Altera Biosciences, Africa’s first dedicated cell and gene therapy biotech company, has announced the successful close of a groundbreaking R29 million pre-seed funding round.
Led by founders Alexandra Miszewski and Professor Michael Pepper, this milestone positions Altera at the forefront of biotech innovation on the continent, with a mission to revolutionise healthcare through the development of a universal donor cell platform.
The investment, secured from prominent venture capital firms including OneBio Venture Studio, and E Squared Investments, marks a turning point for Africa’s biotech industry. Their pioneering work on universal donor cells holds transformative potential for global healthcare, with the ability to potentially address critical challenges in organ transplantation, diabetes treatment, and cancer therapies.
Alexandra Miszewski is an accomplished entrepreneur with a proven track record in medical device and biotech ventures such as Equine Tendon, Regenesis Vet, and Novita Biotechnology. A graduate of the Allan Gray Orbis Foundation Fellowship Entrepreneurial Programme, Miszewski brings a dynamic vision and deep business acumen to the table.
She is joined by Professor Michael Pepper, recently named one of South Africa’s top Biology and Biochemistry Scientists. A seasoned biotech entrepreneur and Director of the Institute for Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Pepper is also a research professor in the Department of Medical Immunology. His scientific leadership and expertise anchor Altera’s ambitious research agenda.
For those unfamiliar with biotechnology and cell and gene therapy, the importance of developing a universal donor cell cannot be overstated.
“One of the biggest challenges in transplantation medicine is to find a suitable donor-recipient match to prevent rejection of the transplant,” Miszewski explains.
Alexandra Miszewski
“Rejection occurs when the recipient’s immune system recognizes the donor’s cells as being foreign and mounts an immune response against the transplanted cells. This has a negative effect on the function of the transplanted cells or organ, which in turn results in patient morbidity and mortality.
At Altera, we are developing a universal donor cell platform using gene silencing technology to remove the identity markers on the donor cells that trigger immune rejection. In doing so, the recipient’s body can accept the cells as their own, and the problem of rejection is minimized.”
By engineering donor cells to be immunologically universal, the company aims to develop off-the-shelf cell therapies that could address a wide range of conditions, from diabetes and cancer to transplant rejection. In a genetically diverse environment, this can help solve the problem of a lack of donor recipient matches. While the potential applications of this platform are broad, Altera has not publicly disclosed which therapeutic indications it will pursue first, due to strategic and intellectual property considerations.
Professor Michael Pepper
“This investment signals a new era for biotech in Africa,” said Professor Pepper.
“Africa is the most genetically diverse continent in the world, making it a relevant setting in which to develop advanced therapies . Many advanced therapies have been developed with a one-size-fits-all approach, which may not be appropriate in a genetically diverse population.
“By building solutions from a globally diverse genetic foundation, our research has the potential to be more universally applicable from day one. While our vision is global, we are deeply committed to ensuring these innovations are also accessible to patients in Africa – where access to advanced healthcare is often limited.”
The funding secured by Altera Biosciences is not only a triumph for the company, but also a major milestone for Africa’s growing biotech sector. Altera’s success highlights the untapped potential of African innovation in addressing global health challenges.
The involvement of investors such as OneBio and E Squared Investments underscores the growing confidence in Africa’s biotech capabilities and its ability to contribute meaningfully to the future of global healthcare.
