Disc Medicine focuses on developing therapies for serious and debilitating hematologic diseases, led by CEO John Quisel. Its lead programs include bitopertin, an oral GlyT1 inhibitor being evaluated as a potential disease-modifying treatment for erythropoietic porphyrias, and DISC-0974, an anti-hemojuvelin monoclonal antibody designed to suppress hepcidin for anemia of inflammation. Bitopertin has been studied in over 4,000 healthy volunteers and patients across more than 30 clinical trials and has a well-defined safety profile, though it is not approved for any indication. DISC-0974 is in a phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers, with data expected later this year, and was licensed from AbbVie in October 2019. The company intends to use new funding to conduct phase 2 studies of bitopertin and DISC-0974 and to expand clinical development into additional hematologic disorders. Both programs are experimental and not approved for use in any jurisdiction. Disc Medicine applies insights in hepcidin biology to develop therapies that restore red blood cell production in hematologic diseases. The company is advancing two therapeutic programs: an orally administered matriptase-2 inhibitor to increase hepcidin expression for iron‑loading anemias, and a hemojuvelin‑antagonist monoclonal antibody to reduce hepcidin expression for anemia in chronic inflammatory and hematologic diseases. Disc was founded in 2017 by Atlas Venture and Brian MacDonald, who serves as interim CEO. The team is supported by a board chaired by Donald Nicholson and by medical advisors from institutions including The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Disc is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and completed a Series A financing in 2019.

Total raised

$140M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series B

Latest activity

Sep 2021