Participated · Series E · Aug 2026

LifeMine Therapeutics is developing LIFE-001, a long-acting injectable that directly binds calcineurin to prevent T-cell activation and aims to avoid the multiorgan toxicities associated with existing calcineurin inhibitors. LIFE-001 is in ongoing Phase 1 single- and multiple-ascending-dose studies involving over 120 adults and has not produced clinically meaningful renal, metabolic or cardiovascular safety signals to date. The company plans to use the new financing to fund a planned Phase 2 kidney transplant study and a Phase 1b islet cell transplant study of LIFE-001. Beyond LIFE-001, LifeMine applies a Top-Down Drug Discovery platform that leverages fungal genomic data, human genetics, bioinformatics, machine learning and synthetic biology to identify new mechanisms of action. Financially, the company has raised approximately $558 million to date. The company also strengthened its commercial leadership by appointing Yves Zinggeler as Chief Commercial Officer.

Participated · Series C · Jul 2024

Asceneuron is a clinical-stage biotech based in Lausanne, Switzerland, developing orally bioavailable small molecules that target tau protein aggregation for debilitating neurodegenerative disorders. The company’s lead assets include two clinical-stage OGA inhibitors: ASN90 (licensed to Ferrer Pharmaceuticals) for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and ASN51 for Alzheimer’s disease. Asceneuron intends to use new funding to advance ASN51 into Phase 2 clinical development for Alzheimer’s. It is also planning to advance its pre-clinical pipeline in Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative indications. The company is led by CEO Barbara Angehrn Pavik. Asceneuron is a clinical-stage biotech focused on orally bioavailable therapeutics for neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and orphan tauopathies. Its lead program ASN120290 is an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor being developed for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and the company is developing a next-generation O-GlcNAcase inhibitor, ASN51, to target Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. O-GlcNAcase inhibitors prevent the removal of intracellular protein glycosylation and are being pursued to address proteinopathies and disturbed neuronal network function, with potential disease-modifying and symptomatic benefits. Following a USD 2.2 million award from the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, Asceneuron will advance ASN51 into first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trials. The funding will enable a single ascending dose arm and a PET target engagement study in healthy volunteers, with assessments of safety, tolerability and multiple biomarkers in healthy subjects and Alzheimer’s patients. The Phase 1 study will be conducted at sites in Europe and Australia, is due to kick off in Q2, and expects first interim data in Q3 2021. Asceneuron develops orally bioavailable small molecules targeting neurodegenerative disorders including orphan tauopathies, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The company’s lead program is an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor that in preclinical studies has been shown to modulate tau pathology and is completing regulatory studies to enable human clinical testing for progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Asceneuron is also advancing positive allosteric modulators of the M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M1 PAMs) to potentiate cholinergic signaling and support cognition. A grant from The Michael J. Fox Foundation’s Therapeutic Pipeline Program will fund optimization studies to provide preclinical proof of concept for the M1 PAM program. The company reports it has identified suitable lead molecules and will leverage its expertise in muscarinic receptor and CNS drug development to progress them. Asceneuron is led by CEO and co-founder Dirk Beher and is based in Lausanne, Switzerland; it is financed by a syndicate of institutional investors. Asceneuron is a Lausanne, Switzerland–based biotech spun out via MS Ventures in 2012 that researches and develops orally bioavailable small-molecule therapeutics targeting tauopathies. The company’s lead program is ASN-561, an O-GlcNAcase inhibitor that in preclinical studies has been shown to modulate tau pathology and has entered regulatory studies to enable human clinical testing. Asceneuron aims to advance ASN-561 into clinical proof-of-concept studies in the orphan tauopathy progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). The company was founded by Dirk Beher (CEO) and Christoph Wiessner (COO) as part of an Entrepreneur Partnership Program supporting spin-offs from Merck Serono. The business intends to use the new funding to develop ASN-561 up to the completion of a pivotal proof-of-concept trial in PSP. The program is positioned as a potential first oral treatment for tauopathies, which include several orphan conditions.

Led · Equity · Apr 2020

Vir Biotechnology is a San Francisco-based biotech that developed the COVID-19 monoclonal antibody sotrovimab in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline. The U.S. government has been buying sotrovimab to fight the Omicron variant. Vir plans to extend its therapeutic-antibody approach to infectious diseases including HIV and malaria. The new initiative includes a clinical trial to test whether therapeutic antibodies can durably suppress HIV in a vaccine-like way. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed $40 million in equity and $10 million in grant funding to support development. Vir was co-founded by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center investigator Larry Corey. Vir Biotechnology develops antibody-based therapeutics and vaccines using a proprietary monoclonal antibody platform alongside CRISPR screening and machine-learning approaches to identify antiviral targets. The company is collaborating with GlaxoSmithKline to research and develop solutions for coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2. Initial collaboration work will accelerate specific antibody candidates VIR-7831 and VIR-7832, which have shown high affinity for the SARS-CoV-2 spike and potent neutralization in live virus assays, with plans to proceed directly into a phase 2 trial within three to five months following regulatory review. Vir will also apply its CRISPR screening and AI to identify cellular host targets and has previously identified multiple potential targets against flu, other respiratory pathogens, and hepatitis B. The partnership couples GSK's functional genomics and vaccine expertise with Vir's antibody and epitope identification capabilities. Financially, GSK agreed to make a $250 million equity investment in Vir priced at $37.73 per share, a 10% premium to the March 27, 2020 closing price, and the investment and collaboration are conditional on customary closing conditions. Vir Biotechnology launched to develop cures, treatments and preventions for challenging viral and bacterial diseases by applying breakthroughs in immune programming. The company intends a multi-program, multi-platform approach, combining internal research with in-licensing of innovative technology platforms and clinical assets. Leadership includes CEO George Scangos and Chairman Vicki Sato, supported by a scientific advisory board of noted researchers. Vir said its laboratory work is expected to take place in San Francisco, Boston and Portland, Oregon. The company was created by ARCH Venture Partners and will be supported by a consortium of long-term investors, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, sovereign wealth funds, public mutual funds, and prominent individuals and family offices. ARCH Venture Partners co-founder Robert Nelsen led Vir’s formation and ARCH has committed significant capital to the company.

Participated · Series B · Apr 2019

SpringWorks Therapeutics is a precision-medicine biotech focused on targeted oncology programs led by nirogacestat, a gamma secretase inhibitor being developed as a potentiator of BCMA-targeted therapies. The company is studying nirogacestat in combination with GSK’s anti-BCMA ADC Blenrep in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, exploring use in earlier lines of therapy, and testing combinations with BCMA bispecific antibodies and CAR-T therapies from AbbVie and Pfizer. Its pipeline also includes the MEK inhibitor mirdametinib and a RAF fusion/dimer inhibitor, BGB-3245. SpringWorks expects its first drug launches next year and continues to advance a diversified clinical pipeline. Financially, the company announced a $225 million financing and a separate $75 million equity investment tied to an expanded collaboration with GSK. GSK will continue to fund most development costs and has pledged up to $550 million in additional milestone payments to support further studies and potential commercialization of the combination. SpringWorks Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company launched in 2017 that focuses on therapies for severe rare diseases and targeted oncology. Its lead development programs include nirogacestat, a gamma secretase inhibitor for desmoid tumors, and PD-0325901, a MEK 1/2 inhibitor for neurofibromatosis type 1-associated plexiform neurofibromas. PD-0325901 is also described as a potential backbone for combination therapies to treat metastatic solid tumors. The company began with licensed clinical therapies from Pfizer and leverages partnerships with patient groups, industry and academia. SpringWorks plans to advance its two late-stage programs toward potential regulatory approval and commercialization and expects two therapies to enter potentially pivotal studies in the first half of 2019. The $125 million Series B financing will support those programs, expansion of emerging targeted oncology programs, and future in-licensing and clinical collaborations. SpringWorks Therapeutics launched with rights to four clinical-stage experimental therapies from Pfizer and a stated focus on diseases with high unmet need. The company plans Phase 3 programs for nirogacestat (PF-03084014) in desmoid tumor and for the MEK 1/2 inhibitor PD-0325901 in NF1, and intends to assess senicapoc (PF-05416266) for hereditary xerocytosis and PF-0445784 (a FAAH inhibitor) for PTSD. SpringWorks says it will expand its pipeline by partnering with other life science companies and academic institutions and will work collaboratively with patient organizations such as the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation, the Children’s Tumor Foundation, and Cohen Veterans Bioscience. Pfizer contributed both equity capital and royalty- and milestone-bearing licenses to the experimental therapies as part of the arrangement. The company emphasizes a collaborative business model designed to deliver both social and financial returns via partnerships with scientists, biopharma partners, patient groups, funders and philanthropists. The organization is led by industry veterans including Founder and President Lara S. Sullivan; the announcement was datelined New York.

Participated · Series A · Nov 2015

Atreca is a privately held biotech focused on developing novel therapeutics based on a deep understanding of the human immune response. The company uses a proprietary Discovery Engine and its Immune Repertoire Capture® (IRC™) technology to generate therapeutic candidates. It is advancing a pipeline of candidates designed to engage the human immune response in oncology and other indications. Atreca intends to broaden and accelerate discovery and pipeline generation efforts and to move its first candidate into clinical development. The company closed an oversubscribed $125 million Series C to support those plans. Cowen served as exclusive placement agent for the financing. Atreca is a biotechnology company in Redwood City, Calif., focused on developing novel therapeutics based on a deep understanding of the human immune response. The company uses its proprietary Immune Repertoire Capture® (IRC™) technology to generate unbiased, high-throughput single-cell antibody and TCR sequences from active human B and T cells. It applies those sequences to identify and generate functional human antibodies and TCRs without prior knowledge of antigen and is advancing a pipeline of antibody-based candidates to engage the anti-tumor immune response. To date Atreca has built a library of over 400 patient-derived antibodies that bind non-autologous tumor tissue. Proceeds from the oversubscribed $35 million Series B will be used to accelerate and broaden discovery and development of those therapeutics. The company anticipates nominating a clinical candidate in its lead oncology program by the end of the year. Atreca develops novel therapeutics drawn from human immune responses, using its proprietary Immune Repertoire Capture technology to profile patient immune responses at single-cell, high throughput. The company focuses on therapeutic antibodies and T cell receptors aimed at optimizing anti-tumor immune responses, including combinations with checkpoint inhibitors and immune activators. Atreca is advancing a pipeline of candidates to enhance engagement of the human immune response in cancer and other indications. The company emphasizes discovery without prior knowledge of antigen by identifying functional human antibodies and TCRs. Proceeds from the recent financing will fund further development and advancement of that pipeline. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation highlighted potential broader applications of Atreca’s technology for infectious diseases such as HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. Atreca developed Immune Repertoire CaptureTM technology that leverages next-generation sequencing to identify the set of functional antibodies produced in patients during an immune response. The company says those antibodies can be used directly or to identify immune targets for discovery and development of antibody-based therapeutics, vaccines, diagnostics, and research reagents. Atreca recently licensed exclusive rights to the technology from Stanford University. Founded in 2010 by Tito A. Serafini, Ph.D., who is CEO, CSO, and co-founder, the company is based in San Carlos, California. Atreca received a $6M investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and intends to use the proceeds to apply its technology to a particular set of infectious diseases and other conditions. It will share results with the Foundation to support discovery and development of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to be deployed in a defined group of countries.