Obsidian Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company pioneering engineered cell and gene therapies with its proprietary cytoDRiVE technology. Its lead program, OBX-115 (cytoTIL15), is an engineered tumor-derived autologous TIL therapy armored with pharmacologically regulatable membrane-bound IL15 (mbIL15) intended to enhance persistence, antitumor activity, and safety. OBX-115 is being evaluated in two ongoing and enrolling trials in advanced or metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NCT05470283 and NCT06060613). The company is focused on enrolling patients, achieving key clinical and regulatory milestones, and scaling manufacturing ahead of pivotal trial readiness. Obsidian has collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb and Vertex Pharmaceuticals and is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. Recently the company completed a significant financing to support clinical development of OBX-115. Obsidian Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing engineered cell and gene therapies using its proprietary cytoDRiVE® technology. cytoDRiVE provides a way to control protein degradation using FDA-approved small molecules, permitting precise control of the timing and level of protein expression. The company has collaborations with Bristol Myers Squibb and Vertex Pharmaceuticals, and is led by CEO Paul Wotton. Obsidian recently closed a $115M Series B to advance its programs. Proceeds will be used to drive its lead tumor infiltrating lymphocyte program, cytoTIL15, into the clinic and to first clinical data for the treatment of metastatic melanoma and to expand cytoTIL15 into multiple other solid tumor types. The financing will also support advancement of Obsidian’s commercial manufacturing build. Obsidian Therapeutics has built a platform of destabilizing domains (DDs) that enable pharmacologic regulation of protein activity in cells via a synthetic cassette installed in gene vectors and a readily-available small-molecule drug. The DD system allows fusion proteins to be rapidly degraded in the absence of ligand and stabilized when a non-immunosuppressive, FDA‑approved ligand is administered, enabling tunable control of engineered cells. Obsidian’s initial development programs focus on regulated cytokine cassettes to enhance CAR-T anti-tumor activity and persistence, and regulated CARs to improve safety and efficacy. The company has licensed DD technology from Stanford and launched a research collaboration with Dr. Crystal Mackall to regulate CAR activity in CAR‑T products. Obsidian was founded in 2015 by Atlas Venture, is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has assembled an experienced management team led by newly named CEO Michael Gilman, Ph.D. The company completed a $49.5 million Series A to build its technology platform and advance lead programs toward clinical development.

Total raised

$325M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Apr 2024