Participated · Series B · Sep 2023

Evozyne builds generative AI models and a platform to design therapeutic proteins and accelerate drug development. The company collaborated with NVIDIA earlier in the year to develop an AI model for designing therapeutic proteins, aiming to exponentially increase the number and quality of synthetic protein designs. Evozyne says this approach could enable new therapeutics and reduce development time for treatments. The company intends to use the new funding to advance its generative AI-powered drug discovery platform and product development. Evozyne was founded in 2020 and is led by CEO Mike Gamson. It is based in Chicago, IL.

Participated · Series D · Nov 2022

Emalex Biosciences is developing a new class of drugs that target the dopamine D1 receptor to treat Tourette Syndrome and other CNS disorders. Its lead candidate, ecopipam, is a first-in-class D1 receptor antagonist that blocks dopamine at the D1 receptor. Ecopipam has been generally well tolerated in clinical trials to date and has received FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations for the treatment of Tourette’s. Reported adverse events have been primarily central nervous system related, including headache, fatigue, somnolence, insomnia, restlessness, anxiety, depression and rarely suicidal ideation. The company plans to use proceeds from its $250M Series D to fund a Phase 3 clinical trial expected to enroll more than 220 patients across approximately 90 sites and to support potential commercialization. Emalex was created by Paragon Biosciences, was founded by Jeff Aronin, and is based in Chicago, IL. Emalex Biosciences focuses on developing treatments for central nervous system movement disorders and fluency disorders with limited or no treatment options. The company is evaluating ecopipam (EBS-101), an investigational first-in-class medicine, in three ongoing Phase 2 clinical trials. Its clinical programs target Tourette syndrome and childhood-onset fluency disorder (stuttering), including pediatric and adolescent populations. Emalex intends to use recent financing to continue development of ecopipam and to support organizational operations through trial completion. Trial completion is expected by the end of this year. The company is headquartered in Chicago, IL.

Led · Equity · Mar 2020

Castle Creek Biosciences, based in Exton, Pennsylvania, is a privately held biotech focused on developing and commercializing gene therapies for rare and serious genetic disorders. Its lead candidate, FCX-007, is in Phase 3 clinical development for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), the most severe form of epidermolysis bullosa. The company is also advancing CCP-020, a diacerein topical ointment for epidermolysis bullosa simplex and other EB subtypes, and FCX-013 for moderate to severe localized scleroderma. Funding is being directed toward expanding this gene therapy pipeline and enhancing the company’s current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) infrastructure in the greater Philadelphia region. Led by CEO John Maslowski, Castle Creek aims to transition its late-stage programs toward commercialization while bolstering in-house manufacturing capabilities. The recent capital infusion combines equity and venture debt, underscoring investor confidence in its clinical and manufacturing progress.