Fundraising Includes New Strategic Investments by the UniQuest Extension Fund and Uniseed

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BRISBANE, AU – August 19th, 2025 – Lucia Bio Pty Ltd (“Lucia Bio”), a Molecule to Medicine (MTM) portfolio biotechnology company focused on the development of best-in-class spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors for a range of immune-mediated diseases, today announced that the company has raised an additional AU$2 million in Seed financing, bringing the total Seed investment secured to date to AU$3 million. The additional Seed financing consists of a further AU$1 million investment from the UniQuest Extension Fund (UEF) and AU$1 million from Uniseed-managed funds. Proceeds from the raise will be used to support the continued development of Lucia Bio’s portfolio of potent and highly selective Syk inhibitors, including broadening the therapeutic potential to the treatment of peripheral autoimmune conditions in addition to neuroinflammation indications. Key activities supported by this financing include initiating the toxicology program on the company’s lead asset QED-701 which is being developed to treat neuroinflammation associated with neurodegenerative conditions, as well as progressing a second molecule, QED-121, into Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) activities leading to initiation of clinical trial enabling studies to support development for the treatment of autoimmune conditions.

“The support of the UniQuest Extension Fund and Uniseed allows us to broaden and accelerate the development of our best in class Syk inhibitors and maintain momentum in the program as we look to raise a Series A. Use of proceeds from this first syndicated round would include completion of the remaining clinical trial enabling studies and the Phase 1 clinical program for both molecules of QED-701 and QED-121 that will lay a foundation for subsequent Phase 2 clinical proof of concept studies, with potential indications selected from certain neuroinflammatory and autoimmune conditions” said Tom McCarthy Ph.D., co-founder and executive chair of Lucia Bio. “Syk is a clinically validated target in human immunology although capitalising on the full clinical potential for Syk inhibition has been hampered by molecules without the required intersection of potency, selectivity and drug-like properties. With UniQuest’s significant prior investment in the discovery of best-in-class Syk inhibitors, Lucia Bio is well poised to deliver molecules that fully exploit the potential of inhibiting this critical node in human immunology”.

The Syk program was initially developed at UniQuest’s commercial drug discovery group, QEDDI, which was established with an industry-experienced team to advance The University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) promising drug targets towards the clinic.

Dr Dean Moss, CEO of UQ’s commercialisation company UniQuest, said: “We are excited by the significant clinical potential for best-in-class Syk inhibitors that capitalise on foundational Australian science conducted by QEDDI. UniQuest has had the privilege to leverage world class science conducted by QEDDI, successful spin-out formation via the UniQuest IP commercialisation team, and finally investment by the UEF. This seed financing lays the foundation for its translation into potential innovative medicines across a wide range of conditions. We look forward to continuing to work with Tom, Kirsty and the MTM team as Lucia Bio charts a similar global clinical development trajectory, in this case based on key Australian scientific discoveries.”

“This investment highlights the ongoing relationship Uniseed has with the University of Queensland (UQ) in supporting spin-out companies formed around world class medical research” said John Kurek, Investment Director at Uniseed. “The Lucia Bio Syk inhibitor program is focused on an important node in human immunology and in therapeutic areas where new treatment options targeting novel mechanisms of action are needed. We are also excited to be working again with Tom McCarthy, who was CEO of the UQ spin out, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, where Uniseed was a key investor through to its acquisition by Novartis.”

Preclinical data for QED-701 shows that that this compound possesses excellent drug-like properties and impressive activity across peripheral and central neuroinflammatory preclinical models. Critically, QED-701 is highly selective over kinases shown to be responsible for causing hypertension and haematological adverse events that have been observed for prior Syk inhibitors in the clinic. QED-121 represents an additional structurally differentiated Syk inhibitor chemo type within Lucia Bio’s drug discovery and development pipeline. With impressive kinase selectivity, advancing this molecule in parallel with QED-701 provides the foundation for a broad development program across neuroinflammatory and peripheral autoimmune indications, with additional clinical potential in certain haematology oncology indications.

About Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) Inhibitors

Spleen tyrosine kinase is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase whose phosphorylation is critical in the initiation of signalling of a variety of immune receptors that drive a range of inflammatory processes. To date, there is only one Syk inhibitor approved in a single indication, immune mediated thrombocytopenia. Alternative Syk inhibitors that have entered clinical development have largely been halted due to unacceptable adverse events linked to non-Syk tyrosine kinase activity and/or the lack of drug like properties to support an oral medicine for the treatment of these Syk dependent chronic conditions. Lucia Bio’s two lead assets QED-701 and QED-121 show the required potency, selectivity and drug-like properties to fully exploit this critical node in human immunology. Indications for Lucia Bio’s Syk inhibitors include the treatment of neuroinflammation associated with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and autoimmune conditions such as chronic spontaneous urticaria (hives) refractory to current and emerging standards of care. In addition, as Syk controls the phosphorylation of Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK), and non-BTK dependent pathways, Lucia Bio intends to investigate the potential of Syk inhibition in certain BTK resistant haematology oncology indications through collaboration with clinician scientists in this therapeutic area.

About Lucia Bio

Lucia Bio is a biotech company advancing next-generation selective spleen tyrosine kinase (Syk) inhibitors for the treatment of peripheral autoimmune diseases, neuroinflammatory disorders, and hematologic malignancies. Established in 2024 through a partnership between Molecule to Medicine (MTM) and The University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) QEDDI (Queensland Emory Drug Discovery Initiative) team, Lucia Bio is capitalising on the clinically validated but underexploited Syk pathway. With best-in-class potential, Lucia Bio’s Syk inhibitors are being advanced towards global clinical development, with potential across neuroinflammatory, autoimmune and haematology oncology indications. Along with Curlew Bio, Lucia Bio is part of MTM’s Brisbane, Australia based ecosystem of companies that are integrated with MTM’s global drug discovery and development ecosystems of biotechs.

For more information about Lucia Bio, please visit www.lucia.bio

For more about MTM, please visit https://www.moleculetomedicine.com

About Uniseed

Uniseed is Australia’s longest running and most successful research commercialisation fund, operating at the intersection of academia and industry. Backed by nine leading Australian universities, the national Science agency CSIRO and superannuation fund UniSuper, Uniseed facilitates the commercialisation of its research partner’s most promising intellectual property and secures targeted investment turning their ideas into products and services. Uniseed supports innovations that solve market problems and create a positive impact for the community. Uniseed invests over a broad range of technology sectors and has exited twelve investments, to date. For more information visit www.uniseed.com.

About UniQuest

UniQuest is the commercialisation company of The University of Queensland (UQ). In partnership with UQ researchers, we create impact through the commercialisation of UQ intellectual property (IP). Established in 1984, UniQuest’s track record positions UQ as the leader of research commercialisation in Australasia. UniQuest has formed more than 130 start-up companies built on UQ IP. These companies have raised more than A$1 billion to advance UQ technologies towards the market and have directly created more than 450 new jobs. Notable successes include the blockbuster cervical cancer vaccine GARDASIL® and start-up companies Spinifex Pharmaceuticals Inc and Inflazome Ltd, which were acquired in two of the largest university start-up exits in Australian history. The $32 million UniQuest Extension Fund is helping to build the UQ start-up ecosystem, investing in companies stemming from the UQ community. For more information visit www.uniquest.com.au

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