Participated · Series E · Feb 2019

Peloton Therapeutics is a clinical-stage drug discovery and development company focused on first-in-class oral medicines for cancer and other serious conditions. Its lead development program is PT2977, a potent and selective oral HIF-2α inhibitor targeting clear cell renal cell carcinoma and other disorders. The company emphasizes translating novel scientific insights into medicines for debilitating or life‑threatening conditions and notes that HIF-2α was previously thought to be intractable using small molecules. Proceeds from the recent financing will be used to advance Peloton’s research and development pipeline, including PT2977. RA Capital highlighted support as Peloton moves toward a Phase 3 trial of PT2977 for metastatic renal cell carcinoma and advances development in Von Hippel‑Lindau disease. The company issued the announcement from Dallas. Peloton Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel small-molecule cancer therapies. Its lead programs are inhibitors of hypoxia inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α), a transcription factor implicated in kidney and other cancers. The company emphasizes first-in-class approaches that target unexploited molecular vulnerabilities. Peloton is advancing these programs through clinical development with the aim of impacting renal and other oncology indications. Financially, Peloton recently completed a Series D financing, increasing proceeds to support its programs. The company is publicly identified in the article as based in Dallas. Peloton Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech focused on discovering and developing first-in-class small-molecule cancer therapies. Its lead program, PT2385, is a first-in-class small molecule antagonist of hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α). PT2385 has generated reported responses in patients with renal cell carcinoma and is being considered for applications in von Hippel-Lindau disease, glioblastoma multiforme, and other high-unmet-need diseases. The company intends to advance its HIF-2α program and other research programs toward clinical goals. Peloton completed a $52.4 million Series D private financing to support these development plans. Management stated the financing positions the company to realize the full potential of its HIF-2α antagonists and continue its research efforts. Peloton Therapeutics is a Dallas-based early-stage cancer drug discovery and development company focused on small-molecule therapeutics. It is advancing a pipeline of several small molecule-based programs, each with distinct targets and mechanisms of action, in close collaboration with scientists at UT Southwestern. The company was founded by scientist Steven L. McKnight, Ph.D., and its board includes Nobel Laureate Michael S. Brown, John W. Creecy, David V. Goeddel, Tim Kutzkey and Brett A. Ringle. John A. Josey, Ph.D., former Vice President of Discovery Chemistry at Array BioPharma, will join Peloton as President and Chief Scientific Officer. Peloton completed an $18M Series A financing led by The Column Group, with participation from Remeditex Ventures and Peter O’Donnell, Jr. This Series A supplements an $11M grant recently awarded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).

Participated · Series C · Jul 2013

NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (NGM Bio) is a privately held biotechnology company based in South San Francisco focused on discovering and developing novel, life-changing medicines. Its core pipeline includes aldafermin, an engineered FGF19 analog, and NGM120, a GDF15/GFRAL antagonist antibody—both discovered through the company’s in‑house discovery engine. The company will use proceeds from a newly announced $122 million Series A to initiate a planned registrational trial of aldafermin for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) and to complete a planned Phase 2 trial of NGM120 for hyperemesis gravidarum (HG); both trials are expected to begin in Q4 2024. Aldafermin has prior Phase 2 clinical data in PSC, and NGM Bio anticipates the registrational trial will utilize proposed surrogate endpoints with the goal of accelerated approval. NGM120’s development is rooted in a decade of GDF15 biology research and is designed to block GDF15 signaling through GFRAL to address nausea and vomiting in HG. The company completed a take-private transaction in April to bolster efficiency and flexibility and is a wholly owned subsidiary of NGM Bio Holdings, Inc. NGM Biopharmaceuticals develops therapeutics targeting diabetes, obesity, muscle wasting and other cardio-metabolic diseases. The company operates a drug-discovery platform based on the idea that certain genes are turned on or off during gastric bypass surgery, which may explain rapid improvements in diabetes. NGM has been engaged in basic scientific research for the past five years and plans to use recent financing to advance its portfolio into development. It maintains collaborations with Daiichi Sankyo, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, MedImmune and JDRF. The company's board includes industry veteran Art Levinson. Financially, NGM has raised over $130 million since its 2008 founding and is based in South San Francisco. NGM Biopharmaceuticals is dedicated to the discovery and development of transformational medicines. The company has created a proprietary discovery platform aimed at identifying and validating novel targets and factors that impact the underlying etiology of metabolic diseases. Using that platform, NGM is generating a pipeline of new drug candidates as novel treatments for diabetes, obesity, muscle wasting and cardiovascular disease. Financially, the company closed the first tranche of a $51M Series B round of financing. Investors in the tranche included The Column Group, Tichenor Ventures, Prospect Venture Partners, Rho Ventures and other new and Series A investors. In conjunction with the funding, McHenry (Mac) T. Tichenor, Jr. of Tichenor Ventures was appointed to the board. NGM Biopharmaceuticals is a South San Francisco–based company focused on developing new treatments for heart and metabolic diseases. The company raised $25 million in a first funding round and plans to devote the proceeds to R&D spending over the next three years. Investors in the round included Column Group, Prospect Venture Partners and Rho Ventures. NGM has described its approach using “post-genomic bioinformatics” and “new approaches to human biology,” but has not disclosed detailed plans. The company is being led on an acting basis by Tularik founder David Goeddel; chief scientific officer Jin-Long Chen previously served as a VP of biology at Tularik and headed Amgen’s metabolic-disorders unit. Its website was reported to be under construction at the time of the coverage.

Participated · Series B · Jan 2010

Kolltan Pharmaceuticals is a New Haven, CT–based biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing novel biologic agents designed to modulate receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Its lead clinical-stage candidate, KTN3379, is a dual-mechanism monoclonal antibody that potently inhibits the ErbB3 RTK. The company intends to use the Series D proceeds to advance KTN3379 into Phase 2 clinical trials in cancer patients with various malignancies. Kolltan also plans to advance its preclinical candidates toward IND filing and clinical studies. Management is led by President and CEO Jerry McMahon, Ph.D., with Arthur Altschul, Jr. as Chairman. The company completed a $60M Series D to fund these development efforts. Kolltan Pharmaceuticals is developing a new generation of monoclonal antibody oncology therapeutics based on seminal discoveries from the laboratory of Dr. Joseph Schlessinger at the Yale School of Medicine. The company is advancing multiple therapeutic candidates in its pipeline and intends to use new funding to progress development. In January 2010 Kolltan closed a $10m Series B financing to support those efforts. The Series B consists of $8.5m in Series B convertible preferred stock and $1.5m that can be applied to a product development option or converted into Series B convertible preferred stock. Kolltan is based in New Haven, CT and previously completed a $40m Series A in which current investors also participated.