At a Glance
- Company: Serif Biomedicines
- Location: US
- Funding: $50M Series Seed
- Focus area: Modified DNA (modDNA) therapies
- Next steps: Preclinical pipeline advancement
What happened?
Serif Biomedicines launched from Flagship Pioneering with $50 million in Series Seed financing to develop modified DNA therapeutics. The startup aims to create treatments that deliver long-term gene expression with mRNA-like safety and simplified manufacturing.
Why does it matter?
Current gene therapies face challenges with immune responses, dosing limits and complex production, while mRNA requires repeat administration. Serif’s modDNA platform seeks to enable durable expression from circular DNA constructs that evade immune detection, potentially transforming treatments for rare diseases, oncology and beyond.
Who’s behind it?
Flagship Pioneering founded Serif, leveraging its ecosystem of AI-driven drug creation. The leadership team brings expertise from mRNA, gene therapy and nucleic acid chemistry from prior Flagship companies and big pharma.
How was it achieved?
The modDNA platform uses proprietary chemical modifications to DNA backbones and structures, enabling non-integrating episomal persistence in cells. Preclinical data demonstrate months-long transgene expression without genomic insertion risks or antiviral responses seen with standard plasmids or AAVs.
What’s next?
Serif will nominate lead candidates for IND-enabling studies targeting high-need genetic diseases. Platform expansion into protein replacement, gene editing and combination modalities planned within 18-24 months, with Flagship support for Phase I readiness.