Emergex closes US$11m Series A round led by Vickers Venture Partners

BIOTECH firm Emergex has raised more than US$11 million in a Series A funding round to develop synthetic vaccines for infectious diseases, it said on Thursday.

The investment round was led by Vickers Venture Partners.

Founded in 2016, Emergex focuses on developing vaccines to prevent diseases such as Zika, dengue fever, Ebola and the pandemic flu.

According to the company, its vaccines are unlike traditional vaccines which use live viruses. Instead, Emergex uses synthetic non-biological components that "programme immune cells to destroy pathogen-producing cells", it said.

In addition, chairman of Vickers Venture Partners Finian Tan will also join Emergex's board as a non-executive director.

Said Dr Tan: "We see great potential in Emergex's technology as it allows vaccines to be produced quickly, administered easily and sold at a fraction of current prices."

Singapore-based Vickers Venture Partners specialises in early-stage investments in Asia. Its portfolio covers the life sciences, technology, media and telecommunications, as well as consumer and financial services.