Lifordi Immunotherapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotech company developing antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, announced a strategic investment from Sanofi Ventures, the venture arm of Sanofi, along with additional funding from existing investors ARCH Ventures, 5AM Ventures, and Atlas Venture. The new funds bring the total raised to $112 million, supporting an ongoing Phase 1 study in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) evaluating LFD-200, an ADC that delivers a potent glucocorticoid directly to immune cells. The investment also covers Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) preparations to ensure Phase 2 clinical supply without delay.
Christopher Gagliardi, Ph.D., Principal at Sanofi Ventures, will join as an observer on Lifordi’s Board of Directors. “Sanofi has demonstrated a strong commitment to invest in new treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and we are fortunate to have this support from Chris and the Sanofi Ventures team alongside our current investors to advance LFD-200 and our targeted ADC delivery pipeline for immune-mediated conditions,” said Arthur Tzianabos, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer. “Enrollment and dosing in our Phase 1 study of LFD-200 in RA is progressing as planned, and we look forward to sharing initial data from healthy participants in the coming months.”
Gagliardi added, “We continue to search for new approaches to improve the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases and were intrigued by Lifordi’s targeted ADC approach to deliver glucocorticoids without toxicity. Once we met the team and did our due diligence on the proof-of-concept data in multiple animal models of autoimmune disease together with extensive nonclinical studies, we made the decision to invest in Lifordi now. This enables Sanofi to share our expertise and experiences to help guide LFD-200 through clinical studies and support pipeline development using this approach to deliver other drug payloads, such as ASOs or siRNAs.”
Lifordi’s Phase 1 clinical trial is currently enrolling and dosing healthy participants. The study is designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LFD-200, with initial healthy participant data including safety and pharmacodynamic measures. Following single and multiple ascending dosing (SAD/MAD studies), the company plans to evaluate LFD-200 in patients with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Lifordi recently presented non-clinical data at the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 2025 meeting showing that clinically relevant doses of LFD-200 given subcutaneously every 7 days for 13 weeks maintained glucocorticoid exposure in immune cells without evidence of systemic toxicity. By harnessing the efficacy of GCs while limiting toxicity, LFD-200 has the potential to solve a problem that has limited the broad and long-term use of glucocorticoids for the past 75 years.
Lifordi Immunotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging the success of ADCs to develop treatments for autoimmune and inflammatory disorders. Its lead ADC, LFD-200, is in a Phase 1 trial, and preclinical studies showed efficacy in multiple disease models by targeting myeloid and lymphoid cells using a highly internalized cell surface membrane protein (VISTA). The company has also applied its drug delivery platform to other payloads, including small molecules, antisense oligonucleotides, and siRNA. For more information, visit www.lifordi.com.
