Jnana Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Boston that leverages its RAPID chemoproteomics platform to discover medicines for highly validated, challenging-to-drug targets. Its lead wholly owned program is JNT-517, a small-molecule inhibitor that targets a novel, cryptic allosteric site on the phenylalanine transporter SLC6A19 as a potential first-in-class oral approach for phenylketonuria (PKU). The company has a growing pipeline of programs against difficult targets, including transcription factors, and is developing additional wholly owned potential first-in-class medicines for immune-mediated diseases and cancer. Led by CEO Joanne Kotz and President and CSO Joel C. Barrish, Ph.D., Jnana is advancing its assets toward clinical proof-of-concept studies. The company intends to use new funding to progress its lead PKU program through a clinical POC study and to advance other pipeline programs. No operating metrics (revenue/users) were disclosed in the article. Jnana Therapeutics utilizes its next-generation chemoproteomic RAPID platform to target well-validated but hard-to-drug targets, notably the solute carrier (SLC) family, and to discover oral small-molecule therapeutics. Its lead program is an oral candidate that inhibits the SLC transporter SLC6A19 to reduce kidney reabsorption of phenylalanine and thereby lower elevated blood Phe in phenylketonuria (PKU). Preclinical data from human biology and animal models support SLC6A19 inhibition as a promising approach to address PKU disease pathologies. The company plans to progress the lead PKU program into clinical development while advancing a pipeline of additional wholly owned programs. Jnana will continue to invest in and expand its RAPID discovery platform to drive further pipeline growth. The company is headquartered in Boston and is backed by leading life-science investors. Jnana Therapeutics is developing the first drug discovery platform dedicated to targeting the solute carrier (SLC) family of transporters, leveraging a proprietary small-molecule chemistry and biology approach. The platform is designed to address therapeutic targets rapidly and comprehensively across the SLC family, which includes over 400 largely unstudied members. Jnana is prioritizing disease pathways in immunometabolism, lysosomal function and mucosal defense to pursue indications in immuno-oncology, inflammatory disorders and neurological diseases. The company says its technology enables systematic advancement of medicines based on SLC biology, aiming to harness ancient information-gathering systems that have been largely untapped after decades of drug development. Jnana launched with $50 million in Series A financing to support its discovery and development efforts. Its founding team includes experienced leaders from academia and industry including Stuart Schreiber, Ramnik Xavier, Joanne Kotz and Joel Barrish.

Total raised

$207M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Nov 2022