Led · Series A · Sep 2022

Naveris’ flagship product is NavDx, a blood test for early detection of cancers caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) that uses proprietary patented DNA fragmentomics to distinguish viral DNA arising from cancers versus infection. The company is commercial-stage and intends to use new proceeds to advance commercialization of NavDx and to generate clinical data needed to expand into other cancer types and indications. Naveris has partnered with more than 25 medical institutions to conduct clinical studies and trials using its technology and has collaborations with biotechnology companies developing immunotherapies for HPV-related cancers. Its clinical laboratory is CLIA-certified and accredited by the College of American Pathologists and the New York State Department of Health Wadsworth Center. The company was founded in 2017, maintains facilities in Massachusetts and North Carolina, and is led by founder and CEO Piyush B. Gupta, Ph.D. Naveris develops blood-based molecular diagnostic tests to detect viral-associated cancers, led by its NavDx® assay for HPV-related malignancies. NavDx® uses proprietary circulating tumor DNA genetic fingerprints derived from technology invented at the University of North Carolina Lineberger Cancer Center. The NavDx® test was clinically validated in a 3-year longitudinal study (published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology) showing 100% negative predictive value and 94% positive predictive value for detecting recurrence of HPV-related head and neck cancer. Naveris currently offers NavDx® through its CLIA laboratory to cancer centers across the U.S. The company plans to use new financing to expand patient access, generate data to support reimbursement and inclusion in treatment guidelines, and advance product development and its pipeline for other viral-related cancers. The company is led by Founder & CEO Piyush B. Gupta, PhD, with Philip Stephens, PhD as CSO and Barry Berger, MD as CMO.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2022

Alladapt Immunotherapeutics is a private clinical-stage biopharmaceutical developing ADP101, an investigational oral immunotherapy representing the nine food groups responsible for most significant food-allergic reactions. The company is conducting the Harmony Phase 1/2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study and an Encore open-label extension. ADP101 is being advanced toward a potential Phase 3 pivotal trial and Alladapt is completing a manufacturing facility intended for late-stage clinical supply and potential commercial product. Recent financing activity — an oversubscribed $119 million institutional financing plus the new term loan — extends the company’s cash runway into 2024. The company was co-founded in 2018 and is based in Menlo Park, California. Alladapt is a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing prescription therapeutics to treat IgE-mediated food allergy. Its lead candidate, ADP101, is an investigational oral immunotherapy representing the nine food groups responsible for the vast majority of significant food-allergic reactions globally and is being studied in the Harmony Phase 1/2 trial and the Encore open-label extension. The company plans to prepare for a potential pivotal trial while continuing to build out its manufacturing facility and expand its pipeline. Proceeds from the financing will fund ongoing clinical development of ADP101, manufacturing buildout, and further pipeline expansion. Alladapt was co-founded in 2018 by Ashley Dombkowski, Ph.D., and Kari Nadeau, M.D., Ph.D., and is based in Menlo Park, California. Alladapt Immunotherapeutics is a privately held biopharmaceutical company focused on developing prescription therapeutics to address food allergy. Its lead program, ADP101, is a proprietary broad‑spectrum oral immunotherapy being advanced to mitigate food allergy triggered by single or multiple proteins from a wide-ranging set of common allergens. The company announced plans to initiate a clinical trial later in 2020 and will use financing proceeds to support the initial clinical development of ADP101. Alladapt emphasizes incorporating patient perspectives in product formulation and clinical development. The company was co-founded by Kari Nadeau, MD, PhD (scientific inventor) and Ashley Dombkowski, PhD (CEO), and lists Dana McClintock, MD as Chief Medical Officer and a distinguished scientific advisory board. Financially, Alladapt completed a $60 million Series C in February 2020 to fund its clinical advancement.

Led · Series A · May 2022

Fairtility provides an Embryo Quality Assessment Assistant that applies transparent AI to IVF decision-making, giving clinicians and patients visibility into the biological data informing embryo assessments. CHLOE EQ™ (Cultivating Human Life through Optimal Embryos) produces data intended to support IVF professionals' experience and intuition by leveraging the collective analysis of millions of data points collected from diverse embryology labs and workflows globally. The company plans to use the new funding to advance clinical research with fertility clinics and academic institutions worldwide and to support regulatory approval processes. Fairtility also intends to develop CHLOE beyond embryo assessment to span the full breadth of IVF treatment. Led by co-founder and CEO Eran Eshed and based in Tel Aviv, Israel, the company has raised $18.5M in total funding to date.

Led · Series B · Aug 2021

Mahana Therapeutics is a San Francisco–based developer of prescription digital therapeutics that deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for chronic conditions. Its lead product, Mahana IBS, is an FDA‑cleared, prescription‑only digital therapeutic delivered via web and mobile apps and indicated as a three‑month CBT treatment for adults with IBS. Mahana IBS showed effectiveness in a 558‑patient clinical trial, with patients experiencing significant improvements in IBS symptom severity and daily functioning. The company plans to use new capital to launch Mahana IBS commercially and to accelerate development of several additional digital therapeutics for chronic health conditions. The app is available for iOS and Android and may be used alongside other IBS treatments. Mahana emphasizes expanding patient access to CBT where licensed clinicians are scarce.

Participated · Series A · Apr 2020

Zikani Therapeutics leverages its proprietary TURBO-ZMTM chemistry platform to develop novel Ribosome Modulating Agents (RMAs) aimed at treating rare diseases caused by nonsense mutations. The platform enables rapid synthesis and optimization of RMAs to target the human ribosome in a disease-specific manner. Zikani has reported positive pre-clinical data across multiple indications, including APC mutant colon cancer, familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), class 1 cystic fibrosis, and recessive dystrophic and junctional epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB and JEB). The company is advancing its nonsense mutation readthrough programs from lead optimization to candidate selection and is moving into pre-clinical development. Management says the financing will be used to advance those programs and to pursue partnerships that leverage the TURBO-ZMTM platform. Zikani positions itself to transition from early-stage to clinical-stage research as it progresses selected programs. Macrolide Pharmaceuticals develops next-generation macrolide antibiotics engineered to have first-in-class Gram-negative activity against multi-drug resistant bacterial infections. The company uses a fully synthetic technology platform licensed from Harvard University that enables creation of new macrolides from basic chemical building blocks, broadening the class from traditional Gram-positive to include MDR Gram-negative pathogens. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, Macrolide's lead program targets serious infections caused by resistant Gram-negative pathogens. The company recently completed a $20 million investor financing and also received a previously announced CARB-X award to accelerate development. Proceeds will support advancing novel IV and oral macrolide candidates, including work to support filing an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for its lead program. The company also announced Mahesh Karande as President and CEO to lead clinical and business development efforts. Macrolide Pharmaceuticals develops novel macrolide antibiotics using a proprietary total-synthesis chemistry platform invented by Prof. Andrew Myers at Harvard. The platform enables synthesis of a broad range of macrolides and has produced initial compounds with promising antibacterial activity. The company aims to extend the macrolide class’ spectrum, targeting both Gram-negative infections with limited treatment options and Gram-positive organisms. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to expand the proprietary drug discovery platform and accelerate development of a pipeline of antibiotic candidates. Macrolide holds exclusive rights to the technology via a worldwide license from Harvard’s Office of Technology Development. The company is based in Newton, Mass., and was founded by Prof. Myers and Dr. Lawrence Miller.