Pliant Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapies to slow or halt progression of multiple fibrotic diseases. Its lead small-molecule candidate, PLN-74809, is a dual selective inhibitor of αVβ1 and αVβ6 and is being evaluated in Phase 2a for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and in PSC. PLN-74809 showed tolerability in Phase 1 with a half-life supporting once-daily dosing, and has received Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA for both IPF and PSC. The company’s second candidate, PLN-1474, is an oral selective αvβ1 inhibitor targeting liver fibrosis associated with NASH and is partnered with Novartis. Pliant plans to use the proceeds from its recent financing to support continued clinical development of PLN-74809 and to advance its drug discovery programs against other fibrotic diseases. The company is based in South San Francisco, CA. Pliant Therapeutics, launched in 2016 and based in South San Francisco, develops therapies targeting the key biological pathways driving fibrosis. The company leverages a product discovery engine to halt fibrosis progression, reverse disease and restore organ function. Its therapeutic approach focuses on fibrotic tissue-specific inhibition of integrins and the TGF-β pathway. Pliant's lead small molecule is a dual selective inhibitor of the αVβ1 and αVβ6 integrins and will be evaluated in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). The company intends to use new funds to initiate proof-of-concept clinical trials in IPF and PSC and to support ongoing drug discovery programs targeting other fibrotic diseases. It recently raised $62m in a Series B financing to support these clinical and discovery activities. Pliant Therapeutics is an early-stage biotechnology company focused on developing small-molecule inhibitors of cell- and tissue-specific integrins to block activation of TGF-β and treat fibrotic diseases. Its product engine aims to prevent and possibly reverse fibrosis across multiple organs, including lung (IPF), liver (NASH and cirrhosis), kidney, skin, heart and the gastrointestinal tract, by selectively modulating TGF-β signaling to avoid systemic side effects. The company is initially targeting idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which the article cites as affecting approximately 200,000 people in the U.S. with about 40,000 deaths per year. Pliant has entered into a license agreement with UCSF and plans to evaluate clinical development candidates in the coming months and progress to IND-enabling studies in 2017. Management includes CEO Bernard Coulie and a founding team of UCSF researchers and medicinal chemistry experts; Third Rock Ventures launched the company and provided a $45 million Series A to fund early development. Pliant also intends to build a multicenter patient registry to expand understanding of disease natural history and to fuel biomarker discovery for efficient clinical trial design.

Total raised

$207M

Funding rounds

3

Latest round

Series C

Latest activity

Mar 2020