The Venture Codex

Participated · Equity · Dec 2011

Scynexis collaborates with pharmaceutical partners on drug discovery and development and has helped advance 11 preclinical and clinical candidates in the last five years. The company also maintains a proprietary pipeline based on cyclophilin inhibitors, which it believes have potential across a range of diseases. Its lead internal candidate, SCY-635, is a cyclophilin inhibitor currently in phase 2 trials for hepatitis C and is designed to reactivate the body’s natural defense to inhibit viral replication. Scynexis sees SCY-635 as addressing an unmet need and potentially replacing recombinant interferon, the current standard treatment with serious side effects. Financially, Scynexis has initiated a fundraising effort that has so far raised $5 million toward a planned target of up to $15 million. The company continues to work with large pharma partners including Merck, Sanofi and Roche while progressing its hepatitis C program.