# Kira Biotech Pty Ltd

> Kira Biotech is a Brisbane-based clinical-stage immunology company developing first-in-class antibody therapeutics that retrain the immune system instead of broadly suppressing it. Its lead candidate, KB312, selectively depletes activated immune cells to restore immune tolerance, aiming to treat difficult autoimmune and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, and graft-versus-host disease. Built on decades of dendritic-cell research from Australian institutes and led by US rheumatologist Dr Dan Baker, the company launched with a A$20 million Series A in 2019 led by OneVentures and IP Group.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** Brisbane, Australia
- **Founders:** Dan Baker (Founding CEO & Director), Georgina Clark (Co-Founder, Director & Scientist), Derek Hart (Scientific Foundation (late Professor, research basis))
- **Team size:** Small (reported ~4 employees; lean clinical-stage team)
- **Products:** KB312, Immune tolerance pipeline
- **Notable:** Raised A$20M Series A in October 2019, led by OneVentures with IP Group, Advanced first-in-class KB312 antibody toward Phase 1 clinical development, Translated decades of Australian dendritic-cell research into a venture-backed therapeutic program

## Products & services

- **KB312** — First-in-class, selective, immune-cell depleting monoclonal antibody that targets activated immune cells to restore homeostasis through induction of immune tolerance, while sparing beneficial immune cells that fight infection and cancer.
- **Immune tolerance pipeline** — A discovery and development program targeting cells and pathways that activate the immune response in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, graft-versus-host disease, and transplant rejection.

## Achievements

- Raised A$20M Series A in October 2019, led by OneVentures with IP Group
- Advanced first-in-class KB312 antibody toward Phase 1 clinical development
- Translated decades of Australian dendritic-cell research into a venture-backed therapeutic program
- Recruited global pharma leadership including ex-Janssen executives

## Latest updates

- **2019-10** — Launched with A$20M Series A funding led by OneVentures and IP Group to advance KB312.
- **2020-07** — Appointed global pharma business leadership to strengthen the executive team.
- **2021-08** — Appointed James Updike as Chief Business Officer.

## Links

- Website: https://kirabiotech.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/kira-biotech-pty-ltd

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Last updated: 2026-06-14