Medicxi

Versanis Bio is advancing bimagrumab, a human monoclonal antibody to the activin type II receptors that blocks the binding of ligands including activin A and myostatin. Bimagrumab has been studied by Novartis in more than a dozen controlled clinical trials that enrolled more than 1,500 people. Across key studies bimagrumab treatment consistently and potently induced significant loss of fat mass without loss of lean mass, and additionally improved HbA1c and other cardiometabolic parameters.

Rivus Pharmaceuticals operates as a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving cardio-metabolic health. Rivus Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to improving cardio-metabolic health by developing controlled metabolic accelerators (CMAs) that address the underlying metabolic risk factors for cardiovascular mortality and morbidity.

Breakpoint Therapeutics is a company that discover and develop new anti-cancer drugs. By targeting the DNA damage response (“DDR”) in cancer cells, Breakpoint Therapeutics aims to advance to clinical development first-in-class oncology drugs that interfere with DNA repair and replication stress tolerance pathways. Their mission is to develop drugs that succeed and complement PARP inhibitors and facilitate the cure of therapy resistant cancers.

The SuperX team is engaged in the discovery of antibodies against an undisclosed target in the blood coagulation cascade. SuperX hopes to reach the clinic in 2019.A preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company, based at Babraham Research Campus, developing novel anticoagulant drugs

MiroBio Ltd develops and manufactures antibody modulators of immune cell receptors for auto-immune diseases. The company is developing antibodies and variants to stimulate specific immune cell signals to harness the natural control mechanisms of the immune system. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is headquartered in Oxford, United Kingdom.

Xenikos aims to develop a new medicine, based on the action of antibodies that enables patients suffering serious immune diseases, or rejection after transplantation, to reset their immune system quickly and efficiently. Xenikos strives to develop new, innovative immunotherapy medicines to help restore patients’ health and save lives.

Orexia Limited develops novel therapies based on positive modulators of the G protein-coupled receptors Orexin OX1 and OX2 for neurological diseases. It develops oral orexin positive modulators for the treatment of narcolepsy. Orexia Limited was incorporated in 2018 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Sydnexis is engaged in the development of a proprietary treatment for pediatric progressive myopia, a major global unmet medical need. Sydnexis manufactures pharmaceutical product for ophthalmic disorder or condition.

Sydnexis is engaged in the development of a proprietary treatment for pediatric progressive myopia, a major global unmet medical need. Sydnexis manufactures pharmaceutical product for ophthalmic disorder or condition.

Synthorx, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of cytokine Synthorin programs for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disorders in the United States. The company's lead product candidate is THOR-707, a variant of recombinant human IL-2 that is in the development in various solid tumor types as a single agent and in combination with an immune checkpoint inhibitor. It also develops IL-2 Synthorin for autoimmune indications; IL-10 Synthorin, a naturally occurring immune cell growth factor in humans for the treatment of immuno-oncology (IO); and IL-15 Synthorins, an immunoregulatory cytokine to treat IO. In addition, the company develops other Synthorin programs targeting undisclosed cytokines that play critical roles in the orchestration of anti-tumor responses by innate and adaptive immune cells. The company was formerly known as Alinos, Inc. and changed its name to Synthorx, Inc. in March 2014. Synthorx, Inc. was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in La Jolla, California. As of January 23, 2020, Synthorx, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Sanofi.

Xenikos aims to develop a new medicine, based on the action of antibodies that enables patients suffering serious immune diseases, or rejection after transplantation, to reset their immune system quickly and efficiently. Xenikos strives to develop new, innovative immunotherapy medicines to help restore patients’ health and save lives.

Kurome Therapeutics, Inc. develops a series of inhibitors for treating cancer. Its therapy target cancer cells that have co-opted immune signaling pathways in order to avoid destruction by traditional therapeutic agents and subvert adaptive resistance mechanisms. The company helps in treating hematological cancers. Kurome Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Janpix Ltd. develops and manufactures biopharmaceutical for cancer treatment. It is discovering and developing inhibitors of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins to target different body compartments affected with cancer. The company develops STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6 and STAT3/5 inhibitors. Janpix Ltd. was founded in 2017 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts with research facility in Mississauga, Canada.

Aura Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops a class of therapies to target and destroy cancer cells using viral nano-particle conjugates. The company develops AU-011 that includes viral nanoparticles, modeled on the human papillomavirus (HPV), conjugated to infrared-activated small molecules. The company’s AU-011 is used for the treatment of ocular (uveal) melanoma, which is a primary cancer of the eye. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing treatments for gastrointestinal diseases. The company has the rights in the United States, Europe, and Canada to vonoprazan, a potassium-competitive acid blocker (P-CAB) that blocks acid secretion in the stomach. It is also developing vonoprazan, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of erosive gastroesophageal reflux disease; and in combination with antibiotics for the treatment of Helicobacter pylori infection. The company was incorporated in 2018 and is based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois.

Janpix Ltd. develops and manufactures biopharmaceutical for cancer treatment. It is discovering and developing inhibitors of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins to target different body compartments affected with cancer. The company develops STAT1, STAT2, STAT3, STAT4, STAT5A, STAT5B, STAT6 and STAT3/5 inhibitors. Janpix Ltd. was founded in 2017 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts with research facility in Mississauga, Canada.

Critical Pressure is a provider of drugs designed to treat to treat vascular dysfunction and shock. The company's technology has the potential to change clinical practice without the potentially harmful effects of excess fluid administration and toxicities associated with the currently available catecholamine-based vasoactive agents, providing the possibility of supportive therapy during the critical period of haemodynamic compromise.

Inexia aims to develop intranasally administered orexin positive modulators for the treatment of neurological diseases.The orexin system is a key regulator of behavioural arousal, wakefulness and sleep. The loss of the orexin neurons has been shown to be strongly linked to multiple neurological conditions including narcolepsy. In this indication, orexin receptors remain intact and functional, providing an opportunity for therapeutic intervention.

Yukin Therapeutics is a French biotechnology company. The company focuses on the development of new therapeutic molecules, entitled kinase inhibitors, specifically targeting a protein involved in the development of several types of cancer: the NIK protein (NF-κB inducing kinase). Yukin Therapeutics led studies that demonstrated proof of concept in animal models and is now actively seeking to identify a first drug candidate to launch a clinical trial in oncology.

Mavalon Therapeutics is a company focused on stopping the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The biotechnology company is developing mGluR3 allosteric modulators for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Kymo Therapeutics’s ambition is to move forward Metabrain Research’s proprietary program on kynurenine metabolism (KMO) inhibitors towards clinical proof of concept, before seeking partners to complete development and ensure commercialization.

Z Factor Limited is a drug discovery company founded in 2015 to identify and develop therapeutic agents to treat alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. The company was created by Index Ventures in partnership with the University of Cambridge.

Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. It engages in the field of CpG oligonucleotides and validates an approach that combines the ability of CpG DNA to activate an anti-tumor T-cell response with checkpoint inhibition to overcome a tumor’s ability to mute the immune response. The company has strategic alliances with Merck KGaA and Pfizer. Checkmate Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was incorporated in 2015 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Palladio Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, that develops transformative medicines for orphan diseases of the kidney. Its pipeline includes Lixivaptan, a selective vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease, a life-threatening genetic disease. Palladio Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 2015 and is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Aura Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, develops a class of therapies to target and destroy cancer cells using viral nano-particle conjugates. The company develops AU-011 that includes viral nanoparticles, modeled on the human papillomavirus (HPV), conjugated to infrared-activated small molecules. The company’s AU-011 is used for the treatment of ocular (uveal) melanoma, which is a primary cancer of the eye. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Gadeta is a research and development company that develops immunotherapies for cancer. It has developed a technology platform based on combinatorial T Cell receptor exchange (CTE) to create optimized gamma delta (γδ) T-cell receptors (TCRs) with enhanced anti-cancer reactivity. Gadeta’s new cell-based anti-cancer product called T Cells Engineered To Express A Defined Gamma Delta TCR (TEGs) has strong therapeutic potential for combating and eradicating both hematological and solid tumors. This approach utilizes high-affinity γδ TCRs expressed on αβ T cells with superior proliferation capacity.

Divide & Conquer is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, UK and working in collaboration with the University of Heidelberg and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The company is focused on developing new therapeutics against glioblastoma (grade IV astrocytoma), a particularly lethal form of brain cancer, and other solid tumours with very poor life expectancy. Divide & Conquer is funded by VC firm Medicxi.

Morphogen-IX Limited operates as a biotechnology company developing treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The company was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Vaxcyte, formerly known as SutroVax, is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The Company’s cell-free protein synthesis platform, comprising the XpressCFTM platform, exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc., together with Vaxcyte’s proprietary know-how, enables the design and production of protein carriers and antigens, the critical building blocks of vaccines, in ways that the Company believes conventional vaccine technologies currently cannot. In addition to its pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in development, VAX-24 and VAX-XP, Vaxcyte is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance other novel vaccines, including a prophylactic vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infections (VAX-A1) and a therapeutic vaccine to treat periodontal disease (VAX-PG).

Vaxcyte, formerly known as SutroVax, is a next-generation vaccine company seeking to improve global health by developing superior and novel vaccines designed to prevent or treat some of the most common and deadly infectious diseases worldwide. The Company’s cell-free protein synthesis platform, comprising the XpressCFTM platform, exclusively licensed from Sutro Biopharma, Inc., together with Vaxcyte’s proprietary know-how, enables the design and production of protein carriers and antigens, the critical building blocks of vaccines, in ways that the Company believes conventional vaccine technologies currently cannot. In addition to its pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in development, VAX-24 and VAX-XP, Vaxcyte is leveraging its proprietary platform to advance other novel vaccines, including a prophylactic vaccine to prevent Group A Strep infections (VAX-A1) and a therapeutic vaccine to treat periodontal disease (VAX-PG).

ApcinteX develops and markets anticoagulant APC pathway to treat haemophilia. Apcintex has developed a new treatment that seeks to turn down the activity of a key natural anticoagulant pathway to produce normal blood clotting in patients with haemophilia. This means that the drug could potentially treat patients with all types of haemophilia, including those who develop antibodies to replacement factors. Furthermore, the drug does not cause anti-clotting antibodies to form and could be administered fortnightly by simple injection under the skin.

Palladio Biosciences, Inc., a biotechnology company, that develops transformative medicines for orphan diseases of the kidney. Its pipeline includes Lixivaptan, a selective vasopressin V2 receptor antagonist for the treatment of polycystic kidney disease, a life-threatening genetic disease. Palladio Biosciences, Inc. was founded in 2015 and is based in Horsham, Pennsylvania.

Alderaan Biotechnology is a Biotechnology company develops antibodies targeting new and original targets in immuno-oncology, expressed by NK cells in particular.

Stealthyx Therapeutics Ltd. is developing a unique, safe, patented drug-targeting platform technology capable of drug delivery only at sites of disease. It will significantly improve the pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic and therapeutic properties of biological agents.

Capella Bioscience Limited engages in the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). It focuses on the employment of proprietary technologies to discover, develop, and commercialize medicines based on mAbs therapeutics for oncology, autoimmune, and other diseases independently, as well in collaboration with biotechnology and academic partners. The company was founded in 2014 and is based in London, United Kingdom.

Diasome Pharmaceuticals is a clinical stage diabetes therapeutics company that designs and develops insulin-based therapies. The company’s products include Oral HVD-I, a targeted oral insulin in a pill or gel cap dose form; HDV-I, an injectable short acting insulin; and HDV-B, an injectable basal long acting insulin. It develops products for patients suffering from Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Diasome Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2004 and is based in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania.

Impact Biomedicines, Inc. engages in the research, development, and commercialization of treatments for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms and other cancers. Its product under late-stage development pipeline is fedratinib, a potent and highly selective oral small molecule JAK2 kinase inhibitor for the treatment of myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera. The company was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. As of February 28, 2018, Impact Biomedicines, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company