What is Oncorus?
Oncorus is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming cancer patient outcomes through the development of next-generation viral immunotherapies. By leveraging its proprietary Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) Platform and its selectively self-amplifying viral RNA (vRNA) Immunotherapy Platform, the company addresses significant unmet needs in oncology. The HSV platform is engineered to enhance systemic activity while minimizing toxicity through direct intratumoral administration. Simultaneously, the vRNA platform integrates RNA and oncolytic virus modalities to unlock the potential of RNA-based medicines. This dual-platform approach allows Oncorus to pursue both local and systemic therapeutic strategies, aiming to redefine the standard of care for patients with difficult-to-treat malignancies.
How much funding has Oncorus raised?
Oncorus has raised a total of $243.5M across 4 funding rounds:
Series A
$57M
Series B
$79.5M
Stock Offering
$87M
Debt
$20M
Series A (2016): $57M with participation from Excelyrate Capital, Deerfield, Long March Investment Fund, Celgene, Inc, MPM Capital, Arkin Bio Ventures, and SunStates Fund
Series B (2019): $79.5M led by Cowen Healthcare Investments, Shinhan Investment-Private Equity, IMM Investment, UTC Investment, QUAD Investment Management, Surveyor Capital, SV Investment Corp, Perceptive Advisors, and Sphera Funds
Stock Issuance/Offering (2020): $87M, investors not publicly disclosed
Debt (2022): $20M featuring K2 HealthVentures
Key Investors in Oncorus
Deerfield
Deerfield Management is an investment firm focused on advancing healthcare through investment, intelligence, and philanthropy, supporting companies across the healthcare ecosystem with flexible funding models.
MPM Capital
MPM BioImpact manages early-stage venture funds and private/public impact funds, specializing in converting complex science into viable therapeutics for patients.
Perceptive Advisors
Founded in 1999, Perceptive Advisors is a New York-based investment firm managing significant assets focused on funding innovative healthcare and life sciences technologies.
What's next for Oncorus?
With the support of its recent $20M financing, Oncorus is strategically positioned to accelerate its clinical pipeline. The primary focus remains the advancement of its lead candidates, ONCR-021 and ONCR-788, through critical IND-enabling milestones. By maintaining a disciplined approach to capital allocation, the company aims to validate its self-amplifying vRNA technology in human trials. As the firm transitions further into clinical development, the focus will shift toward demonstrating the safety and efficacy of its viral immunotherapy candidates, potentially setting the stage for future strategic partnerships or further equity-based growth initiatives in the competitive biotech market.
See full Oncorus company page
