Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
November 18, 2025
Lifordi Secures $112M for Breakthrough Arthritis Treatment
TLDR
- Lifordi's $112 million funding from Sanofi Ventures and others provides a strategic advantage in advancing LFD-200, potentially capturing the autoimmune treatment market with targeted ADC technology.
- Lifordi's LFD-200 delivers glucocorticoids directly to immune cells via antibody-drug conjugates, using VISTA targeting to maintain efficacy while limiting systemic toxicity through precise cellular delivery.
- Lifordi's targeted ADC approach could revolutionize autoimmune disease treatment by enabling safe, long-term glucocorticoid use, improving quality of life for millions suffering from chronic inflammatory conditions.
- Lifordi's novel ADC platform delivers glucocorticoids directly to immune cells, potentially solving a 75-year toxicity problem that has limited steroid treatments for autoimmune diseases.
Impact - Why it Matters
This development matters because it addresses a critical limitation in autoimmune disease treatment that has persisted for over seven decades. Glucocorticoids have been highly effective for managing inflammation in conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, but their systemic toxicity has prevented long-term use, forcing patients to choose between symptom relief and serious side effects. Lifordi's targeted delivery approach could revolutionize treatment by providing the therapeutic benefits without the damaging consequences, potentially improving quality of life for millions suffering from autoimmune conditions. The involvement of Sanofi Ventures, with their global healthcare expertise, validates the technology's potential and accelerates its path to patients who desperately need safer, more effective treatment options.
Summary
Lifordi Immunotherapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company, has secured significant financial backing through a strategic investment from Sanofi Ventures, the venture arm of global healthcare leader Sanofi, alongside continued support from existing investors ARCH Ventures, 5AM Ventures, and Atlas Venture. This substantial funding round brings Lifordi's total capital raised to $112 million, providing crucial resources to advance their innovative antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform focused on autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. The investment will specifically support the ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial evaluating LFD-200, their lead ADC candidate designed to deliver potent glucocorticoids directly to immune cells while minimizing systemic toxicity in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
According to Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D., President & CEO of Lifordi, the company is making excellent progress with enrollment and dosing in their Phase 1 study of LFD-200 in rheumatoid arthritis, with initial data from healthy participants expected in the coming months. Christopher Gagliardi, Ph.D., Principal at Sanofi Ventures, who will join Lifordi's Board as an observer, emphasized that Sanofi was particularly intrigued by Lifordi's targeted ADC approach to deliver glucocorticoids without the toxicity that has historically limited their long-term use. The funding will also support Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls preparations to ensure Phase 2 clinical supply availability without delays, while enabling pipeline development using this innovative delivery platform for other drug payloads such as ASOs or siRNAs.
Lifordi recently presented compelling non-clinical data at the American College of Rheumatology 2025 meeting, demonstrating that clinically relevant doses of LFD-200 administered subcutaneously every 7 days for 13 weeks maintained glucocorticoid exposure in immune cells without evidence of systemic toxicity. The company's novel approach targets myeloid and lymphoid cells using a highly internalized cell surface membrane protein called VISTA, potentially solving the problem that has limited broad and long-term use of glucocorticoids for the past 75 years. By harnessing the efficacy of GCs while limiting toxicity, Lifordi's technology represents a significant advancement in autoimmune disease treatment, with their website providing additional information about their groundbreaking work in immunology and inflammatory diseases.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by Reportable. Read the original source here, Lifordi Secures $112M for Breakthrough Arthritis Treatment
