On behalf of ProKidney’s Board and management team I would like to welcome our new investors and thank them for their strong support.”
Mr. Legorreta continued, “I have been inspired both by the science behind ProKidney’s novel approach to treating CKD and the keen focus of the ProKidney team on curing this intractable disease. This transaction is a validation of ProKidney’s momentum and, most importantly, will support ProKidney’s efforts to complete Phase 3 and eventually deploy the pioneering REACT™ therapy, bringing hope for the treatment of a medical condition that is so pervasive and takes such a toll on the lives of millions.”
A cell therapy produced from a patient’s own kidney cells, REACT™ comprises a proprietary mixture of progenitor cells that are grown, purified, and then placed back into the patient’s kidney. This minimally invasive procedure, which begins with a standard biopsy, injects cells that harness the body’s intrinsic ability to repair and restore damaged kidney tissue. The injection procedure has been shown to be better tolerated than contemporary biopsy and can be done repeatedly in one or both kidneys based on multiple Phase 2 trial findings.
ProKidney’s patented REACT™ therapy is the outcome of almost 20 years of development by ProKidney and its predecessors and is part of its broad-based intellectual property strategy. The company has filed more than 200 patents worldwide for its product, cell admixture, and manufacturing and quality processes.
ProKidney’s management team, led by founder and CEO Tim Bertram, brings over 200 years of combined experience in the discovery, development, manufacture, and commercialization of biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and device products. ProKidney is also led by an experienced board, chaired by Pablo Legorreta, founder and CEO of Royalty Pharma, the world’s largest publicly listed acquirer of pharmaceutical royalty streams, bringing broad financial and scientific expertise with his successful track record in biopharma development and investing.
The ProKidney board of directors also includes Dr. Brian Pereira, President and CEO of Visterra, Inc., former president and board member of the National Kidney Foundation and former editor of the widely read textbook “Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, and Transplantation”; Dr. John M. Maraganore, founding Chief Executive Officer of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; William Doyle, founder and Chairman of Novocure; Dr. Alan Lotvin, M.D., Executive Vice President of CVS Health and President of CVS Caremark, CVS Health’s pharmacy benefits manager; Dr. Uma Sinha, Chief Scientific Officer at BridgeBio Pharma; Jennifer Fox, Chief Financial Officer of Nuvation Bio; and José Ignacio Jimenez Santos, Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Financiero Inbursa.
As a result of the business combination, ProKidney has received approximately $597 million prior to transaction-related expenses, including approximately $20 million held in SCS’s trust account with the remaining amount from PIPE investors, which includes $125 million from Social Capital and an additional $50 million from existing ProKidney investors. The Company expects that the proceeds from the transaction will be sufficient to fund operations through data from its ongoing Phase 3 study of REACT™ in diabetic CKD.
Advisors
Citigroup acted as sole financial advisor and capital markets advisor to ProKidney. Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Evercore, Jefferies, and UBS acted as placement agents for a portion of the PIPE. BofA Securities acted as capital markets advisor to SCS. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz acted as legal advisor to SCS. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Matheson LLP, and Walkers LLP acted as legal advisors to ProKidney. Winston & Strawn LLP acted as legal advisor to the PIPE placement agents.
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