Aura Biosciences, a Phase 2 biotech developing virus-like drug conjugates for ocular and urologic solid tumors, announced terms for its IPO on Monday.
The Cambridge, MA-based company plans to raise $75 million by offering 5 million shares at a price range of $14 to $16. At the midpoint of the proposed range, Aura Biosciences would command a fully diluted market value of $454 million.
Aura's proprietary platform enables the targeting of a broad range of solid tumors using Virus-Like Particles that can be conjugated with drugs or loaded with nucleic acids to create Virus-Like Drug Conjugates (VDCs). AU-011, its first VDC candidate, is being developed for the first line treatment of primary choroidal melanoma, a rare disease with no drugs approved. The company has advanced AU-011 into a Phase 2 dose escalation trial, where it is currently evaluating suprachoroidal administration. Aura plans to present six to twelve month safety and efficacy data from this trial in 2022, and, if favorable, initiate a pivotal trial in the 2H22.
Aura Biosciences was founded in 2009 and plans to list on the Nasdaq under the symbol AURA. Cowen, SVB Leerink, and Evercore ISI are the joint bookrunners on the deal. It is expected to price during the week of October 25, 2021.
