AsclepiX Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in Baltimore, MD that leverages computational biology to identify potent peptide regulators of vascular homeostasis for retinal diseases. The company was founded by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers who initially licensed a portfolio of vascular homeostatic peptides and technologies. Its lead candidate, AXT107, is presented as a microparticulate suspension suitable for intraocular injection. AXT107 inhibits pro-angiogenic VEGFR2 and activates the vessel-stabilizing receptor Tie2 via interactions with integrin αvβ3 and integrin α5β1, addressing two validated pathways for retinal vascular diseases. The company intends to use new funding to expand operations and its R&D sector. As of this raise it remains clinical-stage and has secured $10M in Series A-3 funding. AsclepiX Therapeutics uses computational biology to identify potent peptide regulators of vascular homeostasis disrupted in retinal and oncologic diseases. Its lead investigational candidate, AXT107, emerged from the company’s computational discovery platform and targets VEGF-A, VEGF-C and activates Tie2, with preclinical data showing long durability and unique intravitreal gel depot delivery properties. AXT107 is being developed for diabetic macular edema (DME), wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) and macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO), and the company expects to initiate clinical trials in the second half of 2020 with human studies poised to begin late 2020. AsclepiX says AXT107 could enable once-a-year intravitreal dosing, potentially reducing the treatment burden compared with current anti-VEGF therapies. The company is led by interim CEO Kevin Slawin and was co-founded by Aleksander S. Popel and Jordan J. Green of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Financially, AsclepiX closed a $35 million Series A financing to fund Phase 1/2a clinical trials of AXT107. AsclepiX Therapeutics is a Baltimore-based biopharmaceutical company developing therapies from a novel peptide peptide platform. Its lead candidate, AXT107, targets multiple pathways including vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and Tie2 and is being developed to treat diabetic macular edema (DME) and wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD). In animal studies AXT107 was described as safe and superior to current approved therapies, potentially preventing and even reversing progressive retinal pathology with just two to three injections per year versus monthly injections for current drugs. The new funding will be used to complete an investigational new drug (IND) application for AXT107 and to plan phase 1/2 clinical studies first in subjects with DME and then in wet AMD. AsclepiX has expanded its board to add Josh Barer, Kevin Slawin, MD, and Sapna Srivastava, PhD alongside founding members Aleksander Popel, PhD and Jordan J. Green, PhD and CEO Wendy Perrow. The company has raised a total of $16 million to date, including $11 million in prior non-dilutive funding from the National Eye Institute, National Cancer Institute, TEDCO and others.

Total raised

$50M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Jul 2023