Cathay Capital, an investment firm, led a $130m funding round in Ascend Gene & Cell Therapies, a gene therapy development partner. ''Ascend is a service provider for biotechnology companies, created by bringing together expert teams with regulatory sophistication who have ‘been-there-done-that’ and who understand that the quality and potency of product is just as important as yield. We believe that creating a therapy that changes lives means improving on what’s come before. We are excited to bring a new approach to the space and thank all our investors for their support. We will continue to refine and flex our model, staying adaptable to meet the needs of the market,'' Mike Stella, Ascend CEO.