Investing In Aspect Biosystems
We are thrilled to announce that Dimension has led an oversubscribed $115M Series B financing for Aspect Bio. Aspect is advancing a proprietary tissue engineering technology that represents a generational leap over previous tissue implantation methods and brings new life into the field of regenerative medicine. This financing builds on the momentum of a broad scale partnership with Novo Nordisk announced last year to develop bioprinted tissue therapeutics in metabolic disease.
Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering represent an elegant solution to treating disease by addressing the root cause of tissue and organ failure rather than merely managing symptoms through ongoing monitoring and various methods of hormone replacement. The implantation procedures that Aspect is developing introduce healthy functional tissue into the patient to create a cellular pacemaker: restoring the integrated sensing-and-production regulation loops that govern normal biological function. This offers a potentially curative solution for chronic and debilitating conditions. The Pharma industry continues to prioritize this therapeutic modality due to its potential to offer best-in-class treatments in a variety of indication areas including metabolic disease, endocrine disease, liver failure, cardiology, neurology, and orthopedics. This paradigm shift not only promises to improve patient outcomes but also presents new avenues for long-term economic sustainability by reducing the burden of chronic disease management. When it works, the results can be spectacular.
Despite its promise, regenerative medicine has faced significant challenges that have slowed its progress and widespread adoption. Cellular availability, supply chain design, engraftment, vascularization, fibrosis and immune response are all hurdles that need to be addressed to support a broadly available tissue therapy. Similar to organ transplants, the current generation of tissue transplant therapies require the use of broad spectrum immunosuppressants which come with additional long term risks.
Aspect represents a generational leap forward in tissue engineering technology that addresses the issues in the field head on. The company started out developing a 3D bioprinting technology but has since expanded to become a full-stack tissue therapeutic platform: integrating capabilities across computational geometric design, computer vision, cellular differentiation, and advanced biomaterials. Aspect has now developed a platform capable of bringing multiple therapeutic products into the clinic that address a wide range of disease areas.
Aspect’s platform brings together a variety of components that solve for the various design constraints of regenerative medicine individually through a multi-faceted approach.
- Cells are deposited in 3D printed lattice structure with optimal geometry for vascularization and diffusion area
- Cells are embedded within a core layer of growth material optimizing for viability, and then encased within layers of separate biomaterials that can be tuned to optimize for specific properties
- The tissue design is configurable to optimize for the requirements of any particular cell type and therapy
- The product is resilient against single point-of-failure risk and does not rely on a single piece of molecular IP
Over the past few years, the company has advanced multiple development candidates with robust pre-clinical data packages that show best-in-class cellular viability and safety. With the support of recent partnerships, a wide-scale government grant package, and this outsized Series B, Aspect aims to mature into a clinical stage company. Our team is beyond excited to partner with Aspect and be part of their journey to scale into a global leader in regenerative medicine.
