Participated · Series B · Oct 2021

Scout Bio is focused on delivering a pipeline of one-time adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene therapies for major chronic pet health conditions. Its therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Lead product candidates target diabetes, feline pain associated with osteoarthritis, and anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and the company is researching additional indications. Scout Bio reported meaningful clinical data in patients with CKD-associated anemia, indicating AAV gene therapy can be efficacious in client-owned animals with chronic diseases. The company has a research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program. It is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Proceeds from a recently closed financing will support advancing the clinical development of its programs and platform over the next twelve months. Scout Bio is focused on delivering one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector technology. The company’s approach is intended to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients from a single intramuscular injection. Scout is advancing programs across chronic kidney disease, chronic pain, and atopic dermatitis, with its lead candidate designed to deliver long-term feline erythropoietin (EPO) for cats with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. The lead program has demonstrated statistically significant increases in red blood cell counts in cats for months after a single injection and has entered a clinical pilot field study. A proprietary survey of 424 veterinarians indicated over 90% would use a product with Scout’s target profile over other treatments. Scout holds an exclusive AAV research and development collaboration and license with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program and will use recent financing to advance its pipeline and expand clinical and other operations; the company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Led · Equity · Sep 2021

HilleVax was created by Takeda and Frazier and is described as a newly born legacy biotech. The company is advancing a late-stage vaccine program. Rob Hershberg is named as HilleVax’s CEO. The article reports that HilleVax has raised $135M. It has also enlisted an A-list board to support its development efforts. The coverage frames the company as part of Tachi’s legacy biotechs continuing to make news.

Participated · Series B · Aug 2021

Sonoma Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech focused on engineered regulatory T cell (Treg) therapies to restore immune balance in serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company employs proprietary platform technologies and approaches to develop a new generation of targeted and durable gene-modified Treg cell therapies. Led by CEO Jeff Bluestone, Sonoma Bio operates out of San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA. In March 2023 the company entered a collaboration and license agreement with Regeneron to research, develop and commercialize Treg therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and two other undisclosed indications, with a Regeneron option for a fifth indication. The collaboration integrates Regeneron’s VelociSuite technologies for discovery and characterization of fully human antibodies and T cell receptors with Sonoma Bio’s development and manufacturing approach. Sonoma plans to use the newly received funds to expand operations and its R&D sector. Sonoma Biotherapeutics pioneers adoptive regulatory T cell (Treg) therapies and a complementary Teff conditioning biologic to promote immune tolerance in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its platform uses genome editing and target‑specific cell therapy to develop disease‑modifying, potentially curative medicines. The company’s two most advanced programs are SBT-77-7101, a CAR‑based Treg therapy for refractory rheumatoid arthritis, and SBT-11-5301, a Teff conditioning biologic being investigated as monotherapy for Type 1 diabetes and as a conditioning agent to enhance Treg efficacy. Sonoma plans to advance these programs into the clinic and to continue discovery work on additional Treg programs. Proceeds from the recent financing will also be used to scale manufacturing capacity to support initial clinical studies. The company was founded by leaders in Treg biology and cell therapy and combines genetic engineering, development, and manufacturing capabilities to translate its approach into clinical trials. Sonoma Biotherapeutics is developing adoptive regulatory T-cell (Treg) therapies using next-generation genome editing and target-specific cell therapy to treat autoimmune and degenerative diseases. The company aims to move cell therapy beyond cancer into indications including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS and Alzheimer’s. Sonoma recently expanded its Series A to $70 million to advance its pipeline and platform capabilities. The financing and new hires are intended to support research, development and manufacturing of next-generation Treg therapeutics. Leadership additions include a new chief medical officer and vice presidents for portfolio/program/alliance management and discovery. Sonoma is based in South San Francisco and Seattle and was founded by pioneers in Treg biology and cell therapy. Sonoma Biotherapeutics is developing engineered regulatory T cell (Treg) therapies aimed at restoring self-tolerance and halting harmful inflammatory responses in autoimmune and degenerative diseases. Its programs target conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, ALS and Alzheimer’s. The company combines research, development and manufacturing capabilities in cell therapy and genetic engineering to advance Treg candidates from target identification through preclinical and clinical development. Sonoma emphasizes engineering Tregs to target disease-causing antigens to reduce systemic effects and improve tissue-specific control of inflammation. The team includes founder and CEO Jeffrey Bluestone, PhD, and three other founding Treg field scientists, as well as executives and board members with deep cell therapy experience. Sonoma operates out of South San Francisco, CA and Seattle, WA.

Participated · Series C · May 2021

Hummingbird Bioscience discovers and engineers precision therapeutics using a proprietary Rational Antibody Discovery platform to target optimal yet elusive epitopes. The company is advancing a pipeline of first- and best-in-class therapies in oncology and autoimmunity, including clinical-stage assets. Lead programs include HMBD-001, a HER3 antibody for NRG1-fusion and HER3-driven tumors, and HMBD-002, a first-in-class anti‑VISTA neutralizing antibody for advanced solid tumors. The company is also progressing HMBD-009, a BCMA‑TACI dual‑specific T cell engager, as part of its next‑generation pipeline. Hummingbird collaborates with global partners in academia and industry to advance its programs. Piers Ingram is CEO and co-founder. Hummingbird Bioscience is a biotherapeutics company developing antibody-based treatments for cancer and other diseases. The company has published data on two oncology antibodies and expects to submit regulatory filings to start Phase 1 studies in the second half of this year. It said the new funding will be used to accelerate those therapies into clinical trials and to expand research and development for its early-stage pipeline. Hummingbird has offices in Singapore, Houston and South San Francisco and strategic collaborations with Cancer Research UK and Amgen. It was previously awarded a product development grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Financially, the company has now raised $65 million in total, with the Series B reaching $25 million after the recent extension. Hummingbird Bioscience is a biotherapeutics company developing precision antibody therapeutics using a proprietary rational antibody discovery platform and systems biology expertise. It is building a broad pipeline of first- and best-in-class drug candidates across multiple indications, including HMBD-001 (anti-HER3) and HMBD-002 (anti-VISTA) for cancer. The company raised US$19M in a Series B and intends to use the funds to discover new disease targets, expand its antibody pipeline, and accelerate co-discovery projects under a multi-target collaboration with Amgen. HMBD-001 and HMBD-002 are expected to enter first-in-human clinical trials following regulatory submissions in the second half of 2020. The Series B was co-led by Mirae Asset Venture Investment and GNTech Venture Capital, with participation from existing investors Heritas Capital and Seeds Capital and new investors including Delian Capital, Mirae Asset Capital, DAValue-GiltEdge, HB Investment, Wooshin Venture Investment, and Kiwoom Investment-Shinhan Capital. Led by CEO and co-founder Dr. Piers Ingram, the company has strategic collaborations with Cancer Research UK and Amgen and is based in Singapore, Houston (Texas) and South San Francisco (California).

Participated · Series B · Mar 2021

Amunix Pharmaceuticals is a South San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing masked, protease-activated immune-oncology therapeutics. It leverages proprietary XPAT® and XPAC™ platforms to advance drugs that are preferentially activated in the tumor microenvironment and designed to overcome toxicity challenges of other T cell and cytokine therapies. Its proprietary masking technology has been clinically validated to extend drug half-life with limited immunogenicity. The company’s pipeline includes AMX-818, an XPAT® T cell engager targeting HER2-expressing solid tumors currently in IND-enabling studies, and an IL12-XPAC™ masked cytokine program in discovery. Led by CEO Angie You, Ph.D., Amunix raised $117M in a Series B financing to advance AMX-818 into the clinic and to support its earlier-stage XPAT and XPAC programs. The funding will be used to support clinical translation and continued development of its masked, protease-activated product candidates. Amunix Pharmaceuticals develops prodrugs to enable potent immune-activating biotherapeutics for patients with solid tumor cancers. Its pipeline centers on XPAT T cell engagers and XPAC cytokines that are selectively activated in the tumor microenvironment to mitigate toxicity and immunogenicity. Both platforms leverage the company’s clinically validated XTEN and Pro‑XTEN technologies to generate masked, protease‑releasable prodrugs with low immunogenicity. With the $73 million Series A and a prior $40 million upfront from a Roche licensing agreement, Amunix plans to advance lead candidate AMX‑818 (an XPAT targeting HER2+ solid tumors) into the clinic and progress earlier discovery-stage XPAT programs. The company also intends to initiate XPAC discovery work and relocate to South San Francisco to access talent. Founded in 2006, Amunix previously operated as a technology licensing company and has refocused on internal development since appointing Dr. Angie You as CEO in January 2019. The executive team includes industry veterans such as Mika Derynck (CMO), Maninder Hora (CTOO), Bryan Irving (CSO), and Darcy Mootz (CBO).