Taiho Ventures

Taiho Ventures, LLC is the venture capital arm of Taiho Oncology, Inc., established in 2016 and located in Menlo Park, California. The firm specializes in investing in start-ups, early-stage companies, and spinouts, with a focus on preclinical oncology, allergy, and urology sectors. Taiho Ventures seeks to support companies that are involved in the discovery and development of innovative therapeutic products and drug-enabling platform technologies, particularly those that can significantly benefit cancer patients. The investment strategy is global, concentrating on opportunities in the United States, Europe, and Japan, and encompasses various sectors including drug discovery, medical devices, diagnostics, and digital health.

Sakae Asanuma

President and CEO

Shinichi Hasako

Investor

Takaaki Ishii

Investment Director

Hidefumi Kasua

Associate Investment Director

Hidefumi Kasuga

Investor

Seiji Miyahara

Senior Investment Director

Hiroyuki Nagasawa

Investor

26 past transactions

Anavo Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2023
Anavo Therapeutics is pioneering the systematic drugging of phosphatases, a target area that has long been deemed undruggable. The company focuses on developing first-in-class therapeutic programs, particularly in oncology, leveraging its expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery. Anavo aims to create a diverse pipeline of therapeutics across various indications by fostering strategic partnerships and collaborations. Through this innovative approach, Anavo seeks to unlock the potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators, advancing the field of targeted therapies in medicine.

Cellvie

Seed Round in 2023
Cellvie develops cell-derived medicines, leveraging the therapeutic potential of mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell. Mitochondria are at the heart of complex life's origin. Likely a bacterium at the time, the would-be-organelle merged with a simple organism, entering into a symbiotic relationship: The mitochondria began supplying the energy for elaborate cellular functions to evolve, while the organism provided the mitochondria with an environment to thrive. Today, mitochondria are found in all human cells, except for red blood cells. They take on a pivotal role in cellular fate, as they produce most of the energy (ATP) and are involved in a large number of cellular and metabolic processes. The density of the organelles is particularly high in cells requiring a lot of cellular energy - e.g. cardiomyocytes or brain cells. Mitochondria function, and hence energy supply to the cell, may be impaired due to acute insults (e.g. ischemia) or genetic disorders (e.g. LOHN). Researchers at Harvard University developed an approach for mitochondria augmentation and replacement to ameliorate the damages from ischemia-reperfusion injury. Ischemia is a lack of blood flow leading to an undersupply of oxygen and an impairment of mitochondria function. Reperfusion describes the re-introduction of blood flow, inducing an oversupply of oxygen. Both, ischemia and reperfusion, damage cells, with the mitochondria dysfunction being at the heart of the injury. The cascade of events, from ischemia to reperfusion, will eventually lead to cell death. The most prominent acute conditions associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury are heart attacks. At Cellvie, we are developing a means to transplant viable mitochondria into the compromised cells, to interrupt the said cascade of events, re-enabling the cells to turn oxygen into energy via the mitochondria.

Dren Bio

Series B in 2022
Dren Bio is a biotechnology company with a portfolio of attractive projects focused on powerful protein engineering technologies for the depletion of cells, protein aggregates, and other disease-causing agents. It is a holding company business model aimed at creating value with multiple projects as stand-alone assets.

Transition Bio

Series A in 2022
Transition Bio, Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in the discovery, analysis, and modulation of biological condensates. Established in 2020 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an additional office in Cambridge, United Kingdom, the company has developed a unique platform known as Condensomics. This hypothesis-free drug discovery and diagnostics technology allows for expansive opportunities in drug development by leveraging the intricate properties of biological condensates. Transition Bio's innovative approach aims to advance the understanding and application of these biological structures in the field of medicine.

Makuku

Seed Round in 2022
Developer and retailer of baby care products. The company is a retailer that sells baby products, milk powder, complementary baby food, children's clothing, washing and care products, and cotton products, etc., from its own brand and other brand products from its online and offline stores.

Parthenon Therapeutics

Series A in 2021
Parthenon Therapeutics is inventing a novel class of anti-cancer therapies that reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME). The interplay between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment is relevant in drug development as manycancers use the TME to build barriers that shield immune system attack. One approach, PRTH-101, breaks these barriers to overcome recalcitrant cancers. Based on research, the company is designing a portfolio of drug candidates to treat the right patients at the right time.

Axial Therapeutics

Series C in 2021
Axial Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) diseases and disorders. The company leverages its microbiome discovery platform to explore the gut-brain axis, which presents opportunities for creating innovative therapies aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by neurological conditions. Founded in 2013 and based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Axial Therapeutics aims to address significant unmet medical needs within the CNS therapeutic landscape.

Anavo Therapeutics

Seed Round in 2021
Anavo Therapeutics is pioneering the systematic drugging of phosphatases, a target area that has long been deemed undruggable. The company focuses on developing first-in-class therapeutic programs, particularly in oncology, leveraging its expertise in phosphatase-driven disease biology and drug discovery. Anavo aims to create a diverse pipeline of therapeutics across various indications by fostering strategic partnerships and collaborations. Through this innovative approach, Anavo seeks to unlock the potential of phosphatase-targeted allosteric modulators, advancing the field of targeted therapies in medicine.

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.

Werewolf Therapeutics

Series B in 2021
Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on developing innovative cancer immunotherapies. Founded in 2017, the company is advancing a pipeline of therapeutic candidates designed to stimulate the immune system specifically within the tumor microenvironment. Utilizing its proprietary PREDATOR platform, Werewolf Therapeutics engineers conditionally activated molecules known as INDUKINE, which remain inactive in peripheral tissues but activate selectively in the presence of tumors. This targeted approach aims to enhance both adaptive and innate immune responses, addressing limitations associated with traditional proinflammatory therapies. Through its research and development efforts, Werewolf Therapeutics is committed to transforming cancer treatment.

Theolytics

Series A in 2021
Theolytics is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing next-generation oncolytic viral therapies. The company was formed in 2017 to drive the development of a pipeline of novel clinical trial candidates, and is led by a team that combines over 40 years of experience in oncolytic virus development. The company uses an adenovirus platform to develop targeted, self-amplifying therapeutic agents, and aims to deliver innovative cancer care to millions of people in need worldwide.

Dren Bio

Series A in 2020
Dren Bio is a biotechnology company with a portfolio of attractive projects focused on powerful protein engineering technologies for the depletion of cells, protein aggregates, and other disease-causing agents. It is a holding company business model aimed at creating value with multiple projects as stand-alone assets.

PACT Pharma

Series C in 2020
PACT Pharma, Inc. is engaged in developing personalized cell-based therapies aimed at treating cancer, specifically through neoantigen-specific adoptive TCR T-cell therapies for solid tumors. The company utilizes advanced bioinformatics to analyze patients' tumor and normal DNA and RNA, identifying neoantigen peptides that provoke targeted T cell responses against cancer cells. By recognizing neo-epitopes, which are unique mutations in each patient's cancer, PACT Pharma creates autologous T cells engineered to specifically target and eliminate tumors expressing these neo-antigens. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, PACT Pharma is focused on innovative approaches to enhance cancer treatment through tailored immunotherapies.

Werewolf Therapeutics

Series A in 2019
Werewolf Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, focused on developing innovative cancer immunotherapies. Founded in 2017, the company is advancing a pipeline of therapeutic candidates designed to stimulate the immune system specifically within the tumor microenvironment. Utilizing its proprietary PREDATOR platform, Werewolf Therapeutics engineers conditionally activated molecules known as INDUKINE, which remain inactive in peripheral tissues but activate selectively in the presence of tumors. This targeted approach aims to enhance both adaptive and innate immune responses, addressing limitations associated with traditional proinflammatory therapies. Through its research and development efforts, Werewolf Therapeutics is committed to transforming cancer treatment.

ORIC Pharmaceuticals

Series D in 2019
ORIC Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies to overcome resistance in cancer treatment. Founded in 2014 and based in South San Francisco, California, the company is advancing several product candidates, including ORIC-101, a small molecule antagonist of the glucocorticoid receptor associated with resistance to various cancer therapies in solid tumors. Another key candidate, ORIC-533, is an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of CD73, which plays a significant role in resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens. In addition to these, ORIC is working on multiple precision medicines aimed at addressing other cancer resistance mechanisms. The company's founders, Charles Sawyers and Scott Lowe, are recognized for their contributions to identifying novel cancer targets that have led to innovative treatment options.

Breakpoint Therapeutics

Venture Round in 2019
Breakpoint Therapeutics GmbH, located in Hamburg, Germany, specializes in the discovery and development of innovative anti-cancer drugs. The company focuses on targeting the DNA damage response (DDR) in cancer cells, specifically aiming to disrupt pathways related to DNA repair and replication stress tolerance. By doing so, Breakpoint Therapeutics seeks to advance first-in-class oncology drugs that not only complement existing treatments, such as PARP inhibitors, but also address the challenge of therapy-resistant cancers. Through its research and development efforts, the company aspires to enhance treatment options for patients facing difficult-to-treat cancer types.

Axial Therapeutics

Series B in 2019
Axial Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for central nervous system (CNS) diseases and disorders. The company leverages its microbiome discovery platform to explore the gut-brain axis, which presents opportunities for creating innovative therapies aimed at enhancing the quality of life for individuals affected by neurological conditions. Founded in 2013 and based in Waltham, Massachusetts, Axial Therapeutics aims to address significant unmet medical needs within the CNS therapeutic landscape.

STORM Therapeutics

Series A in 2019
STORM Therapeutics Limited is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs that target RNA-modifying enzymes for cancer treatment and other immune diseases. Founded in 2015 and formerly known as Iceni Therapeutics Limited, the company utilizes a drug discovery and RNA analytics platform to identify novel targets and first-in-class drug candidates. By modulating RNA-modifying enzymes, STORM Therapeutics aims to address a range of diseases, including oncology, inflammation, viral infections, and central nervous system disorders. The company's innovative approach seeks to provide physicians with effective therapies targeting RNA epigenetic mechanisms.

Cullinan Pearl

Series A in 2019
Cullinan Pearl, a subsidiary of Cullinan Oncology, focuses on developing innovative cancer therapies, specifically targeting Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) exon 20 mutations through its orally available tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The company is part of a broader strategy to create a diverse portfolio of oncology therapeutics, relying on a combination of internal research and collaborative efforts with academic institutions and pharmaceutical companies. This approach allows Cullinan Pearl to efficiently advance its drug development programs, with a commitment to rapidly discontinue any projects that show limited potential based on early research findings. As part of its ongoing initiatives, Cullinan Pearl collaborates with Cullinan Oncology to support the development and commercialization of its therapies.

NextCure

Series B in 2018
NextCure, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Beltsville, Maryland, dedicated to discovering and developing innovative immunomedicines for cancer and other immune-related diseases. The company’s lead product candidate, NC318, is currently undergoing Phase 2 clinical trials aimed at treating advanced or metastatic solid tumors. Additionally, NextCure is advancing NC410, an immunomedicine designed to counteract immune suppression through targeting an immune modulator known as Leukocyte-Associated Immunoglobulin-like Receptor 1. The company is also engaged in research programs evaluating novel immunomodulatory molecules, including antibodies in preclinical development that target specific immune modulators in inflamed tissues and tumor microenvironments. NextCure has established a license agreement with Yale University and collaborates with Eli Lilly and Company for research and development efforts. Founded in 2015, the company leverages proprietary platforms to identify biologically relevant targets and develop first-in-class immunotherapy products.

Harpoon Therapeutics

Series C in 2018
Harpoon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on developing innovative T cell engagers to harness the body's immune system for treating cancer and other diseases. Utilizing its proprietary TriTAC platform, the company is working on a pipeline of engineered proteins designed to direct T cells to target and eliminate specific cancer cells. The lead product candidate, HPN424, is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, Harpoon is developing HPN536, which is in Phase I/IIa trials for ovarian cancer and other tumors expressing MSLN, as well as HPN217 for multiple myeloma and HPN328 for small cell lung cancer. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, Harpoon Therapeutics has established a collaboration agreement with AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd to further its research efforts.

ORIC Pharmaceuticals

Series C in 2018
ORIC Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies to overcome resistance in cancer treatment. Founded in 2014 and based in South San Francisco, California, the company is advancing several product candidates, including ORIC-101, a small molecule antagonist of the glucocorticoid receptor associated with resistance to various cancer therapies in solid tumors. Another key candidate, ORIC-533, is an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of CD73, which plays a significant role in resistance to chemotherapy and immunotherapy regimens. In addition to these, ORIC is working on multiple precision medicines aimed at addressing other cancer resistance mechanisms. The company's founders, Charles Sawyers and Scott Lowe, are recognized for their contributions to identifying novel cancer targets that have led to innovative treatment options.

STORM Therapeutics

Series A in 2018
STORM Therapeutics Limited is a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs that target RNA-modifying enzymes for cancer treatment and other immune diseases. Founded in 2015 and formerly known as Iceni Therapeutics Limited, the company utilizes a drug discovery and RNA analytics platform to identify novel targets and first-in-class drug candidates. By modulating RNA-modifying enzymes, STORM Therapeutics aims to address a range of diseases, including oncology, inflammation, viral infections, and central nervous system disorders. The company's innovative approach seeks to provide physicians with effective therapies targeting RNA epigenetic mechanisms.

Arcus Biosciences

Series C in 2017
Arcus Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Hayward, California, focused on developing innovative cancer therapies through insights in immunology. Founded in 2015 by experienced researchers from the biotechnology sector, the company is advancing a pipeline that includes several promising candidates. Notably, it is developing AB928, a dual A2a/A2b adenosine receptor antagonist, and Zimberelimab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, both currently in clinical trials. Additionally, Arcus is working on AB154, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, and AB680, a small-molecule CD73 inhibitor, targeting various cancer types such as non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. The company has established partnerships with organizations like Strata Oncology and AstraZeneca to enhance its research efforts and expand its clinical trials. By focusing on the ATP-adenosine pathway, which plays a crucial role in tumor immunosuppression, Arcus aims to create and optimize differentiated immuno-oncology therapies for patients.

Harpoon Therapeutics

Series B in 2017
Harpoon Therapeutics is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on developing innovative T cell engagers to harness the body's immune system for treating cancer and other diseases. Utilizing its proprietary TriTAC platform, the company is working on a pipeline of engineered proteins designed to direct T cells to target and eliminate specific cancer cells. The lead product candidate, HPN424, is currently undergoing Phase I clinical trials for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, Harpoon is developing HPN536, which is in Phase I/IIa trials for ovarian cancer and other tumors expressing MSLN, as well as HPN217 for multiple myeloma and HPN328 for small cell lung cancer. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in South San Francisco, California, Harpoon Therapeutics has established a collaboration agreement with AbbVie Biotechnology Ltd to further its research efforts.

Arcus Biosciences

Series B in 2016
Arcus Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Hayward, California, focused on developing innovative cancer therapies through insights in immunology. Founded in 2015 by experienced researchers from the biotechnology sector, the company is advancing a pipeline that includes several promising candidates. Notably, it is developing AB928, a dual A2a/A2b adenosine receptor antagonist, and Zimberelimab, an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody, both currently in clinical trials. Additionally, Arcus is working on AB154, an anti-TIGIT monoclonal antibody, and AB680, a small-molecule CD73 inhibitor, targeting various cancer types such as non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer. The company has established partnerships with organizations like Strata Oncology and AstraZeneca to enhance its research efforts and expand its clinical trials. By focusing on the ATP-adenosine pathway, which plays a crucial role in tumor immunosuppression, Arcus aims to create and optimize differentiated immuno-oncology therapies for patients.
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