Participated · Series C · Feb 2025

Abcuro develops immunotherapies intended to benefit people with debilitating and progressive rare autoimmune diseases by selectively targeting and depleting highly cytotoxic T cells. Its lead program, ulviprubart, is a monoclonal antibody that targets killer cell lectin like receptor G1 (KLRG1) and is currently being evaluated for the treatment of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). The company plans to use proceeds from the Series D to support a new potentially registrational clinical study of ulviprubart in patients with less severe IBM. Abcuro is led by CEO Alex Martin and is based in Newton, MA. Financially, it has just completed a $66M Series D financing led by New Leaf Venture Partners with participation from a broad syndicate of life sciences and strategic investors.

Participated · Series C · Dec 2020

Edgewise Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing orally bioavailable small molecule therapies for musculoskeletal and rare neuromuscular diseases. Its lead candidate, EDG-5506, is an orally administered small molecule designed to selectively limit injurious hypercontraction stress in dystrophinopathies including Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy. EDG-5506 is currently advancing in a Phase 1 randomized, placebo-controlled Single and Multiple Ascending Dose trial evaluating safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in healthy volunteers and adults with BMD. The company completed a $95 million Series C financing to advance clinical development of EDG-5506 and its other rare disease programs. Proceeds are also intended to support potential future in-licensing opportunities and clinical collaborations in rare diseases. Edgewise was founded in 2017. Edgewise Therapeutics is a preclinical company developing first-in-class small-molecule therapies for high-morbidity musculoskeletal diseases. The company uses a muscle physiology platform to identify novel targets intended to arrest muscle damage, limit inflammatory and fibrotic responses, and preserve muscle integrity and function. Its lead product candidate is being advanced toward clinical development for Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies. Edgewise says its approach aims to reduce muscle breakdown and normalize muscle function to decrease mortality and improve quality of life. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Boulder, Colorado. It closed a $50 million Series B to fund clinical advancement of the lead candidate and expansion of its pipeline.

Participated · Series D · Oct 2020

TigerConnect delivers cloud-based clinical communication and collaboration solutions, including telehealth, to over 7,000 healthcare organizations and 700,000 caregivers. The company sells subscription-based software covering collaboration, communication, scheduling and patient engagement. Founded in 2010 and based in Santa Monica, California, TigerConnect saw its number of users more than double during the past year amid the pandemic. Management says it will use proceeds to invest in its product to meet growing clinical collaboration needs, pursue acquisition opportunities, and apply AI and machine learning to provide smart solutions from platform data. CEO and co-founder Brad Brooks described the company as a common communication network for clinical workflows aimed at improving efficiency and patient experience. TigerConnect provides a platform that modernizes care collaboration among doctors, nurses, care teams and patients. The platform combines a consumer-like user experience for clinical and patient communication with security, privacy and clinical workflow features. It is used by more than 7,000 healthcare organizations. Led by co-founder and CEO Brad Brooks and headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, the company focuses on telehealth and workflow collaboration. TigerConnect intends to use its new funding to accelerate investment into its telehealth and workflow collaboration platform. The company recently closed a $45M Series D to support those initiatives.

Participated · Equity · Sep 2020

ESCAPE Bio is a clinical-stage, privately held biopharmaceutical company developing novel, precisely targeted therapeutics for genetically defined neurodegenerative diseases. Its lead programs include ESB1609, an orally administered, brain-penetrant S1P5 receptor agonist in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase 1 multiple ascending dose study in healthy volunteers; ESB5070, a mutant-selective LRRK2 G2019S kinase inhibitor in IND-enabling toxicology studies; and a pharmacologic structure corrector for ApoE4 Alzheimer's patients in discovery. ESB1609 has shown preclinical activity normalizing brain ceramide and sphingosine phosphate levels and promoting clearance of aggregation-prone proteins across multiple models. ESB5070 is being developed specifically for patients carrying the LRRK2 G2019S variant, which occurs in 1–3% of Parkinson’s disease patients. The company announced the closing of a $73 million financing led by Wellington Management Company LLP to advance its clinical programs. Proceeds will be used to accelerate two programs into patients who lack disease-modifying treatments. E-Scape Bio develops small-molecule drugs that target inherited genetic drivers of neurodegenerative disorders and correct dysfunctional proteins at the root of disease. Its lead program targets the Apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) protein structure, a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease. The company's therapeutic programs are designed to restore normal function disrupted by inherited genetic mutations, with programs aimed at Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. E-Scape Bio was co-founded by Robert Mahley, M.D., Ph.D., and Yadong Huang, M.D., Ph.D., based on their research at the Gladstone Institutes linking ApoE4 to disease pathogenesis. Leon Chen, Ph.D., is cited as the interim chief executive officer. The company says it will apply resources to rapidly build its pipeline and advance toward the clinic.

Participated · Series C · Jul 2015

Afferent Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing selective P2X3 antagonists to treat neurogenic respiratory, urologic and pain disorders. Its lead candidate, AF-219, is an oral, selective, non-narcotic P2X3 antagonist being developed for pathologic cough, including cough in IPF patients, and showed an 84% reduction in cough frequency in a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study. A multi-center, dose-escalation Phase 2b study of AF-219 has completed enrollment and top-line data are expected in September. The company plans to initiate a Phase 2 study of AF-219 in IPF patients this year and to progress its next compound to the clinic later this year for cardiovascular and other P2X3-driven diseases. Afferent positions its P2X3 platform to explore indications including chronic cough, IPF cough, asthma, COPD, visceral sensory disorders, resistant hypertension, and various chronic pain disorders. The recently completed $55 million Series C will fund dose-selection, Phase 3 preparations for AF-219, and advancement of the next compound. Afferent Pharmaceuticals is developing compounds to treat chronic pain by targeting the P2X3 receptor. The company closed a $23M Series A financing to advance its programs. Proceeds will be used to accelerate development of its P2X3 receptor-targeted pain therapies. In conjunction with the financing, Afferent exclusively licensed the P2X3 program from Roche in Basel, Switzerland. Afferent was launched in December 2009 and is based in Palo Alto, California. It is led by Anthony P. Ford, Ph.D., chief scientific officer and a recognized expert in the P2X3 field.