James Wilson's GEMMABio Secures $34 Million to Advance Gene Therapy

Philadelphia-based GEMMA Biotherapeutics (GEMMABio), a newly established therapeutics company led by gene therapy pioneer Dr. Jim Wilson, has announced the successful closure of a $34 million seed funding round. The financing will support the company’s development of gene therapy programs aimed at addressing rare diseases.

The round was co-led by Double Point Ventures, Bioluminescence Ventures, and Earlybird Venture Capital, with additional support from Savanne Life Sciences. The funding will accelerate its operations and ongoing research into advanced gene therapies.

GEMMABio also builds on momentum from its October 2024 announcement of a $100 million agreement with Brazil's Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the main supplier of immunobiologics and biopharmaceuticals to the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The collaboration aims to develop and manufacture gene therapies tailored for Brazil’s public healthcare system, Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), improving access to rare disease treatments for over 200 million people.

Under the partnership, Fiocruz is funding up to $100 million to support clinical research, manufacturing, and regulatory approval for six gene therapy programs. These include treatments for GM1 gangliosidosis, Krabbe disease, and metachromatic leukodystrophy. The agreement includes a tech transfer component, enabling Fiocruz to adopt GEMMABio’s manufacturing processes to produce therapies for its programs and other initiatives.

GEMMABio’s founding follows a transition in Dr. Wilson’s career. In July 2024, he announced his departure from the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program (GTP) to establish GEMMABio and Franklin Biolabs, a contract research organization. Both entities aim to advance genetic medicine through independent but complementary approaches: GEMMABio focuses on research and therapy development, while Franklin Biolabs specializes in production and services for genetic medicines.

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GEMMABio plans to expand its workforce and seek additional partnerships to advance its mission of developing affordable, life-changing therapies for rare diseases.

Topics: Novel Therapeutics