AlloVir focuses on the development of cell therapies and focuses on restoring natural immunity against the virus-associated diseases. It provides an ideal environment for ViraCyte to develop and advance its product pipeline from discovery through late-stage clinical trials.
Gossamer Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego that focuses on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic products for unmet medical needs. Founded by former executives from Receptos, the company aims to leverage a strong in-licensing strategy and a team with extensive experience in immunology, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncology. Gossamer Bio's pipeline includes several promising candidates: Seralutinib, which targets pulmonary arterial hypertension; GB004, aimed at treating inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; GB1275, designed for various oncology indications; and GB001, intended for moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma. Through these efforts, Gossamer Bio seeks to improve patient outcomes in critical therapeutic areas.
Scholar Rock is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. The company's newly elucidated understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. They believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. The company is advancing its lead product candidate, SRK-015, a selective first-in-class inhibitor of the activation of the growth factor myostatin in skeletal muscle, into clinical development for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. They expect to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the second quarter of 2018. Utilizing its proprietary platform, they are also creating a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis, and anemia.
Senti Biosciences is a biotechnology company focused on synthetic biology and gene circuit engineering for therapeutic applications. Senti Bio utilizes a synthetic biology platform named Gene Circuits to develop therapies that offer improved precision and control. These circuits are engineered to selectively eliminate cancer cells while sparing healthy ones, enhancing specificity for target cells, and regulating drug expression post-administration.
Onxeo is a biotechnology company that develops drugs for oncology. It offers Beleodaq, a histone deactylase inhibitor for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma; Livatag, a nanoparticle formulation of doxorubicin, which is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of primary liver cancer; Validive, a mucoadhesive buccal tablet that is in Phase II clinical trials for the prevention and the treatment of chemoradioation therapy-induced severe oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer; and Combo BelCHOP, which is Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma. Onxeo is headquartered in Paris, France.
LifeMine Therapeutics combines genomics with AI and synthetic biology to discover and develop a pipeline of novel medicines. LifeMine’s Avatar-Rx platform integrates high-throughput microbiology, data science and machine learning, genome engineering, and automation technologies to search the fungal biosphere for novel GEMs having a predetermined target and biological function. The platform integrates chemoinformatic-assisted drug optimization and state-of-the-art chemical synthesis with biotransformation to advance new product candidates into development. Founded by Gregory Verdine, PhD, Rick Klausner, MD, and WeiQing Zhou, MBA. LifeMine Therapeutics is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Leyden Labs is focused on developing intranasal products that aim to protect individuals from respiratory viruses, including those in the influenza and coronavirus families. The company's innovative approach targets common characteristics across various viral families, allowing for simultaneous protection against multiple viruses rather than just specific variants, as is the case with traditional vaccines. This strategy seeks to empower individuals to safeguard themselves from infections and reduce the transmission of these diseases. Leyden Labs is driven by a team of experienced biotechnology professionals who are committed to advancing solutions that alleviate the impact of respiratory viruses on public health.
Lycia Therapeutics is the operator of a biotechnology firm that aims to research and produce first-in-class therapies. The company's lysosomal targeting chimeras (LYTACs) platform is used to develop therapeutics that degrade extracellular and membrane-bound proteins that drive a variety of difficult-to-treat diseases, such as cancer and autoimmune conditions, allowing doctors to obtain drugs to cure patients.
Asher Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California, founded in 2019. The company specializes in the development of immunotherapy drugs aimed at effectively treating cancer. Its innovative therapies are designed to enhance the immune system's ability to target and eliminate cancer cells while minimizing side effects. This focus allows healthcare providers to deliver effective treatments to patients in a shorter timeframe, aiming to improve overall outcomes in cancer care.
Laronde develops an eRNA-based therapeutic platform that is capable of indicating diverse proteins inside the body. It is persistent, non-immunogenic, allows for repeat dosing, and offers flexibility in formulation and delivery. Laronde was founded in 2017 by Flagship Labs, the innovation foundry of Flagship Pioneering. The company is rapidly scaling to support the parallel development of multiple programs across many disease areas.
Cyclerion Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company harnessing the power of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) pharmacology to discover, develop, and commercialize breakthrough treatments for serious and orphan diseases. Its focus is on enabling the full therapeutic potential of next-generation sGC stimulators. Its pipeline products include Olinciguat, Praliciguat, and others.
Asher Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, California, founded in 2019. The company specializes in the development of immunotherapy drugs aimed at effectively treating cancer. Its innovative therapies are designed to enhance the immune system's ability to target and eliminate cancer cells while minimizing side effects. This focus allows healthcare providers to deliver effective treatments to patients in a shorter timeframe, aiming to improve overall outcomes in cancer care.
ElevateBio is an operator of a portfolio of cell and gene therapy companies intended to develop, manufacture, and commercialize life-transforming medicines. The company creates a portfolio through partnerships with the world's innovative scientists and inventors as well as it created a centralized facility that integrates all the elements that translate cell and gene therapy R&D into commercially viable therapies quickly and efficiently, enabling patients to get medical products to treat severe diseases. Vikas Sinha, Mitchell Finer, and David Hallal co-founded ElevateBio in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2017.
Sagimet Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing novel therapeutics to treat important diseases such as the liver disease NASH and specific cancers, with focus on targeting dysfunctional metabolic pathways. The company has unique expertise in FASN biology and has created a pipeline of proprietary FASN inhibitors.
LEXEO Therapeutics is a fully integrated biotechnology company. LEXEO Therapeutics’ pipeline consists of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated therapies primarily developed at Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Genetic Medicine. Beyond LEXEO Therapeutics’ lead programs – which are focused on both rare and non-rare monogenic (single gene mutation) diseases – the company’s preclinical pipeline spans monogenic diseases, as well as hereditary and acquired diseases across a spectrum of patient population sizes and a range of unmet medical needs. Importantly, LEXEO Therapeutics will focus on advancing clinical programs through to commercialization, with the goal of maintaining an ongoing research collaboration with Weill Cornell Medicine’s Department of Genetic Medicine to help advance the company’s pre-clinical pipeline.
Scorpion Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology company specializing in precision medicine for cancer patients. It develops targeted small-molecule drugs to interact with validated cancer targets. It aims to leverage its platform to advance a broad pipeline of wholly-owned, optimized compounds across molecules targeting validated oncogene targets, molecules for previously undruggable targets, and molecules for novel cancer targets.
Yumanity Therapeutics is transforming drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding. Founded in December 2014 by award-winning protein folding expert, Susan Lindquist, and renowned biotech industry leader, Tony Coles, Yumanity is working to identify and develop new, disease-modifying therapies that address several illnesses with critical unmet medical needs. The initial focus of the company is neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The company’s proprietary platforms have already identified one potential new target for treating Parkinson’s disease, and Yumanity is actively advancing its new chemical lead series for this condition, as well as identifying additional compounds for Alzheimer’s disease and ALS.
Locanabio, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, founded in 2016. It specializes in developing RNA-targeted gene therapies aimed at treating a range of underserved diseases, particularly in the areas of neuromuscular, neurodegenerative, and retinal conditions. The company's innovative platform focuses on modifying disease-causing RNA, allowing for the identification and correction of specific RNA sequences associated with rare genetic disorders. This approach distinguishes Locanabio's therapies from traditional DNA-targeted methods, offering a unique solution for patients with severe and challenging health issues. The company, which rebranded from Locana, Inc. in July 2020, is dedicated to advancing therapeutic candidates that address significant medical needs.
GenSight Biologics develops gene therapy-based treatments for retinal degenerative diseases. GenSight Biologics is a privately owned biopharmaceutical company, dedicated to the development and commercialization of gene therapy-based treatments of retinal degenerative diseases. Based on recent results obtained by the teams of its scientific founders, the company develops innovative approaches to prevent retinal degeneration in selected pathological conditions and to restore vision in patients suffering from very low vision or blindness.
Private Equity Round in 2020
Kronos Bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing innovative cancer therapeutics. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company focuses on targeting dysregulated transcription factors and oncogenic signaling pathways. Its lead candidate, entospletinib, is a selective inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase aimed at treating acute myeloid leukemia. Additionally, Kronos Bio is developing KB-0742, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9, intended for MYC-amplified solid tumors. By leveraging advanced technologies such as high-throughput small-molecule microarrays and targeted protein degradation, Kronos Bio aims to identify effective compounds that can modulate historically undruggable cancer targets, ultimately striving to improve patient outcomes through precision medicine.
Thrive Earlier Detection Corp. is a healthcare company that specializes in developing advanced blood testing technologies for early cancer detection. Its flagship product, CancerSEEK, is a liquid biopsy test that analyzes genomic mutations in tumor DNA and protein markers in plasma, allowing for the identification of various cancers at their nascent stages, often before symptoms manifest. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Baltimore, Maryland, Thrive aims to integrate cancer screening into standard medical practice. The company leverages real-world data and machine learning to enhance the accuracy of cancer detection, facilitate follow-up testing, and streamline the transition to oncological care. Thrive operates as a subsidiary of Exact Sciences Corporation and has received investments from notable firms including Third Rock Ventures and Section 32.
Seer is a developer of a life sciences and health data platform intended to facilitate early, pre-symptomatic detection of chronic life-threatening diseases. The company's platform captures and translates molecular insights from the proteome with improved accuracy and speed, enabling healthcare professionals to detect cancer and neurological diseases, drive earlier treatment and improve patient outcomes.
SQZ Biotech is a developer of a cell engineering technology designed to deliver a diverse set of materials into patient cells. It is a privately held company that develops cellular therapies for multiple indications using the proprietary CellSqueeze technology. Through internal research programs and external partnerships, SQZ’s unique cell engineering capabilities are being used to develop a new generation of cell therapies by engineering the immune system both through immune activation and immune suppression for a wide range of clinical challenges.
ElevateBio is an operator of a portfolio of cell and gene therapy companies intended to develop, manufacture, and commercialize life-transforming medicines. The company creates a portfolio through partnerships with the world's innovative scientists and inventors as well as it created a centralized facility that integrates all the elements that translate cell and gene therapy R&D into commercially viable therapies quickly and efficiently, enabling patients to get medical products to treat severe diseases. Vikas Sinha, Mitchell Finer, and David Hallal co-founded ElevateBio in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2017.
Element Science is a medical device and digital health company that develops solutions at the intersection of clinical-grade wearable devices, machine learning algorithms, and lifesaving therapies to address the needs of high-risk cardiovascular patients, primarily as they transition from the hospital to home. The company developing a proprietary next-generation wearable digital platform that unites patient-centric human factor engineering, sophisticated machine learning algorithm development principles, and rigorous electromechanical medical device development standards. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Seer is a developer of a life sciences and health data platform intended to facilitate early, pre-symptomatic detection of chronic life-threatening diseases. The company's platform captures and translates molecular insights from the proteome with improved accuracy and speed, enabling healthcare professionals to detect cancer and neurological diseases, drive earlier treatment and improve patient outcomes.
Kronos Bio, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering and developing innovative cancer therapeutics. Founded in 2017 and headquartered in San Mateo, California, the company focuses on targeting dysregulated transcription factors and oncogenic signaling pathways. Its lead candidate, entospletinib, is a selective inhibitor of spleen tyrosine kinase aimed at treating acute myeloid leukemia. Additionally, Kronos Bio is developing KB-0742, an orally bioavailable inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase 9, intended for MYC-amplified solid tumors. By leveraging advanced technologies such as high-throughput small-molecule microarrays and targeted protein degradation, Kronos Bio aims to identify effective compounds that can modulate historically undruggable cancer targets, ultimately striving to improve patient outcomes through precision medicine.
Seer is a developer of a life sciences and health data platform intended to facilitate early, pre-symptomatic detection of chronic life-threatening diseases. The company's platform captures and translates molecular insights from the proteome with improved accuracy and speed, enabling healthcare professionals to detect cancer and neurological diseases, drive earlier treatment and improve patient outcomes.
Thrive Earlier Detection Corp. is a healthcare company that specializes in developing advanced blood testing technologies for early cancer detection. Its flagship product, CancerSEEK, is a liquid biopsy test that analyzes genomic mutations in tumor DNA and protein markers in plasma, allowing for the identification of various cancers at their nascent stages, often before symptoms manifest. Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Baltimore, Maryland, Thrive aims to integrate cancer screening into standard medical practice. The company leverages real-world data and machine learning to enhance the accuracy of cancer detection, facilitate follow-up testing, and streamline the transition to oncological care. Thrive operates as a subsidiary of Exact Sciences Corporation and has received investments from notable firms including Third Rock Ventures and Section 32.
AlloVir focuses on the development of cell therapies and focuses on restoring natural immunity against the virus-associated diseases. It provides an ideal environment for ViraCyte to develop and advance its product pipeline from discovery through late-stage clinical trials.
Seer is a developer of a life sciences and health data platform intended to facilitate early, pre-symptomatic detection of chronic life-threatening diseases. The company's platform captures and translates molecular insights from the proteome with improved accuracy and speed, enabling healthcare professionals to detect cancer and neurological diseases, drive earlier treatment and improve patient outcomes.
KSQ Therapeutics is pioneering High-Confidence Drug Development: a fundamentally new approach to R&D where the majority of the de-risking work is done prior to the generation of therapeutic drug candidates. Powered by our proprietary CRISPRomics™ drug discovery engine, their team has elucidated the function that each human gene plays in multiple diseases, providing a unique and more comprehensive understanding of disease biology. The quality of these insights enables their scientists to rapidly identify and validate high-confidence, patient-tailored, novel drug targets and then focus their collective efforts on the development of medicines with the greatest potential to impact the lives of patients. KSQ has initiated a pipeline of preclinical discovery programs and was founded in 2015.
SQZ Biotech is a developer of a cell engineering technology designed to deliver a diverse set of materials into patient cells. It is a privately held company that develops cellular therapies for multiple indications using the proprietary CellSqueeze technology. Through internal research programs and external partnerships, SQZ’s unique cell engineering capabilities are being used to develop a new generation of cell therapies by engineering the immune system both through immune activation and immune suppression for a wide range of clinical challenges.
Gossamer Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in San Diego that focuses on the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic products for unmet medical needs. Founded by former executives from Receptos, the company aims to leverage a strong in-licensing strategy and a team with extensive experience in immunology, inflammation, fibrosis, and oncology. Gossamer Bio's pipeline includes several promising candidates: Seralutinib, which targets pulmonary arterial hypertension; GB004, aimed at treating inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease; GB1275, designed for various oncology indications; and GB001, intended for moderate-to-severe eosinophilic asthma. Through these efforts, Gossamer Bio seeks to improve patient outcomes in critical therapeutic areas.
Kaleido Biosciences is a clinical-stage healthcare company with a differentiated, chemistry-driven approach to leveraging the potential of the microbiome organ to treat disease and improve human health. The Company has built a human-centric proprietary product platform to enable the rapid and cost-efficient discovery and development of novel Microbiome Metabolic Therapies (MMT™). MMTs are designed to modulate the metabolic output and profile of the microbiome by driving the function and distribution of the organ’s existing microbes. Kaleido is advancing a broad pipeline of MMT candidates with the potential to address a variety of diseases and conditions with significant unmet patient needs.
Unity Biotechnology designs therapeutics that prevent, halt, and reverse various diseases of aging. The company focuses on clearing senescent cells; and designs senolytic medicines. Its medicines target vulnerabilities unique to senescent cells to clear those cells from the human body while leaving normal cells unaffected.
Scholar Rock is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines for the treatment of serious diseases in which signaling by protein growth factors plays a fundamental role. The company's newly elucidated understanding of the molecular mechanisms of growth factor activation enabled us to develop a proprietary platform for the discovery and development of monoclonal antibodies that locally and selectively target these signaling proteins at the cellular level. They believe this approach, acting in the disease microenvironment, avoids the historical challenges associated with inhibiting growth factors for therapeutic effect. We believe our focus on biologically validated growth factors may facilitate a more efficient development path. The company is advancing its lead product candidate, SRK-015, a selective first-in-class inhibitor of the activation of the growth factor myostatin in skeletal muscle, into clinical development for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA. They expect to initiate a Phase 1 clinical trial in the second quarter of 2018. Utilizing its proprietary platform, they are also creating a pipeline of novel product candidates with the potential to transform the lives of patients suffering from a wide range of serious diseases, including other neuromuscular disorders, cancer, fibrosis, and anemia.
Unity Biotechnology designs therapeutics that prevent, halt, and reverse various diseases of aging. The company focuses on clearing senescent cells; and designs senolytic medicines. Its medicines target vulnerabilities unique to senescent cells to clear those cells from the human body while leaving normal cells unaffected.
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of human diseases, including those in the fields of immunology, metabolism, cardiology, and ophthalmology. The company's drug candidates include LX1031, which has completed Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and other gastrointestinal disorders; LX4211, which has completed Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of type 2 diabetes; LX2931, which is in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases; and LX1032, which has completed Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of symptoms associated with carcinoid syndrome. Additionally, the company is developing a preclinical drug candidate, LX7101, for the treatment of glaucoma. Lexicon Pharmaceuticals has established drug discovery alliances with Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Genentech, Inc., N.V. Organon, and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. It also has a drug development financing collaboration with Symphony Icon, a collaboration agreement with Taconic Farms, Inc., and an alliance with Nuevolution A/S for access to Nuevolution's Chemetics platform chemistry technology.
Standard BioTools, previously known as Fluidigm, is driven by a bold vision – unleashing tools to accelerate breakthroughs in human health. Standard BioTools has an established portfolio of essential, standardized next-generation technologies that help biomedical researchers develop medicines faster and better. As a leading solutions provider, the Company provides reliable and repeatable insights in health and disease using its proprietary mass cytometry and microfluidics technologies that help transform scientific discoveries into better patient outcomes. Standard BioTools works with leading academic, government, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, plant and animal research, and clinical laboratories worldwide, focusing on the most pressing needs in translational and clinical research, including oncology, immunology, and immunotherapy.