Vivace Therapeutics is a small‑molecule discovery and development company focused on first‑in‑class cancer therapies targeting the Hippo pathway, with lead program VT3989. VT3989 is a TEAD autopalmitoylation inhibitor that has been evaluated in more than 150 patients in an ongoing open‑label Phase 1 study and is described as the first and only agent of its class with compelling clinical efficacy data publicly reported. The compound has demonstrated promising efficacy and excellent safety, with particularly notable results in mesothelioma patients who have failed chemotherapy and immuno‑oncology combination regimens. Vivace plans to advance VT3989 toward a randomized registrational Phase 3 clinical trial in mesothelioma and intends to discuss its plans with the FDA later this year; clinical data will be presented at a major medical conference in the second half of 2025. Proceeds from the financing will support completion of the ongoing study, regulatory interactions, and advancement of VT3989 toward registrational trials. The company is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and has raised $105 million to date. Vivace Therapeutics is a small‑molecule discovery and development company focused on targeting the Hippo pathway to treat human carcinomas with high unmet need. Its lead programs pursue first‑in‑class inhibitors that block palmitoylation of TEAD family transcriptional cofactors. Preclinical data show the clinical candidate is active both as a monotherapy and in combination with other anti‑cancer therapies against tumors reliant on Hippo pathway dysfunction. The company is led by President and CEO Sofie Qiao, Ph.D., and is based in San Mateo, California. Vivace intends to use the new funding to advance its clinical candidate into first‑in‑human studies in early 2021, targeting tumors dependent on activated YAP. The company emphasizes developing therapeutics for carcinomas driven by Hippo pathway dysregulation. Vivace Therapeutics is a San Mateo, California–based oncology-focused portfolio drug discovery and development company coming out of stealth. The company is initially concentrating on inhibitors of the Hippo‑YAP signaling pathway and is exploring immuno-oncology applications related to pathway activation. Vivace is also developing novel BINspecific™ bi‑specific irreversible cell‑type specific antibodies discovered in the lab of co‑founder Bin Liu that aim to deliver potent, selective inhibition and an improved therapeutic index. Scientific co‑founder Kun‑liang Guan has identified additional potential immuno‑oncology uses for Hippo pathway activation. The company is led by president and CEO Sofie Qiao, Ph.D. Vivace announced it has secured $40M in Series A and B financings as it emerges from stealth.

Total raised

$105M

Funding rounds

4

Latest round

Series D

Latest activity

Mar 2025