May 11, 2026
On May 11, Starna Therapeutics announced the recent completion of a Series B+ financing round raising nearly $40 million. This round saw participation from a prominent industry fund alongside Hillhouse Ventures, LYFE Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV), Sherpa Healthcare Partners, Source Code Capital, and Primavera Capital. Following a $44 million Series B round last October, Starna Therapeutics has once again secured backing from renowned institutional investors within a span of just six months. The proceeds will be primarily used to accelerate the clinical development of multiple in vivo CAR-T therapy pipelines, advance the establishment of extra-hepatic delivery platforms targeting the lungs, intestines, and nervous system, and further consolidate and strengthen the company’s R&D footprint in the field of innovative mRNA therapies.
Founded in August 2021, Xingrui Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage company focused on mRNA drug development, dedicated to creating innovative mRNA therapies for patients worldwide through its proprietary extra-hepatic delivery technology. In terms of delivery technology, the company has synthesized and screened libraries comprising thousands of novel cationic lipid molecules and tens of thousands of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), achieving specific targeted delivery to various extra-hepatic tissues and cells in both small animal and non-human primate models. Currently, Xingrui Pharmaceuticals has established a robust product pipeline spanning prophylactic infectious disease vaccines (STR-V003), therapeutic cancer vaccines (STR-V005), protein replacement therapies, and in vivo cell therapies (STR-P004, STR-P005), while continuously advancing the clinical translation of innovative mRNA therapies.
Since 2026, the *in vivo* CAR-T sector has seen sustained activity in deals and financing, alongside rising global industry interest. Driven by continuous breakthroughs in key technologies—such as delivery systems, mRNA engineering, and *in vivo* cell therapy—*in vivo* CAR-T is emerging as a pivotal direction for the next generation of cell therapies. With numerous domestic companies accelerating the clinical development of relevant pipelines, the industry is poised for further high-profile business development deals and significant milestones. As a partner of Xingrui Pharmaceuticals, Shenji Bio extends its warm congratulations and looks forward to the company’s continued advancement of innovative therapies and their clinical translation, ultimately bringing groundbreaking treatment options to patients worldwide. Focusing on cutting-edge fields such as *in vivo* CAR-T, mRNA drugs, and nucleic acid therapies, Shenji Bio continues to refine its technology and service ecosystem; the company offers solutions ranging from IVT enzymes, cap analogs, and modified nucleotides to plasmid preparation, mRNA manufacturing, and delivery systems, thereby accelerating the development and commercialization of innovative nucleic acid drugs.
