• Aro Biotherapeutics

  Led · Series B · Nov 2023

  Aro Biotherapeutics is a Philadelphia-based clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering tissue-targeted genetic medicines with a proprietary Centyrin protein platform. The company develops Centyrin-siRNA conjugates to enable efficient, tissue-specific delivery of siRNA and is building a wholly owned pipeline of therapeutic candidates. Its lead program, ABX1100, targets Pompe disease via a CD71-binding Centyrin conjugated to an siRNA against Gys1 and demonstrated durable reductions in Gys1 mRNA in muscle tissues with a favorable GLP toxicology safety profile. ABX1100 has received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease status from the FDA, and Aro has initiated a first-in-human study with initial data expected in 2024. The Series B financing will be used to advance ABX1100 and to support discovery of additional Centyrin-siRNA conjugate programs focused on autoimmune disorders. The new funding of $41.5M positions the company to continue clinical development and pipeline expansion. Aro Biotherapeutics is developing Centyrin-conjugated RNA therapies, a proprietary platform that uses engineered Centyrin proteins to target RNA medicines to specific tissues and receptors. Centyrins are described as small, exceptionally stable, engineered human proteins designed to target receptors on specific cells and deliver complex drug payloads to disease sites. The company is advancing a wholly-owned pipeline and is working with industry partners to leverage Centyrins for tissue-specific targeting across a diverse set of diseases. Aro plans to use the Series A proceeds to advance its lead therapeutic candidates into clinical development, with an initial focus on rare genetic and immune disorders. Leadership highlights the potential for improved efficacy and safety by enabling more efficient and precise delivery of RNA drugs to extra-hepatic tissues. Aro was founded in 2018 by Susan Dillon and Karyn O'Neil and is based in Philadelphia. Aro Biotherapeutics is developing Centyrins, small, ultra‑stable, highly soluble engineered proteins designed to simplify antibodies and enable new mechanisms of action for oncology and immunology. The company holds an exclusive worldwide license to Centyrin therapeutics discovered by co‑founder Karyn O’Neil at Janssen and is building a wholly owned pipeline. Aro’s lead program is a bi‑specific Centyrin in late‑stage lead optimization for advanced non‑small cell lung cancer; a second program aims to create a Centyrin‑siRNA conjugate to deliver nucleic acid drugs to tumors and immune cells. Centyrins have been optimized for potent anti‑tumor activity and efficient manufacture in E. coli, and Aro intends to leverage them to address targets considered ‘undruggable’ while improving efficacy and safety profiles. The company has recruited an experienced scientific and executive leadership team co‑founded by Sue Dillon and Karyn O’Neil and headquartered in the Pennovation Center in Philadelphia. Aro established operations with a $13 million start‑up investment from Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC) and BioMotiv to fund development and commercialization of its Centyrin programs.

• MBrace Therapeutics

  Participated · Series B · Nov 2023

  MBrace focuses on developing ADC therapeutics, with lead candidate MBRC-101 that targets the EphA5 receptor tyrosine kinase expressed across multiple cancers. The company advances a proprietary SPARTA approach to accelerate antibody-based drug development for personalized medicine and has in-licensed novel candidates from Rutgers. MBrace plans to use the new funding to support clinical development programs, including a first-in-human Phase 1 study of MBRC-101 planned before year-end. The company has generated extensive preclinical data and will present MBRC-101 data at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. MBrace was founded in June 2020 and is headquartered in San Diego with research facilities at the Thomas O. Daniel Research Incubator and Collaboration Center at Bristol Myers Squibb in Summit, NJ. Financially, the company has now raised a total of $110 million to advance its oncology pipeline.

• MapLight Therapeutics

  Led · Series C · Oct 2023

  MapLight Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on central nervous system disorders. Its lead program, ML-007C-MA, is an oral fixed-dose combination of the investigational M1/M4 muscarinic agonist ML-007 co-formulated with a peripherally acting anticholinergic to activate CNS M1 and M4 receptors while mitigating peripheral cholinergic side effects. ML-007C-MA is designed to synchronize the pharmacokinetics of the agonist and antagonist components to drive efficacy and reduce peripheral side effects. MapLight is advancing ML-007C-MA through ongoing Phase 2 trials for schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease psychosis. The financing will also fund exploration of other potential indications for ML-007C-MA and the continued advancement of other clinical and preclinical pipeline programs. MapLight's discovery platform aims to identify neural circuits causally linked to disease and target those circuits for therapeutic modulation. MapLight Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company using a proprietary discovery platform to identify misfiring neural circuits and target them with precision therapeutics. Led by CEO and founder Christopher Kroeger and based in San Francisco, the company focuses on novel, targeted treatments for brain disorders. Its lead program, ML-007C-MA, is a novel M1/M4 muscarinic agonist combined with a precision-matched peripheral muscarinic antagonist. The company also has ML-007 under study for dyskinesia and ML-004, a 5HT-1b agonist, in Phase 2 for social communication deficits in autism spectrum disorder. Preclinical assets include ML-016, a GPR-6 antagonist for Parkinson’s disease and depression, and ML-009 for hyperactivity and impulsivity. The recent financing strengthens the company’s ability to advance multiple clinical and preclinical programs.

• Star Therapeutics

  Participated · Series C · Sep 2023

  Star Therapeutics is focused on discovering and developing first-in-class antibodies that address significant unmet needs in hematology and related disorders. Its lead candidate, VGA039, targets Protein S to rebalance coagulation and is positioned as a universal therapy for bleeding disorders, beginning with von Willebrand Disease (VWD). VGA039 is currently being evaluated in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial in VWD patients. The company plans to leverage the same platform to expand its pipeline to additional bleeding indications. An oversubscribed $125 million Series D round provides the capital to advance VGA039 through late-stage development and to progress other pipeline programs. The strong investor syndicate, which now includes GordonMD Global Investments alongside existing life-sciences backers, signals broad confidence in the company’s scientific approach. Co-lead investors Sanofi Ventures and Viking Global Investors add strategic and financial support to help drive regulatory and commercial milestones. With this new funding, Star Therapeutics is positioned to accelerate clinical development while maintaining its discovery efforts for future antibody candidates.

• TORL BioTherapeutics

  Participated · Series B · Apr 2023

  Founded in 2019, TORL BioTherapeutics discovers and develops antibody-based immunotherapies aimed at improving outcomes for cancer patients worldwide. Its lead program, TORL-1-23, is a Claudin 6-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) currently being evaluated in a registrational Phase 2 study (CATALINA-2) for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and in Phase 1 for multiple other CLDN6-positive solid tumors such as non-small cell lung, testicular and endometrial cancers. TORL-1-23 has received FDA Fast Track Designation, and the company plans to launch a confirmatory Phase 3 trial (CATALINA-3) in 2026. Proceeds from recent financings will also fund additional Phase 2/3 trials and IND-enabling work on a broader pipeline of novel solid-tumor and hematologic targets. Through a longstanding collaboration with UCLA’s Slamon Research Lab, TORL holds exclusive rights to a large suite of biologics programs. Since inception, TORL has raised more than $450 million to support its clinical and preclinical efforts.

No current team members are available.