Participated · Series C · May 2024

Ajax Therapeutics is developing next‑generation, selective JAK inhibitors to address unmet needs in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including myelofibrosis. Its lead candidate, AJ1‑11095, is a first‑in‑class Type II JAK2 inhibitor designed via a collaboration with Schrödinger using structure‑based drug design and large‑scale computational methods. Preclinical data show AJ1‑11095 maintains efficacy against MPN cells that become resistant to chronic Type I JAK2 inhibition and is intended to provide greater efficacy with potential disease‑modifying effects. The company plans to advance AJ1‑11095 into the clinic for myelofibrosis later this year and to use proceeds to push its broader MPN pipeline forward. Ajax emphasizes selective, structure‑guided approaches informed by its founding scientists’ cancer and structural biology insights. Ajax Therapeutics pursues uniquely selective small-molecule therapies targeting key cytokine signaling pathways that drive hematologic malignancies. The company combines disease and structural biology insights from its scientific founders with computational drug-discovery capabilities through a partnership with Schrödinger. Ajax’s pipeline centers on structurally enabled targets and is advanced via integrated discovery work with Schrödinger scientists to design compounds with desired selectivity and drug-like properties. The company began as an academic consortium and was founded in 2019, leveraging clinical and research collaborations with institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and NYU Langone Health. Proceeds from the recent financing will support advancement of lead programs toward the clinic, sustain the discovery pipeline, and potentially expand research beyond hematologic malignancies. Ajax also plans to build out its scientific and technical leadership team as it advances its programs.

Participated · Series B · Oct 2021

Structure Therapeutics, formerly ShouTi, is a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company that leverages structural biology and computational design to discover next-generation small-molecule therapies focused on GPCR targets. Its lead program, GSBR-1290, is an orally available small-molecule GLP‑1 receptor agonist being developed for type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. The company completed dosing in a single ascending dose Phase 1 study of GSBR-1290 in 48 healthy volunteers to evaluate safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics; no serious adverse events were reported. Structure Therapeutics designs biased GLP‑1R agonists intended to mitigate β‑arrestin–mediated internalization and desensitization and to offer a differentiated oral alternative to peptide biologics. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to advance the lead programs through clinical investigation and to expand application of its structure-based drug discovery platform across GPCR targets. The company announced a corporate name change to Structure Therapeutics to reflect its foundation in structural biology and computational design. ShouTi combines state-of-the-art computational chemistry, structural biology, and large-scale data integration to design orally available medicines with improved pharmaceutical properties. The platform focuses on high-resolution membrane protein structures, particularly GPCRs, to convert biologics and peptide therapeutics into small molecules with enhanced bioavailability and stability. ShouTi is advancing a clinical-stage pipeline targeting chronic cardiovascular, metabolic, and pulmonary diseases. Proceeds from its recent financing will be used to advance the discovery platform and continue development of the clinical-stage programs. The leadership team includes experienced drug developers and pioneers in high-throughput structure-based drug discovery, led by CEO Raymond Stevens. With the Series B, ShouTi has raised $158 million since initiating operations.

Participated · Equity · Jun 2018

Nimbus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage, structure-based drug discovery company that designs and develops novel small molecule medicines using its computational drug discovery engine and machine-learning–based predictive modeling. Its pipeline includes the clinical-stage HPK1 inhibitor NDI-101150 for solid tumors and a diverse portfolio of preclinical programs focused on cancer, autoimmune conditions and metabolic diseases, including WRN and an undisclosed autoimmune target. Nimbus is advancing novel targeted therapies that activate AMPK through a collaboration with Eli Lilly. The company will use proceeds from its recent financing to advance multiple preclinical programs into and through early clinical development and to continue clinical development of NDI-101150. Nimbus emphasizes integrating computational chemistry with high-tech structural biology tools to tackle difficult-to-drug targets. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA. Nimbus Therapeutics is a clinical-stage, structure-based drug discovery company that combines computational technologies and machine learning to design novel small-molecule medicines. The company focuses on programs across inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, cancer, and metabolic diseases and has three internally discovered compounds that have advanced into clinical trials. Lead clinical programs include NDI-034858, an oral allosteric TYK2 inhibitor in Phase 2b for plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (with planned Phase 3 initiation), and NDI-101150, an HPK1 inhibitor in Phase 1/2 for solid tumors. Nimbus is also advancing preclinical programs targeting Cbl-b and WRN and continues discovery efforts across multiple targets. The recent financing is intended to fund completion and initiation of multiple clinical trials and ongoing preclinical and discovery work. Nimbus is headquartered in Cambridge, MA. Nimbus Therapeutics designs potent, selective small-molecule compounds using a structure-based drug discovery engine to target proteins that drive pathology in prevalent diseases. The company’s LLC/subsidiary architecture enables diverse partnerships to advance programs. Its pipeline includes a novel allosteric TYK2 inhibitor with compelling data and an HPK1 inhibitor candidate slated for first-in-human studies in solid tumors. Nimbus plans multiple Phase 2 clinical studies of the TYK2 inhibitor in 2021 and 2022 and expects to begin IND-enabling studies on two novel agents in 2022. The financing will also accelerate preclinical programs across oncology and immunology. Nimbus is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. Nimbus Therapeutics is a Cambridge, Mass.-headquartered biotechnology company that designs small-molecule medicines using a structure-based drug discovery engine. Its approach focuses on potent and selective small-molecule compounds targeting proteins that drive pathology in prevalent diseases, and the company uses an LLC/subsidiary architecture to enable diverse partnerships. Nimbus announced a $60 million private financing from RA Capital Management and BVF Partners to accelerate its pipeline. The funds will support advancing its Phase 1 allosteric TYK2 inhibitor into Phase 2 early next year, moving its HPK1 inhibitor into the clinic next year, and advancing its preclinical portfolio. RA Capital's Laura Stoppel will join the Nimbus board as part of the financing. Company leadership said the financing defines a pathway for future investment and that they expect to bring on additional new investment in 2021 with continued success. Nimbus Therapeutics applies deep computational expertise across drug discovery and development to design novel treatments for metabolic disease, cancer and immune‑inflammatory disorders. The company combines massive computational‑chemistry capabilities with founding partner Schrödinger and leverages structural biology, cryo‑EM, and machine‑learning–augmented ADMET prediction. Its current portfolio includes Tyk2 inhibitors and STING antagonists partnered under an immunology alliance with Celgene, and a wholly owned STING agonist program with compelling preclinical small‑molecule data. Nimbus plans to expand discovery into new high‑value targets that overlap biological mechanisms in immunology, oncology, and metabolic disease, and to advance several undisclosed target programs toward the clinic in the next few years. The company announced $65 million in new capital to accelerate pipeline progress and expand discovery efforts. Proceeds from this financing together with business‑development activity have helped Nimbus remain a privately held LLC and build a nine‑figure balance sheet to support rapid advancement and partnerships. The company is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Participated · Series A · Jun 2016

Morphic Therapeutic develops a new generation of oral integrin therapies using a structure-enabled integrin drug discovery platform. The company draws on integrin biology breakthroughs from the Springer lab and a partnership with computational chemistry firm Schrödinger to design clinical candidates. Morphic reports compelling preclinical data across multiple programs and has yielded several novel oral drug candidates targeting integrins. Its therapeutic focus areas include fibrosis, autoimmune diseases and immuno-oncology. Morphic recently completed an $80 million Series B financing to support clinical advancement. The company is based in Waltham, Mass. Morphic Therapeutic is a biotechnology company developing a new generation of oral integrin therapies. It was created in 2015 to translate discoveries from Timothy A. Springer’s laboratory into therapies for immunological, fibrotic, neoplastic and vascular diseases. Morphic has developed an exclusive platform that includes proprietary reagents, ultra‑high‑resolution integrin crystal structures, and a founding partnership with Schrödinger to support rapid, iterative small‑molecule design. The company’s programs target fibrosis, autoimmune diseases and immuno‑oncology and aim to overcome reasons behind prior failures of oral integrin candidates. Morphic plans to advance multiple programs into the clinic using its platform and partnerships. Leadership includes CEO Praveen Tipirneni and a development team with extensive industry drug‑development experience.