11.30.2022 -- SONIRE Therapeutics (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Tohru Satoh; hereinafter referred to as ‘SONIRE’) raises 2.35B JPY in Series B financing through a third- party allotment to existing shareholders and new investors for a randomized controlled trial and commercialization of the next-generation, High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) system (Development code: Suizenji) for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. This brings the total amount raised by SONIRE to approximately 3.1B JPY (including grants). FTI member, Hiroko Kimura has been appointed as an External BoD since Series A.

HIFU therapy is anticipated as a new cancer treatment because it is non-invasive with no risk of radiation, so patients can safely receive treatment repeatedly. HIFU is currently being used in Japan to treat diseases where treatment methods are limited such as prostate enlargement (Benign prostatic hyperplasia), Parkinson’s Disease, and Essential tremors. SONIRE is now working to apply HIFU to oncology.

SONIRE has been developing the next-generation HIFU treatment system as a new therapeutic modality for intractable cancers. Its novel technology uses a proprietary irradiation system, an ultrasound guidance system, and a robotic guidance system to monitor the affected area and uses HIFU to heat and destroy the cancer. This treatment system uses captivation bubbles to expedite treatment and also to provide a secure the field of view during treatment for enhanced visualization. It utilizes the absorption of ultrasound energy from the cavitation bubbles generated by ultrasonic pressure to enhance the heating effect, allowing for quicker treatment. The robotic guidance system provides high precision and intuitive positioning, allowing for treatments to be accurately performed.

The company began with clinical research on pancreatic cancer in collaboration with Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, and Tohoku University. Through 5 cases of clinical trials and 12 clinical research cases, SONIRE is aiming to achieve commercialization in the oncology field within the next few years.

“I am deeply grateful to all of the investors who supported us again in this round after supporting Series A last year, and to the new investors who joined this funding round out of their belief in our vision. The funding raised in this round will be allocated to expanding our business, including pancreatic cancer clinical trials in Japan and overseas expansion. Our vision at SONIRE is to bring a new future to cancer patients using sonic technology, and we will spare no effort in making that vision a reality as soon as we possibly can.”

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