Astellas Venture Management

Astellas Venture Management, established in 2005, serves as the corporate venture arm of Astellas Pharma and is based in Brisbane, California. The firm specializes in investing in early-stage biotechnology companies that are engaged in developing therapeutics programs and innovative platform technologies for drug discovery and development. By focusing on privately owned entities, Astellas Venture Management aims to support the advancement of new pharmaceutical products, aligning with its parent company's strategic interests in the biotechnology sector.

Tadayoshi Hirata

Senior Investment Manager

Sorato Ikeda

Senior Investment Manager

Hiromichi Kimura

Investor

Satoshi Konagai

Investor

Hikaru Saito Ph.D

Investor

54 past transactions

NeoPhore

Series B in 2023
NeoPhore is a provider of novel small molecule therapies intended to treat cancer through stimulation of the immune system.The company's small molecule therapies target genetic mechanisms in order to create neoantigen which is known to stimulate the immune system and potentially be a weak spot in a tumor cell's defense mechanisms, enabling cancer patients to get treated and achieve improved clinical outcomes.

DEM BioPharma

Series A in 2022
DEM BioPharma is an immuno-oncology company that is working to eradicate cancer by targeting novel innate immune system checkpoints.

Turn.bio

Venture Round in 2022
Turn Biotechnologies is a Stanford spinout developing therapies to effectively return mature differentiated cells to a dramatically younger state leaving their differentiated identity unaltered. ​Turn Biotechnologies surpasses traditional approaches based on single gene/pathway manipulations and tackles the multifaceted manifestation of cellular age at the organ, tissue, and organismal level to extend the healthspan of people. As a result, age is reset by epigenetically reprogramming cells.

Mogrify

Series A in 2021
Mogrify is a UK biotechnology company focused on advancing ex vivo cell therapies and developing innovative in vivo reprogramming therapies. It has created a proprietary platform that enables the direct conversion of mature cell types into other mature states without reverting to a stem cell stage, significantly improving the efficiency of stem cell-derived reprogramming. Mogrify aims to create a consistent and scalable source of cell types with the necessary efficacy and safety profiles for treating various high unmet clinical needs, particularly in oncology and ophthalmology. The company’s technology is protected by a foundational patent and additional applications that cover specific cell conversions. Mogrify employs a business model that includes internal cell therapy development, co-development partnerships, and licensing agreements for its novel cell conversions, targeting the expanding regenerative medicine market. Founded in 2016, Mogrify is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

PhoreMost

Series B in 2021
PhoreMost Limited, a drug discovery company, engages in identifying new druggable targets for cancer and other unmet diseases. It develops Site-Seeker, a platform that systematically unmasks druggable sites in the human genome and links them to useful therapeutic functions in a live-cell context. The company was incorporated in 2014 and is based in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

NeoPhore

Series B in 2021
NeoPhore is a provider of novel small molecule therapies intended to treat cancer through stimulation of the immune system.The company's small molecule therapies target genetic mechanisms in order to create neoantigen which is known to stimulate the immune system and potentially be a weak spot in a tumor cell's defense mechanisms, enabling cancer patients to get treated and achieve improved clinical outcomes.

Orna Therapeutics

Series A in 2021
Orna Therapeutics is a biotechnology company dedicated to designing and delivering a new class of fully engineered circular RNA (oRNA) therapeutics with the potential to change the way we treat disease. Orna’s proprietary platform combines novel technology to create oRNAs that drive protein expression with validated and unique delivery solutions.

Jupiter Therapeutics

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Jupiter Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that creates cell-membrane-based therapeutics. The company enables a synthetic biology approach enabling the rapid design and synthesis of a pipeline of assets focused on cancer, autoimmunity, drug delivery, and gene therapy.

Keyhole Therapeutics

Pre Seed Round in 2020
Keyhole Therapeutics is a discovery stage drug company specializing in immunotherapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Keyhole's first program, a small molecule inhibitor of exosome release being investigated for promotion of immune-driven tumor destruction in cancer patients resistant to current immune checkpoint inhibitors, is at the hit-to-lead stage. Future programs will include additional inhibitors of exosome release, and novel exosome-related therapeutic opportunities for cellular cancer vaccines and for targeted suppression of autoreactive T cells. Keyhole Therapeutics is seeking bold, accomplished, and innovative scientists to join them in pioneering the next wave of immunotherapeutics.

Catamaran Bio

Series A in 2020
Catamaran Bio, Inc. develops CAR-NK immune cell therapies for the treatment of tumor. The company develops Tailwind platform to engineer, expand, and process NK cells into allogenic CAR-NK cell therapy shelf products. Catamaran Bio, Inc. was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

TScan Therapeutics

Series B in 2020
TScan Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative T cell therapies to treat various cancers, including liquid tumors and solid tumors. The company focuses on engineering T cell receptor (TCR) therapies, with specific candidates aimed at addressing hematologic malignancies and preventing relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. TScan utilizes a specialized platform that identifies shared T cell antigens and minimizes off-target effects, enhancing the safety and effectiveness of its treatments. The company’s pipeline includes both liquid tumor therapies and multiplexed TCR-T candidates for solid tumors. Founded in 2018, TScan Therapeutics is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, and comprises a team of experts committed to expanding treatment options for patients with limited therapeutic alternatives.

Heartseed

Series B in 2019
Heartseed Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Tokyo, Japan, focuses on developing myocardial regeneration medicine utilizing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The company aims to advance the clinical application of regenerative medicine specifically for treating heart disease. Heartseed is dedicated to creating cardiomyocyte replacement therapies derived from iPS cells to address advanced heart failure, aspiring to transform the treatment landscape for patients suffering from this condition.

CODA Biotherapeutics

Series A in 2019
CODA Biotherapeutics’ revolutionary chemogenetic platform aims to control the activity of cells to treat disease with chemogenetics, the goal is to modify a target cell population using gene therapy to express a tunable “switch” protein. Cells modified with the “switch” can be activated or inactivated in a dose-dependent manner by a subsequently administered small molecule therapeutic, an effect that should only occur in the modified cells.

Cleave Therapeutics

Series C in 2019
Cleave Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2010. The company specializes in developing novel small-molecule drugs that target valosin-containing protein and other protein-degradation pathways critical for the survival of cancer cells. By focusing on these mechanisms, Cleave Therapeutics aims to create enzyme inhibitors that can effectively treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Its research efforts are directed toward discovering innovative therapies that may improve patient outcomes in oncology.

Twentyeight-Seven, Inc.

Series A in 2019
Twentyeight-Seven Therapeutics is a developer of microRNAs designed to target regulatory proteins.The company's modulating RNA which are short non-coding RNAs that inhibit target gene expression by suppressing mRNA translation and promoting mRNA decay and develop small molecules that can modulate levels of miRNAs by targeting proteins that interact with these miRNAs, enabling users to target miRNAs are directly involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis.

CODA Biotherapeutics

Series A in 2018
CODA Biotherapeutics’ revolutionary chemogenetic platform aims to control the activity of cells to treat disease with chemogenetics, the goal is to modify a target cell population using gene therapy to express a tunable “switch” protein. Cells modified with the “switch” can be activated or inactivated in a dose-dependent manner by a subsequently administered small molecule therapeutic, an effect that should only occur in the modified cells.

Twentyeight-Seven, Inc.

Series A in 2018
Twentyeight-Seven Therapeutics is a developer of microRNAs designed to target regulatory proteins.The company's modulating RNA which are short non-coding RNAs that inhibit target gene expression by suppressing mRNA translation and promoting mRNA decay and develop small molecules that can modulate levels of miRNAs by targeting proteins that interact with these miRNAs, enabling users to target miRNAs are directly involved in cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis.

Heartseed

Series A in 2018
Heartseed Inc., founded in 2015 and based in Tokyo, Japan, focuses on developing myocardial regeneration medicine utilizing induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. The company aims to advance the clinical application of regenerative medicine specifically for treating heart disease. Heartseed is dedicated to creating cardiomyocyte replacement therapies derived from iPS cells to address advanced heart failure, aspiring to transform the treatment landscape for patients suffering from this condition.

Effector Therapeutics

Series C in 2017
Effector Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2012. The company specializes in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs designed to treat cancer and other serious diseases by selectively regulating protein synthesis, specifically targeting mRNA translation. Effector Therapeutics focuses on developing translation regulators that inhibit disregulated translation, which is crucial for tumor growth and survival. This innovative approach aims to provide potent and selective therapeutic options, offering a promising avenue for delivering new cancer treatments to patients in need.

Oncorus

Series A in 2016
Oncorus, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative viral immunotherapies for cancer treatment. The company's lead candidate, ONCR-177, utilizes an oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 platform and is currently in Phase I clinical trials aimed at treating various cancers. In addition to ONCR-177, Oncorus is advancing the ONCR-GBM program for brain cancer and exploring synthetic viral immunotherapies based on Coxsackievirus A21 and Seneca Valley Virus. The company has entered a collaboration with MSD International GmbH to evaluate the safety and tolerability of ONCR-177 in combination with Merck’s immunotherapy. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Oncorus is committed to advancing cancer care and has pledged to support cancer research and healthcare initiatives in developing regions through corporate philanthropy.

Trieza Therapeutics

Pre Seed Round in 2016
Trieza Therapeutics is a new company developing immunomodulatory oncolytic viruses for the treatment of cancer. Founded as a spin-out from Potenza Therapeutics, Trieza has a portfolio containing multiple pre-clinical candidates.

Cleave Therapeutics

Series B in 2016
Cleave Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2010. The company specializes in developing novel small-molecule drugs that target valosin-containing protein and other protein-degradation pathways critical for the survival of cancer cells. By focusing on these mechanisms, Cleave Therapeutics aims to create enzyme inhibitors that can effectively treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Its research efforts are directed toward discovering innovative therapies that may improve patient outcomes in oncology.

Tizona Therapeutics

Series B in 2016
The company is establishing collaborations with its scientific founders “to better understand whether regulatory T cells play a more prominent role in certain tumors,” he added. Although research suggests that Tregs cells play a more prominent role in creating immunosuppression in the microenvironment in some tumor types than others, “quite honestly, the data are lacking. One of the ways we’re going to differentiate the company is to understand that relationship better.

Tizona Therapeutics

Series A in 2016
The company is establishing collaborations with its scientific founders “to better understand whether regulatory T cells play a more prominent role in certain tumors,” he added. Although research suggests that Tregs cells play a more prominent role in creating immunosuppression in the microenvironment in some tumor types than others, “quite honestly, the data are lacking. One of the ways we’re going to differentiate the company is to understand that relationship better.

Effector Therapeutics

Series B in 2015
Effector Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2012. The company specializes in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs designed to treat cancer and other serious diseases by selectively regulating protein synthesis, specifically targeting mRNA translation. Effector Therapeutics focuses on developing translation regulators that inhibit disregulated translation, which is crucial for tumor growth and survival. This innovative approach aims to provide potent and selective therapeutic options, offering a promising avenue for delivering new cancer treatments to patients in need.

Crescendo Biologics

Venture Round in 2014
Crescendo Biologics is a new Cambridge-based company whose vision is to deliver next-generation antibody therapeutics based on novel class-leading platforms. The focus of the company is on developing platforms that will address key issues in generating high-affinity, soluble, human VH antibody fragments. These are the smallest fragments that retain antibody binding, and have many desirable properties as potential therapeutics. Crescendo will then utilise these platforms for product development of in-house targets or in partnership with other companies.

Viamet Pharmaceuticals

Series D in 2014
Viamet Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops "best-in-class" inhibitors of validated metalloenzymes via an innovative and proprietary metal-binding approach, their Metallophileâ„¢ Technology. Viamet's disruptive Metallophileâ„¢ technology is based on their world-class expertise in bioinorganic chemistry and metalloenzymes and allows them to identify validated targets with high therapeutic and commercial potential; leverage existing metalloenzyme inhibitors as the basis for Viamet's best-in-class analogs; and rapidly and cost-effectively generate best-in-class, patentable, small molecule compounds by optimizing the metal-binding component of existing inhibitors.

Bicycle Therapeutics

Series A in 2014
Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines which are referred to as Bicycles. The Bicycles are synthetic short peptides constrained to form two loops which stabilize their structural geometry. Its initial internal programs are focused on oncology indications with high unmet medical need. The company's product candidate, BT1718, is a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate, or BTC.

Raze Therapeutics

Series A in 2014
Raze Therapeutics is leading the discovery and development of a new class of oncology therapeutics that target key metabolic pathways. Raze is advancing a pipeline of therapeutics based on new biological insights into how cancer cells reprogram metabolism to activate central anabolic processes essential for tumors to grow and survive.

Crescendo Biologics

Series A in 2014
Crescendo Biologics is a new Cambridge-based company whose vision is to deliver next-generation antibody therapeutics based on novel class-leading platforms. The focus of the company is on developing platforms that will address key issues in generating high-affinity, soluble, human VH antibody fragments. These are the smallest fragments that retain antibody binding, and have many desirable properties as potential therapeutics. Crescendo will then utilise these platforms for product development of in-house targets or in partnership with other companies.

Crescendo Biologics

Series A in 2013
Crescendo Biologics is a new Cambridge-based company whose vision is to deliver next-generation antibody therapeutics based on novel class-leading platforms. The focus of the company is on developing platforms that will address key issues in generating high-affinity, soluble, human VH antibody fragments. These are the smallest fragments that retain antibody binding, and have many desirable properties as potential therapeutics. Crescendo will then utilise these platforms for product development of in-house targets or in partnership with other companies.

Effector Therapeutics

Series A in 2013
Effector Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2012. The company specializes in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs designed to treat cancer and other serious diseases by selectively regulating protein synthesis, specifically targeting mRNA translation. Effector Therapeutics focuses on developing translation regulators that inhibit disregulated translation, which is crucial for tumor growth and survival. This innovative approach aims to provide potent and selective therapeutic options, offering a promising avenue for delivering new cancer treatments to patients in need.

DecImmune Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2013
DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. develops novel peptides and antibodies for acute tissue damaging inflammation in myocardial infarction, burns, vascular injury, and reperfusion. It develops therapeutics for treating second degree burns and prevents reperfusion injury in transplant patients. DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Natural Antibodies, Inc. and changed its name to DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. in September 2004. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Bicycle Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2012
Bicycle Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel class of medicines which are referred to as Bicycles. The Bicycles are synthetic short peptides constrained to form two loops which stabilize their structural geometry. Its initial internal programs are focused on oncology indications with high unmet medical need. The company's product candidate, BT1718, is a Bicycle Toxin Conjugate, or BTC.

F2G

Venture Round in 2012
F2G Ltd develops novel therapies to treat fungal diseases. It primarily focuses on developing an F3 series of anti-mold compound, which is an antifungal agent. The company offers orotomides that are antifungal agents against Aspergillus and other filamentous molds. F2G Ltd was formerly known as Functional Fungal Genomics Ltd and changed its name to F2G Ltd in July 1999. F2G Ltd was founded in 1998 and is based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

PhaseBio

Series B in 2012
PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, focused on developing innovative therapies for cardiopulmonary diseases. Its lead product candidate, PB2452, is a reversal agent for the antiplatelet drug ticagrelor and is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials for patients experiencing uncontrolled bleeding or requiring urgent surgery. The company is also advancing PB1046, a fusion protein aimed at treating pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is in Phase IIb clinical trials. Additionally, PhaseBio is developing PB6440, an oral agent intended for the treatment of resistant hypertension. Founded in 2002, the company leverages proprietary recombinant biopolymers to enhance the stability and efficacy of its drug candidates.

Cleave Therapeutics

Series A in 2011
Cleave Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in San Francisco, California, founded in 2010. The company specializes in developing novel small-molecule drugs that target valosin-containing protein and other protein-degradation pathways critical for the survival of cancer cells. By focusing on these mechanisms, Cleave Therapeutics aims to create enzyme inhibitors that can effectively treat cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Its research efforts are directed toward discovering innovative therapies that may improve patient outcomes in oncology.

Verastem

Series B in 2011
Verastem Oncology is a biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of medicines to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with cancer. Its portfolio consists of small molecule kinase inhibitors that inhibit critical signaling pathways, which promote cancer cell survival and tumor growth.

Fate Therapeutics

Series B in 2011
Fate Therapeutics is using the fundamental biological mechanisms that guide cell fate to develop stem cell therapeutics. The company has brought together the foremost scientists from the nation's research hotbeds (Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle) who have demonstrated the potential to create and modulate stem cells to restore health. The backstory is that while others were working towards therapies based on transplanting stem cell-derived cells into patients, Randall Moon (HHMI and the University of Washington) and Alex Rives (Arch Venture Capitol) envisioned a different approach to develop regenerative therapies. The concept, based on data from hematopoietic progenitor cells, was that one could modulate the properties of stem cells in vivo using small molecules or biologics. They presented this idea to Arch Venture Capitol in Seattle, which launched the company, soon to be joined by other investors.

PanOptica

Series A in 2011
PanOptica, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative topical eye drops for the treatment of sight-threatening eye diseases associated with abnormal or leaky blood vessels. Based in Mount Arlington, New Jersey, the company was founded in 2009 and is known for its lead compound, PAN-90806, a small-molecule selective VEGF receptor antagonist. This treatment shows potential for addressing conditions such as wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which can lead to significant vision loss. By seeking to license and develop new therapeutics, PanOptica aims to enhance the effectiveness of existing treatments and provide solutions for previously untreatable disorders, ultimately improving patients' vision and quality of life.

DecImmune Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2010
DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. develops novel peptides and antibodies for acute tissue damaging inflammation in myocardial infarction, burns, vascular injury, and reperfusion. It develops therapeutics for treating second degree burns and prevents reperfusion injury in transplant patients. DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. was formerly known as Natural Antibodies, Inc. and changed its name to DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc. in September 2004. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Nereus Pharmaceuticals

Series E in 2010
Nereus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. engages in the discovery and development of therapeutics for the treatment of oncology, infectious diseases, and inflammation. The company uses its marine microbiology technologies for the discovery and development of drug candidates. Its oncology drug candidates include NPI-2358, a tumor vascular disrupting agent for the treatment of solid tumors; and NPI-0052, a proteasome inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumors, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in San Diego, California.

Fate Therapeutics

Series B in 2009
Fate Therapeutics is using the fundamental biological mechanisms that guide cell fate to develop stem cell therapeutics. The company has brought together the foremost scientists from the nation's research hotbeds (Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, and Seattle) who have demonstrated the potential to create and modulate stem cells to restore health. The backstory is that while others were working towards therapies based on transplanting stem cell-derived cells into patients, Randall Moon (HHMI and the University of Washington) and Alex Rives (Arch Venture Capitol) envisioned a different approach to develop regenerative therapies. The concept, based on data from hematopoietic progenitor cells, was that one could modulate the properties of stem cells in vivo using small molecules or biologics. They presented this idea to Arch Venture Capitol in Seattle, which launched the company, soon to be joined by other investors.

Evolva

Series B in 2009
Evolva Holding SA is a biotechnology company based in Switzerland that specializes in discovering, developing, and commercializing innovative ingredients for various sectors, including food, nutrition, personal healthcare, and agriculture. Founded in 2004, the company leverages a proprietary synthetic biology technology platform to create high-quality ingredients that mirror the properties of natural products while eliminating their drawbacks. Evolva's product portfolio includes branded ingredients like Veri-te Resveratrol, used for age-related health, and EverSweet Stevia, a natural sweetener. Additionally, the company offers Nootkashield for pest control, EveNootkatone for flavor and fragrance applications, and EveValencene, a citrus flavoring. Evolva serves diverse markets, including nutrition, flavors and fragrances, animal health, personal care, and pharmaceuticals, both developing its own products and collaborating with other industry players.

Epizyme

Series B in 2009
Epizyme, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of epigenetic medicines for cancer and other diseases. The company has developed Tazemetostat, which is approved for treating metastatic or locally advanced epithelioid sarcoma in the United States. Tazemetostat is also being investigated in various combinations for other conditions, including follicular lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and platinum-resistant solid tumors. In addition, Epizyme is developing other therapeutic candidates, such as pinometostat for acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia, as well as inhibitors targeting PRMT5 and PRMT1 for various solid tumors and blood cancers. The company collaborates with several notable organizations in the industry to enhance its research and development efforts. Incorporated in 2007, Epizyme aims to leverage advancements in epigenetic research to create innovative, targeted therapies for patients.

Viamet Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2009
Viamet Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops "best-in-class" inhibitors of validated metalloenzymes via an innovative and proprietary metal-binding approach, their Metallophileâ„¢ Technology. Viamet's disruptive Metallophileâ„¢ technology is based on their world-class expertise in bioinorganic chemistry and metalloenzymes and allows them to identify validated targets with high therapeutic and commercial potential; leverage existing metalloenzyme inhibitors as the basis for Viamet's best-in-class analogs; and rapidly and cost-effectively generate best-in-class, patentable, small molecule compounds by optimizing the metal-binding component of existing inhibitors.

Intradigm Corporation

Series B in 2009
Private biotechnology company that develops systematic RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics for the treatment of serious diseases with an initial focus on oncology. The company's expertise in drug development and delivery serves as the foundation of Intradigm RNAi platform. In particular, the company proprietary RNAi Nanoplex delivery technology is unique in its ability to enable the targeted delivery of RNAi therapeutics to specific tissues through systemic administration of the drug product.

F2G

Venture Round in 2008
F2G Ltd develops novel therapies to treat fungal diseases. It primarily focuses on developing an F3 series of anti-mold compound, which is an antifungal agent. The company offers orotomides that are antifungal agents against Aspergillus and other filamentous molds. F2G Ltd was formerly known as Functional Fungal Genomics Ltd and changed its name to F2G Ltd in July 1999. F2G Ltd was founded in 1998 and is based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Inimex Pharmaceuticals

Series B in 2008
Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the development and commercialization of innate defense regulators (IDRs) that modulate the body's innate defenses without causing inflammation. The company offers IMX942, an IDR product that improves survival, ameliorate tissue damage, and reduce bacterial infections through modulation of innate defenses. Its products are used to treat infections and conditions involving tissue injury; ventilator associated pneumonia, tracheobronchitis, bacteremia, endocarditis, and mucositis; and cancer diseases. Inimex Pharmaceuticals Inc. was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Burnaby, Canada.

CoMentis

Series B in 2006
CoMentis is a biotech company focused on the research and development of small molecule drugs to treat neurovascular diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other cognitive disorders. Originally founded in 2004 as Athenagen, Inc., the company was re-named CoMentis following its August 2006 merger with Zapaq, Inc., which created a leading neurovascular disease franchise.

F2G

Venture Round in 2006
F2G Ltd develops novel therapies to treat fungal diseases. It primarily focuses on developing an F3 series of anti-mold compound, which is an antifungal agent. The company offers orotomides that are antifungal agents against Aspergillus and other filamentous molds. F2G Ltd was formerly known as Functional Fungal Genomics Ltd and changed its name to F2G Ltd in July 1999. F2G Ltd was founded in 1998 and is based in Manchester, United Kingdom.

Lectus Therapeutics

Series A in 2006
Lectus Therapeutics Limited is a UK-based pharmaceutical company. Its mission is to build a development pipeline containing first-in-class ion channel therapeutics identified through the use of its proprietary proteomics technology for pain management and the treatment of urinary bladder disorders.