Lycera focuses on the discovery and development of selective, small-molecule immunomodulators targeting autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease. The company plans to use new capital to continue advancing its discovery and development programs and to support corporate growth. In this financing Lycera raised an $11m second tranche of its Series A. The financing coincided with senior hires: Jeffrey Leiden of Clarus Venture Partners joined as chairman of the board and Dr. Goldstein joined as vice president, preclinical development and program management, reflecting progress toward the clinic. Lycera was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a research center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Lycera develops oral small-molecule drugs to treat autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The company is pre-revenue and plans to use new funding to advance two programs: one into Phase II proof-of-concept studies and another into Phase I clinical trials. Lycera added a program focused on Th17 cells, a pathway implicated in multiple autoimmune conditions, and named NYU professor Dr. Dan Littman to lead its scientific advisory board. To secure the financing the company created three new seats on its now six-member board of directors. Lycera has raised up to $3.6 million over the past three years, according to SEC filings. The new funding will support clinical development and the expanded research focus on the Th17 pathway.

Total raised

$47M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Apr 2010