Sera Closes $20 Million in Series B Financing
“Improving the health of newborns is the primary goal at Sera. This financing commitment from our current and new investors is further evidence of the progress and promise of Sera’s novel technology platform. Assessing an individual woman’s risk earlier enables physicians to act with better information, with the goal of prolonging pregnancy and improving newborn health,” said Gregory C. Critchfield, M.D., M.S., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sera. “Sera’s technology has the potential to help clinicians make a real difference for their patients.”
Sera has completed enrollment of 5,501 patients from eleven U.S. clinical sites in its landmark Proteomic Assessment of Preterm Risk (PAPR) clinical study and expects results to be available during the second quarter of 2015. PAPR is the largest and broadest singleton pregnancy proteomic study enrolled in an entirely representative US study population to date, for the purpose of developing a generalized preterm birth predictor.
In addition to the financing, Sera announced the appointment of Mansoor Raza Mirza, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Mirza is Chief Oncologist at the Department of Oncology, Rigshospitalet – the Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark.
“I am thrilled to be working with Sera’s talented scientific and business team on such a significant problem that has world-wide implications,” said Dr. Raza Mirza. “Improving the health of neonates across the globe will make an important difference in the lives of patients and families everywhere.”
Dr. Mirza is a leading European oncologist with a strong research focus in gynecologic oncology, including non-surgical treatment of gynecologic cancers. He chairs the Health Ministry’s obligatory teaching course on non-surgical treatment of cancer for Danish doctors specializing in Clinical Oncology. He is vice-president of the Danish Gynecologic Cancer Group (DGCG) and medical director of Nordic Society of Gynecologic Oncology (NSGO). Dr. Mirza is the Nordic representative in the European Network of Gynecologic Oncology Trials (ENGOT) and in the Gynecologic Cancer Inter-Group (GCIG), and serves as faculty of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO). He is an active member of ESGO, IGCS, ESTRO, GOG and ASCO. He currently serves as a director of Karyopharm Therapeutics and Metamark Genetics.
About Sera, Inc.
Sera is a private biotechnology company developing innovative diagnostic tests designed for the early prediction of preterm birth risk and other pregnancy complications. Sera’s tests are designed to help better inform the care of a mother and her unborn child during pregnancy, and potentially lead to improved health. The company has assembled a strong management team and Board of Directors with significant clinical development and women’s healthcare diagnostic experience. Sera has conducted the Proteomic Assessment of Preterm Risk (PAPR) study, one of the world’s largest and broadest clinical trials to validate the performance of the Company’s PreTRM™ test. PAPR enrolled 5,501 patients from 11 centers across the United States, representing the diversity of the intended use population for asymptomatic singleton pregnancies. The Company is supported by a strong group of investors, including Chione, Ltd, Domain Associates, InterWest Partners, Catalyst Health Ventures, UpStart Life Sciences Capital, and Osage University Partners. Sera is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.sera.com.
Company Contact:
Andrew Sauter, CFO
Sera, Inc.
info@seraprognostics.com
(801) 990-0772
MediaContact for Sera:
Terri Clevenger
Continuum Health Communications
tclevenger@continuumhealthcom.com
(203) 856-4326