVD Regulation 2017/746, listed as a class II device in the US under establishment registration 3009972873, and registered in many other countries. Idylla™ CDx MSI Test (A0220/6) is CE-marked in Europe in compliance with the EU IVD Regulation 2017/746 (IVDR) and is approved in the US under P250005. Biocartis and Idylla™ are registered trademarks in Europe, the US and many other countries. The Biocartis and Idylla™ trademarks and logos are used trademarks owned by Biocartis NV. © March 2026, Biocartis NV. All rights reserved. 1 European In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Device Regulation (EU) 2017/746 (IVDR).