Pivotal bioVenture Partners

Plexium, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2017. The company specializes in drug development, focusing on the identification of small molecules that modulate E3 ligases for therapeutic applications in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Plexium employs a DNA-encoded library platform to conduct high-throughput screening, utilizing cell-based assays to discover molecular glues that can alter E3 ligase substrate recognition, thereby inducing, inhibiting, or modulating protein degradation. This innovative approach allows Plexium to selectively target various cancers, including small cell lung and breast tumors, while also exploring mechanisms to enhance immune responses through E3 ligase modulation.

Arkuda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company leveraging new insights into progranulin and lysosomal biology to develop medicines to change the trajectory of neurodegenerative disease. Arkuda’s lead compounds aim to correct progranulin deficiency and lysosomal dysfunction in GRN-related frontotemporal dementia (FTD-GRN), a genetically-defined subtype of frontotemporal dementia caused by an autosomal dominant mutation in the GRN gene.

SanReno Therapeutics develop, manufacture and commercialize kidney disease therapies in the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and Singapore (the “Territory”). SanReno Therapeutics formed with JV of Chinook Therapeutics and Frazier Healthcare Partners and Pivotal bioVenture Partners China.

HotSpot Therapeutics is a developer of a therapy platform designed to discover medicines and provide proper treatment. The company's platform helps to identify hotspots and locate pathway treatments for cancer, metabolic and rare diseases, leverages a database of hotspot structures, harnessing the power of data science in its multidisciplinary approach to drug discovery enabling patients to get treatment against several diseases.

Obsidian Therapeutics develops innovative cell and gene therapies aimed at enhancing adoptive immunotherapy for cancer patients. Founded in 2015 and based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the company focuses on creating next-generation therapies that utilize pharmacologic operating systems to provide precise control over protein activity within cells. This technology allows for the development of adoptive cell therapies with advanced functionalities that can be managed by physicians using simple, safe, and orally active medications. By offering improved control over treatment, Obsidian Therapeutics aims to provide better outcomes for patients compared to existing cell therapy options.

Evommune, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Los Altos, California, focused on developing and manufacturing tissue-based medicines for inflammatory diseases. Established in 2020, the company aims to improve the quality of life for patients by addressing the underlying causes of these conditions. Evommune employs a proprietary tissue-based platform designed to accelerate the discovery of novel therapies while predicting their clinical success. This innovative approach enhances the capabilities of health professionals in the fields of immunology and dermatology, allowing for the development of treatments that effectively target symptoms and hinder disease progression.

Vigil will use the Series A funds to progress its lead pipeline candidate, a monoclonal antibody TREM2 agonist, through Phase 1 studies, advance their small molecule TREM2 agonist to IND, as well as pursue additional assets to grow the pipeline and increase the body of data supporting microglia biology as an important therapeutic pathway.

Oculis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative topical treatments for ophthalmic diseases affecting both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, Oculis utilizes a unique drug delivery platform that enhances drug absorption through a novel technique, enabling effective treatment of conditions such as diabetic macular edema, uveitis, chronic dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy with simple eye drops. This approach allows for non-invasive treatment of diseases at the back of the eye, traditionally requiring more complex methods, while also reducing the frequency of applications needed for anterior eye conditions. Oculis is committed to improving patient outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with vision-related health issues.

Exscientia is applying AI and big data processing to accelerate drug discovery and development. At the forefront of small molecule drug discovery. They are the first company to automate drug design, surpassing conventional human endeavor. Their AI-driven systems actively learn best practice from vast repositories of discovery data and are further enhanced with knowledge acquired from seasoned drug hunters. With better information to hand than any researcher could acquire individually, their knowledge-driven systems design millions of novel, project-specific compounds and pre-assess each for predicted potency, selectivity, ADME and other key criteria. From this, a selection of the best, information-rich compounds are selected for synthesis and assay. With new experimental data generated, the results are integrated and the next design cycle initiated. Rapid design-make-test cycles ensure unparalleled progress towards desired project goals. Exscientia has already delivered exceptional productivity, generating candidates in roughly one-quarter of the time of traditional approaches.

Plexium, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, established in 2017. The company specializes in drug development, focusing on the identification of small molecules that modulate E3 ligases for therapeutic applications in cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Plexium employs a DNA-encoded library platform to conduct high-throughput screening, utilizing cell-based assays to discover molecular glues that can alter E3 ligase substrate recognition, thereby inducing, inhibiting, or modulating protein degradation. This innovative approach allows Plexium to selectively target various cancers, including small cell lung and breast tumors, while also exploring mechanisms to enhance immune responses through E3 ligase modulation.

Evommune, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Los Altos, California, focused on developing and manufacturing tissue-based medicines for inflammatory diseases. Established in 2020, the company aims to improve the quality of life for patients by addressing the underlying causes of these conditions. Evommune employs a proprietary tissue-based platform designed to accelerate the discovery of novel therapies while predicting their clinical success. This innovative approach enhances the capabilities of health professionals in the fields of immunology and dermatology, allowing for the development of treatments that effectively target symptoms and hinder disease progression.

Bolt Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative cancer treatments through its Boltbody platform, which centers on immune-stimulating antibody conjugates (ISAC). This platform combines tumor-targeting antibodies with potent immune stimulants, such as TLR agonists, to transform cold tumors into immunologically active ones and facilitate tumor elimination. One of the company's key developments is BDC-1001, designed as a monotherapy for patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, Bolt Biotherapeutics aims to advance cancer immunotherapy and improve patient outcomes. The company was previously known as Bolt Therapeutics before rebranding in July 2015.

Avalyn Pharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other severe respiratory diseases. The company is advancing inhaled formulations of pirfenidone, specifically AP01, which aims to enhance drug delivery to the lungs while potentially reducing side effects associated with oral treatments. This innovative approach seeks to improve the care and outcomes for patients suffering from these conditions. Established in 2011, Avalyn Pharma operates from its headquarters in Seattle, Washington, and maintains an additional office in San Diego, California. The company was previously known as Genoa Pharmaceuticals, Inc. before rebranding in July 2017.

Rallybio, LLC is a biopharmaceutical company based in New Haven, Connecticut, that focuses on developing innovative therapies for patients with severe and rare disorders. Founded in 2018, the company is dedicated to addressing life-threatening conditions, particularly through its lead product candidate, RLYB211, which aims to prevent fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT). This rare disease can lead to uncontrolled bleeding in fetuses and newborns. Rallybio's research emphasizes the development of antibody, small molecule, and engineered protein therapies, primarily in the late discovery to early clinical stages. Through its efforts, Rallybio seeks to transform the lives of patients suffering from devastating diseases.

Vaxcyte, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotechnology vaccine company, develops vaccines to prevent or treat infectious diseases worldwide. Its lead vaccine candidate is VAX-24, a 24-valent investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The company also develops VAX-XP to protect against emerging strains causing significant invasive pneumococcal disease and antibiotic resistance; VAX-A1, a conjugate vaccine candidate for protection against subtypes of Group A Strep; and VAX-PG, a novel protein vaccine candidate targeting porphyromonas gingivalis. The company was formerly known as SutroVax, Inc. and changed its name to Vaxcyte, Inc. in May 2020. Vaxcyte, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.

Akouos, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in developing gene therapies aimed at restoring and preserving hearing for individuals with hearing loss. The company utilizes a proprietary platform that includes a library of adeno-associated viral vectors and innovative delivery methods. Its lead product candidate, AK-OTOF, targets hearing loss caused by mutations in the OTOF gene. Akouos is committed to addressing various forms of sensorineural hearing loss, which can result from genetic mutations, ototoxic drug exposure, and aging. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Akouos has formed strategic partnerships with organizations such as Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Lonza, Inc. to enhance its research and development efforts.

Aligos Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2018 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California. The company specializes in developing innovative therapeutics to address unmet medical needs in viral and liver diseases, particularly targeting chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Its lead drug candidate, ALG-010133, is a synthetic oligonucleotide currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials for CHB. Aligos is also advancing several other candidates, including ALG-000184, a capsid assembly modulator for CHB; ALG-020572, an oligonucleotide for CHB; ALG-125097, an siRNA drug candidate for CHB; and ALG-055009, a small molecule THR-ß agonist for NASH. The company's strategy leverages the extensive expertise of its team in liver disease and viral hepatitis to develop targeted antiviral therapies and expedite its drug development pipeline.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing treatments for immune-mediated dermatological diseases. The company's lead product candidate, ARQ-151, is a topical cream formulation of roflumilast currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of plaque psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. In addition, Arcutis is advancing ARQ-154, a topical foam formulation of ARQ-151 aimed at treating seborrheic dermatitis and scalp psoriasis, as well as ARQ-252, a selective topical small molecule inhibitor of janus kinase type 1 for hand eczema and other inflammatory skin conditions. Another candidate, ARQ-255, is being developed to penetrate deeper into the skin to address inflammation in alopecia areata. Founded in 2016 and located in Westlake Village, California, Arcutis Biotherapeutics was formerly known as Arcutis, Inc. before its name change in October 2019.

Inozyme Pharma, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies for rare diseases related to abnormal mineralization affecting the vasculature, soft tissue, and skeletal systems. The company's lead product candidate, INZ-701, is a recombinant protein designed to treat rare genetic conditions caused by ENPP1 and ABCC6 deficiencies, as well as calciphylaxis. Inozyme's therapies aim to address the underlying causes of these debilitating diseases, providing potentially disease-modifying treatments for conditions such as Generalized Arterial Calcification of Infancy and Autosomal Recessive Hypophosphatemic Rickets Type 2. The company has a licensing agreement with Yale University for certain therapeutic applications and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Established in 2015, Inozyme is dedicated to improving the quality of life for patients affected by severe metabolic disorders associated with mineral imbalances.

Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage oncology company, focuses on developing radiopharmaceuticals as precision medicines. The company has developed Targeted Alpha Therapies platform together with its proprietary Fast-Clear linker technology to enable us to connect alpha particle emitting isotopes to antibodies and other targeting molecules in order to selectively deliver the alpha particle payloads to tumors. Its lead product candidate is FPI-1434 that is in Phase 1 clinical trials as a monotherapy in patients with solid tumors expressing insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor. The company is also conducting additional preclinical studies of FPI-1434 in combination with approved checkpoint inhibitors and DNA damage response inhibitors to further assess the anti-tumor activity, and dosing schedule and pharmacodynamics of the combinations. In addition, it is progressing its earlier-stage product candidate, FPI-1966 into clinical development for the treatment of head and neck, and bladder cancers expressing fibroblast growth factor receptor. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Canada.

Karuna Pharmaceuticals, Inc. engages in development of drugs for the treatment of schizophrenia. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Bolt Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative cancer treatments through its Boltbody platform, which centers on immune-stimulating antibody conjugates (ISAC). This platform combines tumor-targeting antibodies with potent immune stimulants, such as TLR agonists, to transform cold tumors into immunologically active ones and facilitate tumor elimination. One of the company's key developments is BDC-1001, designed as a monotherapy for patients with HER2-expressing solid tumors. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Redwood City, California, Bolt Biotherapeutics aims to advance cancer immunotherapy and improve patient outcomes. The company was previously known as Bolt Therapeutics before rebranding in July 2015.

Stealth BioTherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing therapies for diseases associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, which includes both rare genetic disorders and common age-related conditions. The company's lead product candidate, Elamipretide, aims to address these health issues, while additional candidates like SBT-20 and SBT-272 are being explored for their potential benefits in stabilizing mitochondrial function and treating neurodegenerative diseases, respectively. Founded in 2006 and based in George Town, Cayman Islands, Stealth BioTherapeutics collaborates with patients and advocacy groups to deepen its understanding of the challenges faced by those with mitochondrial diseases and to raise awareness of their therapeutic programs.

Oculis is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing innovative topical treatments for ophthalmic diseases affecting both the anterior and posterior segments of the eye. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, Oculis utilizes a unique drug delivery platform that enhances drug absorption through a novel technique, enabling effective treatment of conditions such as diabetic macular edema, uveitis, chronic dry eye syndrome, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy with simple eye drops. This approach allows for non-invasive treatment of diseases at the back of the eye, traditionally requiring more complex methods, while also reducing the frequency of applications needed for anterior eye conditions. Oculis is committed to improving patient outcomes and enhancing the quality of life for individuals with vision-related health issues.

Entasis Therapeutics is developing a portfolio of innovative cures for serious drug-resistant bacterial infections, a global health crisis affecting the lives of millions of patients. Entasis’ anti-infective discovery platform has produced a pipeline of meaningfully differentiated programs which target serious bacterial infections, including ETX2514SUL (targeting Acinetobacter baumannii infections), ETX0282CPDP (targeting Enterobacteriaceae infections), and zoliflodacin (targeting Neisseria gonorrhoeae).

Iterum Therapeutics plc is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company based in Dublin, Ireland, focused on developing innovative anti-infectives to address the global challenge of multi-drug resistant pathogens. Founded in 2015, the company is advancing sulopenem, a novel penem anti-infective compound available in both oral and intravenous formulations. Currently in Phase III clinical trials, sulopenem aims to treat uncomplicated and complicated urinary tract infections, as well as complicated intra-abdominal infections. The company's goal is to provide effective solutions for serious infections caused by resistant bacteria, thereby improving patient outcomes and addressing the limitations of existing antibiotic treatments.

Vaxcyte, Inc., a preclinical-stage biotechnology vaccine company, develops vaccines to prevent or treat infectious diseases worldwide. Its lead vaccine candidate is VAX-24, a 24-valent investigational pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. The company also develops VAX-XP to protect against emerging strains causing significant invasive pneumococcal disease and antibiotic resistance; VAX-A1, a conjugate vaccine candidate for protection against subtypes of Group A Strep; and VAX-PG, a novel protein vaccine candidate targeting porphyromonas gingivalis. The company was formerly known as SutroVax, Inc. and changed its name to Vaxcyte, Inc. in May 2020. Vaxcyte, Inc. was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Foster City, California.