Startups
The clinical-stage biotech emerged from stealth on Thursday with several oral and injectable candidates, including a GLP-1 receptor agonist in Phase I trials, in an effort to challenge Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly.
A pair of biotechs burst onto the scene Tuesday, exiting stealth with $100 million in financing each and tapping executives who made their names at bluebird bio and Karuna Therapeutics.
The Cambridge-based biotech was co-founded by Atlas Ventures and CEO Alex Lugovsky to develop agonist antibodies for rare diseases, with a lead program in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Mirador Therapeutics emerged from stealth Thursday with financing from ARCH Venture Partners and Sanofi, among others, to provide precision medicines for inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.
Alkermes spun off its oncology business in late 2023 to become a pure-play neuroscience company, while Jazz Pharmaceuticals continues to invest in and focus on both of its businesses.
Formerly known as Ryne Bio, Kenai Therapeutics emerged on Thursday with backing from several groups and has a cell therapy candidate going after Parkinson’s disease.
Denmark-based startup Orbis Medicines has launched with €26 million in seed funding in its drive to search for macrocycle drugs, with a focus on high-value oral alternatives to blockbuster biologics.
Co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Carolyn Bertozzi, Firefly’s venture funding is backed by Eli Lilly and Versant Ventures, among others, to support its novel platform for merging antibody-drug conjugates with protein degraders.
Merging six of its portfolio biotechs, Medicxi on Monday unveiled Alys Pharmaceuticals, an immuno-dermatology focused company seeking to deliver up to 10 proof-of-concept readouts by the end of 2026.
The investment in Illinois-based Cour Pharmaceuticals had participation from Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer Breakthrough Growth Initiatives and Roche Ventures.
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