Metacrine is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on building an innovative pipeline of drugs to treat liver and gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. Its most advanced program targets the farnesoid X receptor (FXR), a key drug target in multiple liver and GI conditions, with programs aimed at NASH and inflammatory bowel disease. Beyond the FXR program, the company is exploring novel drug candidates against other targets using internal drug discovery and development capabilities. Metacrine plans to advance its FXR agonist program through clinical development and may opportunistically expand its pipeline. In September 2019 Metacrine secured a non-dilutive growth capital facility of up to $50 million from K2 HealthVentures, receiving $10 million upfront with additional milestone-based tranches available through 2020. The financing is intended to bolster the company’s capital position and flexibility to support clinical development and general corporate activities. Metacrine is privately held and headquartered in San Diego, California. Metacrine develops novel therapies focused on the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other GI and metabolic diseases. The company’s lead candidate is MET409, being advanced for NASH, diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D) and inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Metacrine was founded in 2015 and is led by President and CEO Ken Song, M.D. The company leverages internal biology, chemistry and protein engineering capabilities for discovery and development and plans to expand its pipeline through continued internal discovery efforts. Metacrine intends to use new capital to advance its clinical development pipeline, including initiating a Phase 1 study of MET409. Metacrine is a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs that materially benefit patients with metabolic disease. Its lead asset is MET409, an oral non-bile acid FXR agonist that the company intends to advance into late-stage IND-enabling studies. Metacrine also is advancing an FGF1 program, described as a first-in-class insulin sensitizer, in collaboration with Novo Nordisk. The company plans to use newly raised funds to continue MET409 development and to fund drug discovery efforts against novel targets in liver inflammation and fibrosis. Metacrine is led by President and CEO Ken Song and is based in San Diego, CA. The company has raised approximately $60M in total funding since beginning operations in early 2015. Metacrine is advancing technology licensed from the laboratory of Ronald Evans to develop two classes of novel therapeutics. The company is focused on targeting metabolic disease through advances in endocrine research, with programs aimed at diabetes, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and other metabolic and liver disorders. Metacrine raised $36M in a Series A financing, providing capital to advance its therapeutic programs. Leadership includes CEO Neil McDonnell, Executive Chairman Richard Heyman, and co-founders Ronald Evans and Michael Downes, alongside senior team members Trisha Millican, Nicholas Smith, Ph.D., and Eric Bischoff. The company’s scientific foundation is tied to Ronald Evans, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and director of the Gene Expression Laboratory at the Salk Institute.

Total raised

$173M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Debt Financing

Latest activity

Sep 2019