Astellas Venture Management

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 is an immuno-oncology company that is working to eradicate cancer by targeting novel innate immune system checkpoints.

Carbon Biosciences develops genetic medicines for the treatment of devastating diseases. They develop their vector using industrial-scale viral production platforms and can be used to deliver a wide-range of therapeutic modalities.

Turn.bio is a biotechnology company developing drugs to reverse aging and age-related diseases. Utilizing a patented mRNA platform technology, ERA, the company is combating the effects of aging on the epigenome. The company’s proprietary mRNA platform technology, ERA and eTurna, a delivery platform specifically designed to enable nucleic acid therapeutics, combats the effects of aging in the epigenome, thus restoring optimal gene expression. It focuses on developing tailored therapies targeting indications in immune-related diseases like cancer and dermatological conditions, as well as therapies for ophthalmology, osteoarthritis, and the muscular system.

Mogrify® has developed a proprietary suite of platform technologies that utilize a systematic big-data approach to direct cellular reprogramming (Rackham et al., Nature Genetics, 2016) and the maintenance of cell identity (Kamaraj et al., Cell Systems 2020). The platforms, MOGRIFY® and epiMOGRIFY®, developed over a 12-year period via a multi-national research collaboration, deploy next-generation sequencing, gene regulatory and epigenetic network data to enable the prediction of the transcription factors and growth factors required to produce any target human cell type from any source human cell type. The platforms can be used to enhance existing stem-cell forward programming methods, or bypass development pathways altogether, affecting a direct transdifferentiation between a mature cell type to another mature cell type. Mogrify is applying its proprietary and award-winning platforms to generate the functional cell types required to transform the lives of patients, by delivering a novel class of in vivo reprogramming therapies across ophthalmology, otology, metabolic and other areas of degenerative disease. Uniquely positioned to address a regenerative medicine market estimated to be worth $150 billion USD by 2028, Mogrify is commercializing its technology via a combination of in vivo reprogramming therapy development, co-development partnerships, as well as the exploitation of the platform in other therapeutic and non-therapeutic applications.

PhoreMost is a new-model drug discovery company based in Cambridge, UK: Using its core expertise to open up new ‘druggable’ target space and working with a global network of co-invested academic and industrial collaboration partners, we aim to bring a wide array of novel ‘targeted’ therapies more efficiently to market and pass these cost savings onto patients.

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 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 they treat disease. The company's proprietary platform combines novel technology to create oRNAs that drive protein expression with validated and unique delivery solutions. Orna Therapeutics was established in 2019 by Alex Wesselhoeft and Raffaella Squilloni in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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.

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.

Catamaran Bio is a biotechnology company that specializes in allogeneic immune cell therapies. It offers cell therapy company developing allogeneic, off-the-shelf products for patients with an unmet medical need. It was founded in 2020 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Fukushima SiC Applied Engineering is a manufacturer of silicon carbide semiconductor devices for the medical and industrial fields. Using this SiC device, Fukushima SiC Applied Engineering Research Institute has the technology to design and manufacture circuits that handle high voltages and currents ranging from 10 KV to several hundred kV and 10 A to 1000 A. The company commercializes a circuit that uses a series resonance circuit to achieve high output and stability.

Trishula is a privately held company dedicated to the development of TTX-030, a first-in-class, anti-CD39 antibody, in collaboration with AbbVie. TTX-030 inhibits the activity of CD39, an enzyme that converts ATP to AMP, the initial step in the generation of adenosine in the tumor microenvironment. TTX-030 prevents the formation of immune-suppressive extracellular adenosine and maintains high levels of immune-activating extracellular ATP, stimulating dendritic and myeloid-derived cells necessary for both innate and adaptive immunity. Currently, TTX-030 is being studied in phase 1/1b clinical trials as a monotherapy and in combination with an anti-PD-1 agent and standard chemotherapy in adults with advanced cancer (NCT03884556 and NCT04306900).

TScan is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of T-cell receptor (TCR) engineered T cell therapies (TCR-T) for the treatment of patients with cancer. The company’s lead liquid tumor TCR-T therapy candidates, TSC-100 and TSC-101, are in development for the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies to eliminate residual leukemia and prevent relapse after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The company is also developing multiplexed TCR-T therapy candidates for the treatment of various solid tumors.

Heartseed has set a mission to “open the door to heart disease treatment with regenerative medicine” and is working toward the day-to-day clinical application of myocardial regenerative medicine.

CODA Biotherapeutics develops a chemogenetic platform designed to modulate neuronal activity. With chemogenetics, target neuronal populations are modified using gene therapy to express a tunable ligand-gated ion channel. These ligand-gated ion channels are engineered to be highly responsive to a specific proprietary small molecule but are otherwise inactive. The interaction of the small molecule and engineered receptor allows for exquisite, dose-dependent control of the neurons to generate the therapeutic effect.

Cleave Therapeutics develops oncology pharmaceuticals designed to target neurodengeneration and pathways used by cancer cells to grow. The company is engaged in the discovery of novel, small-molecule drugs that affect protein-degradation pathways, upon which cancer cells depend for survival, enabling patients to get cured from cancer.

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 develops a chemogenetic platform designed to modulate neuronal activity. With chemogenetics, target neuronal populations are modified using gene therapy to express a tunable ligand-gated ion channel. These ligand-gated ion channels are engineered to be highly responsive to a specific proprietary small molecule but are otherwise inactive. The interaction of the small molecule and engineered receptor allows for exquisite, dose-dependent control of the neurons to generate the therapeutic effect.

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 has set a mission to “open the door to heart disease treatment with regenerative medicine” and is working toward the day-to-day clinical application of myocardial regenerative medicine.

eFFECTOR is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering the development of a new class of oncology drugs referred to as selective translation regulator inhibitors (STRIs). eFFECTOR’s STRI product candidates target the eIF4F complex and its activating kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (MNK 1/2). The eIF4F complex is a central node where two of the most frequently mutated signaling pathways in cancer, the PI3K-AKT and RAS-MEK pathways, converge to activate the translation of select messenger RNA into proteins that are frequent culprits in key disease driving processes. Each of eFFECTOR’s product candidates is designed to act on a single protein that drives the expression of multiple functionally related proteins, including oncoproteins and immunosuppressive proteins in T cells, that together control tumor growth, survival and immune evasion. eFFECTOR’s lead product candidate, tomivosertib, is a MNK 1/2 inhibitor. KICKSTART, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2b trial of tomivorsertib in NSCLC in combination with pembrolizumab is currently open for enrollment. Zotatifin, eFFECTOR’s inhibitor of eIF4A, is currently in the dose-escalation portion of a Phase 1/2 trial, with Phase 2a expansion cohorts expected to initiate in the second half of 2021. eFFECTOR has a global collaboration with Pfizer to develop inhibitors of a third target, eIF4E.

Oncorus, Inc. is a lean early-stage biotechnology company developing a next-generation immunotherapy platform to treat cancer. Oncorus was founded MPM Managing Director Mitch Finer, a well-known biotechnology entrepreneur. Oncorus is a leader in corporate philanthropy, and has taken a pledge to donate a portion of product sales to fund promising cancer research and to support cancer care in the developing world.

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 develops oncology pharmaceuticals designed to target neurodengeneration and pathways used by cancer cells to grow. The company is engaged in the discovery of novel, small-molecule drugs that affect protein-degradation pathways, upon which cancer cells depend for survival, enabling patients to get cured from cancer.

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.

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 is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering the development of a new class of oncology drugs referred to as selective translation regulator inhibitors (STRIs). eFFECTOR’s STRI product candidates target the eIF4F complex and its activating kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (MNK 1/2). The eIF4F complex is a central node where two of the most frequently mutated signaling pathways in cancer, the PI3K-AKT and RAS-MEK pathways, converge to activate the translation of select messenger RNA into proteins that are frequent culprits in key disease driving processes. Each of eFFECTOR’s product candidates is designed to act on a single protein that drives the expression of multiple functionally related proteins, including oncoproteins and immunosuppressive proteins in T cells, that together control tumor growth, survival and immune evasion. eFFECTOR’s lead product candidate, tomivosertib, is a MNK 1/2 inhibitor. KICKSTART, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2b trial of tomivorsertib in NSCLC in combination with pembrolizumab is currently open for enrollment. Zotatifin, eFFECTOR’s inhibitor of eIF4A, is currently in the dose-escalation portion of a Phase 1/2 trial, with Phase 2a expansion cohorts expected to initiate in the second half of 2021. eFFECTOR has a global collaboration with Pfizer to develop inhibitors of a third target, eIF4E.

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 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 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 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 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 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 is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering the development of a new class of oncology drugs referred to as selective translation regulator inhibitors (STRIs). eFFECTOR’s STRI product candidates target the eIF4F complex and its activating kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (MNK 1/2). The eIF4F complex is a central node where two of the most frequently mutated signaling pathways in cancer, the PI3K-AKT and RAS-MEK pathways, converge to activate the translation of select messenger RNA into proteins that are frequent culprits in key disease driving processes. Each of eFFECTOR’s product candidates is designed to act on a single protein that drives the expression of multiple functionally related proteins, including oncoproteins and immunosuppressive proteins in T cells, that together control tumor growth, survival and immune evasion. eFFECTOR’s lead product candidate, tomivosertib, is a MNK 1/2 inhibitor. KICKSTART, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2b trial of tomivorsertib in NSCLC in combination with pembrolizumab is currently open for enrollment. Zotatifin, eFFECTOR’s inhibitor of eIF4A, is currently in the dose-escalation portion of a Phase 1/2 trial, with Phase 2a expansion cohorts expected to initiate in the second half of 2021. eFFECTOR has a global collaboration with Pfizer to develop inhibitors of a third target, eIF4E.

DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, manufactures drugs for inflammation and autoimmunity. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

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 is advancing its own patented compounds and technologies which will lead to the development of novel agents to treat serious fungal disease. The Company was founded on its proprietary genomics technology (MycoBank®) that identifies essential gene targets in fungi. Having received initial funding in 2002 the company then rapidly diversified into chemistry-driven discovery. They have also assembled an experienced development capacity.

PhaseBio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing new and improved drugs, with an initial focus on endocrine and metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease. The company uses its proprietary recombinant biopolymers called elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) to improve the stability, bioavailability, activity, and ease of administration of proteins and peptides, with the goal of achieving greater potency, fewer side effects, and better patient compliance. Efficient production in E. coli ensures a low cost of goods. PhaseBio’s lead drug candidate, PB1023, is currently being evaluated in a phase 2b clinical trial for the treatment of hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes, with potential for future use in the treatment of obesity. Our second drug candidate, Vasomera, is currently being evaluated in phase 1 clinical trial and has exciting potential for use in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and heart failure. Its third program, Insumera, basal insulin based on native human insulin, will enter clinical trials in early 2013. PhaseBio is based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.

Cleave Therapeutics develops oncology pharmaceuticals designed to target neurodengeneration and pathways used by cancer cells to grow. The company is engaged in the discovery of novel, small-molecule drugs that affect protein-degradation pathways, upon which cancer cells depend for survival, enabling patients to get cured from cancer.

Verastem Oncology is a late-stage development biopharmaceutical company committed to the development and commercialization of new medicines to improve the lives of patients diagnosed with RAS/MAPK pathway-driven cancers. Our pipeline is focused on novel small molecule drugs that inhibit critical signaling pathways in cancer that promote cancer cell survival and tumor growth, including RAF/MEK inhibition, FAK inhibition, and KRAS G12D inhibition.

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.

Many patients with common eye diseases suffer debilitating vision loss, despite currently available treatments. At PanOptica, we understand the critical role vision plays in a patient’s quality of life. And we know the frustration eye care professionals face when they are unable to treat their patients successfully. Today, significant progress is being made in the field of ophthalmology, with small laboratories and large pharmaceutical companies alike exploring newer, more effective treatments for sight-threatening diseases. PanOptica seeks to license and develop these innovative therapeutics, which may include improvements to existing therapies or entirely new treatments for previously untreatable disorders. Our lead development compound, PAN-90806 , is a novel, small-molecule selective VEGF receptor antagonist that shows promise as a topical treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

DecImmune Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, manufactures drugs for inflammation and autoimmunity. The company was incorporated in 2001 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

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 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 is a biotech company that develops and commercializes ready-to-formulate and nature-based ingredients. Evolva was founded in 2004 around a distinctive, proprietary, technology platform that uses synthetic biology to create innovative small-molecule drugs and other compounds. In particular, their platform allows the creation of chemistries that recapitulate the themes found in natural products, but without the disadvantages of those approaches. The company is headquartered in Reinach, Switzerland.

Epizyme is a biopharmaceutical company located in Cambridge, MA, that is focused on researching treatments for blood cancer and tumors. Founded in late 2007, the company has brought together premier academic and industry leaders to rapidly translate the exciting discoveries emerging from epigenetic research into specific programs that will produce important, novel, molecularly targeted drugs of the future.

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.

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 is advancing its own patented compounds and technologies which will lead to the development of novel agents to treat serious fungal disease. The Company was founded on its proprietary genomics technology (MycoBank®) that identifies essential gene targets in fungi. Having received initial funding in 2002 the company then rapidly diversified into chemistry-driven discovery. They have also assembled an experienced development capacity.

Inimex Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical stage company focused on the development and commercialization of Innate Defense Regulators (IDRs), novel first in class drugs that selectively trigger the body's innate defenses without causing inflammation.

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 is advancing its own patented compounds and technologies which will lead to the development of novel agents to treat serious fungal disease. The Company was founded on its proprietary genomics technology (MycoBank®) that identifies essential gene targets in fungi. Having received initial funding in 2002 the company then rapidly diversified into chemistry-driven discovery. They have also assembled an experienced development capacity.

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.