Aura Biosciences Secures $75M to Accelerate Next-Generation Cancer Therapies

Aura Biosciences is thrilled to announce that we have successfully raised $75,000,000 in our latest funding round, marking a pivotal milestone in our journey to revolutionize cancer care. As a clinical-stage biotechnology company, Aura Biosciences is dedicated to the development of virus-like drug conjugates (VDCs), a novel class of therapies designed to deliver meaningful benefits to patients battling cancer. Our mission to address high unmet needs in oncology is fueled by our relentless commitment to groundbreaking science and the unwavering hope of the thousands of patients who depend on us. This newly secured capital enables us to accelerate the clinical development of our VDC technology platform, focusing initially on tumors associated with ocular and urologic oncology. Our lead candidate, belzupacap sarotalocan (bel-sar), is being developed as a first-line treatment for early-stage choroidal melanoma—a rare disease with no approved drugs to date. In addition to choroidal melanoma, our robust pipeline is expanding to cover other ocular oncology indications, including choroidal metastasis. The versatility of our VDC technology also supports a clinical program in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), marking our first foray into treatments for non-ocular solid tumors. The funding will not only bolster our research and development efforts but also enhance our capacity to initiate extensive clinical trials and bring these promising therapies closer to widespread clinical use. At Aura Biosciences, we believe that innovation in science leads to transformative patient care and set our sights on establishing a new standard of care for some of the most challenging cancer indications. We are deeply grateful to our investors, partners, and supporters for their belief in our vision and their commitment to advancing cancer treatment.