Circle Pharma Raises $92.5M in Series E Funding

The round also saw participation from Nextech Invest, RA Capital Management, Euclidean Capital and Eli Lilly and Company.

The company plans to use the funding to expand operations and its research and development efforts.

What is Circle Pharma?

Circle Pharma is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies for cancer and other serious illnesses.

The company uses its proprietary MXMO platform to develop macrocycle medicines designed to be cell-permeable and orally bioavailable. The platform is intended to address challenges involved in developing macrocycle drugs, including therapies aimed at historically difficult-to-target proteins.

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Circle Pharma's pipeline focuses on cyclins, which are key regulators of the cell cycle involved in the growth of several cancers.

One of its lead programs, CID-165, is designed to disrupt the interaction between cyclin D1 and retinoblastoma protein, or Rb. This approach is being studied as a potential treatment for ER-positive breast cancer.

How Much Funding Has Circle Pharma Raised?

Circle Pharma has raised $92.5 million in its latest Series E funding round.

The source did not provide details of the company's total funding or previous funding rounds.

Who Invested in Circle Pharma’s Series E Round?

The Column Group led the Series E funding round.

Other participating investors include:

• Nextech Invest
• RA Capital Management
• Euclidean Capital
• Eli Lilly and Company

Why the Funding Matters

Circle Pharma will use the new funding to expand its operations and research and development efforts.

The company plans to advance its CID-165 program toward clinical development. Circle Pharma expects to move the program into the clinic in the first quarter of 2027.

In preclinical studies, CID-165 has shown activity across models of ER-positive breast cancer, both as a standalone treatment and in combination with established therapies.

Who founded Circle Pharma?

Circle Pharma was founded in 2012.

The source did not provide the names of the company's founders or details about its headquarters beyond South San Francisco, California.

Market and Business Growth

Circle Pharma is a clinical-stage company focused on developing targeted cancer therapies.

Its pipeline is centered on cyclins, including cyclin D1, which plays a role in cell cycle progression and is dysregulated in certain cancers.

Preclinical studies of CID-165 have shown that the drug can selectively disrupt the cyclin D1-Rb interaction, allowing Rb to remain active and suppress cancer cell proliferation.

What Happens Next?

Circle Pharma plans to continue its research and development efforts and prepare CID-165 for clinical development.

The company expects to advance the program into the clinic in the first quarter of 2027.

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