BrainChild Bio secured $116 million in Series A financing to support its pivotal pediatric CAR-T program for diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). The lead candidate BCB-276 targets B7-H3 and is being evaluated in an open-label, single-arm Phase II ILLUMINATE trial following focal radiation. The company reported dosing of the first patient and said it has aligned the trial design with FDA guidance, including a decision against a control arm. The primary endpoint is overall survival, with secondary measures including safety, radiographic response, BCB-276 presence in cerebrospinal fluid, and progression-free survival. BrainChild expects to deliver a development path toward a future biologics license application, and it said manufacturing and quality operations have been established for registration-level work. Pediatric neuro-oncology CAR-T development faces unique clinical and logistical constraints, making this funding milestone a key near-term indicator of momentum for CNS-targeted cell therapy.