Pfizer Venture Investments

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

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 Rhythm Pharmaceuticals specializes in developing and commercializing treatments for rare genetic disorders of obesity, including proopiomelanocortin (POMC) deficiency obesity, leptin receptor (LEPR) deficiency obesity, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The company's flagship product, setmelanotide (branded as IMCIVREE), is an FDA-approved prescription medication for chronic weight management in adults and children aged six and older with specific forms of genetic obesity. The medication targets the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) pathway, crucial in regulating weight and hunger. The company also explores additional therapies like RM-853, a ghrelin O-acyltransferase (GOAT) inhibitor for Prader-Willi syndrome​.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Rhythm Pharmaceuticals primarily serves patients with rare genetic disorders of obesity, such as those caused by deficiencies in POMC, PCSK1, LEPR, or those with Bardet-Biedl syndrome. The company's key product, IMCIVREE, is marketed to healthcare professionals and patients in the US and Europe.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In April 2024, Rhythm Pharmaceuticals secured USD 150 million through convertible preferred stock financing as part of its strategy to advance the care and development of precision medicines for their specialized market. The funding was to be used to support ongoing clinical trials and the development of new therapies addressing rare genetic disorders of obesity​. 
 
 
 
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Flare Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that focuses on the discovery and development of small molecule drugs targeting transcription factors for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. The company uses its proprietary transcription factor drug discovery engine to identify small molecules that modulate transcription factors, which are key regulators of gene expression. The company claims it is the first company slated to enter the clinic, making it a potentially groundbreaking development for urothelial cancer.The company had four therapeutic programs in the pipeline as of June 2024, including its lead drug candidate FX-909, a small molecule inhibitor that targets the PPARG transcription factor in patients who have advanced urothelial (bladder) cancer. This program was at phase I clinical trials as of June 2024.Key Customers and PartnershipsIn April 2023, the company entered a multi-year strategic collaboration with molecular profiling company <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17754">Caris Life Sciences </a>to speed up precision medicine approaches across five of Flare's therapeutic programs.

Ribon Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapeutics that target novel enzyme families activated under cellular stress conditions contributing to disease. As of January 2023, Ribon’s portfolio included two oral, potentially first-in-class clinical programs: RBN-2397, a PARP7 inhibitor, and RBN-3143, a PARP14 inhibitor, with broad potential applications in oncology and inflammatory diseases, respectively. The company aims to develop effective treatments for patients with limited therapeutic options by exploring novel areas of biology.Utilizing its proprietary BEACON+ (Blocking the Enzyme Activity Component of NAD+) platform, Ribon is creating a pipeline of selective, small molecule inhibitors for numerous NAD+-utilizing enzymes, starting with monoARTs (mono-ADP-ribosyltransferase), which have applications across various therapeutic areas.

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 UK-based Nucleome Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering novel treatment targets for diseases caused by genetic mutations starting with autoimmune disorders. Nucleome&rsquo;s cell type-specific platform uses AI to create high-resolution 3D genome structure maps and identifies genetic variations within the &ldquo;dark matter&rdquo; of the human genome. &quot;Dark matter&quot; refers to the majority of the genome that does not contain instructions for making proteins (non-coding regions of the genome). This part of the genome, although not well understood, is crucial for regulating genes and understanding diseases. It contains around 90% of the genetic changes associated with diseases.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In October 2022, the company raised USD 41.9 million in a Series A funding round led by M Ventures (venture capital arm of Merck KGaA), with participation from new and existing investors, including Johnson and Johnson Innovation-JJDC, Inc., and Pfizer Ventures. The new funds were allocated toward advancing its drug candidates to treat autoimmune diseases and further expand its drug discovery platform. 
 
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Jnana Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology startup company that focuses on the discovery and development of difficult-to-drug targets, using its next-gen RAPID chemoproteomics platform. The platform is used to discover small molecule treatments from highly validated targets. This platform uses a combination of chemistry, biology, and computational methods to identify and develop new drugs. The company's main focus is on therapeutic areas such as rare diseases, immune-mediated diseases, and cancer. Its lead drug candidate, JNT-517, is a small molecule drug targeting the SLC6A19 gene found in patients with phenylketonuria PKU, a rare genetic metabolic disease. The drug obtained the Rare Pediatric Disease Designation from FDA and has successfully dosed the first patient in its Phase I clinical trial. In January 2023, the FDA cleared Jnana’s first Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. Also as of June 2024, the company had four other targets in the discovery stage and additional .partnered undisclosed programs with Roche and Neurocrine Biosciences.Key customers and partnershipsThe company has two partnerships with pharma giant Roche. The two companies first collaborated in June 2020 with a focus on targeting SLC metabolite transporters. In November 2022, Jnana announced another collaboration involving the discovery and development of small molecule therapies targeting patients with cancer as well as immune-mediated and neurological diseases. The company was to receive USD 50 million as an upfront payment, with the potential to earn future payments exceeding USD 2 billion.

Autobahn Therapeutics is a San Diego-based biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The company leverages its proprietary brain-targeting chemistry platform to create therapies with precision-tuned CNS exposure. Autobahn's lead candidate is ABX-002, a potent and selective thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRβ) agonist designed as a potential adjunctive treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD). ABX-002 is an orally administered small molecule that enhances brain delivery while reducing peripheral effects compared to synthetic thyroid hormones. In November 2023, Autobahn reported positive top line results from a Phase 1 study of ABX-002, demonstrating CNS target engagement and a favorable safety profile. The company plans to advance ABX-002 into Phase 2 clinical trials for MDD in 2024.In addition to ABX-002, Autobahn is developing ABX-101, a brain-penetrant oral sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor modulator for neuroinflammatory disorders. The company aims to progress ABX-101 through IND-enabling studies in 2024. Autobahn's technology platform also has potential applications in other CNS conditions, including multiple sclerosis, where preclinical data have shown promise for promoting remyelination.

Epic Sciences is focused on developing and marketing innovative diagnostics to guide therapy selection and monitor disease progression, thereby personalizing and advancing the treatment and management of prostate and breast cancers. The company's liquid biopsy platform utilizes proprietary cell analysis and cell-free analysis capabilities to deliver comprehensive cancer profiling, offering more complete and efficient analysis with clearer insights. Through its full-service CAP/CLIA-accredited laboratory and research support services, Epic Sciences collaborates with leading pharmaceutical companies and major cancer centers globally to enhance patient outcomes.As of June 2024 the firm had two diagnostic tests: DefineMBC and AR-V7. Its DefineMBC test combines circulating tumor cells analysis together with single-cell whole-genome sequencing and cell-free DNA sequencing into a single blood draw. This test is used to profile metastatic (late stage) breast cancer when a tissue biopsy is unavailable. Its AR-V7 liquid biopsy test identifies patients with metastatic prostate cancer who are likely to be resistant to androgen receptor-directed therapies, which are a gold standard for treating prostate cancer. According to Epic Sciences, this is the first and only Medicare-covered liquid biopsy for metastatic prostate cancer that has been clinically validated.Key customers and partnershipsThe firm operates a B2B2C model and is available to patients via healthcare providers. It also offers cancer profiling services to pharmaceutical companies, supporting them with the drug development process, including biomarker validation, patient selection, and companion diagnostic development. In January 2022 the company partnered with Biosplice Therapeutics, a biotechnology company pioneering focused on CLK/DYRK kinase modulation for major diseases to incorporate multi-omic profiling in Biosplice’s clinical oncology programs, including Cirtuvivint (SM08502).

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 Mersana Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that discovers and develops novel antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) to treat cancer. It uses its proprietary ADC platforms to design, test, and advance its pipelines. It has four platforms: 1) DolaLock technology (with controlled bystander effect), 2) Dolaflexin (ability to carry multiple drug molecules), 3) Dolasynthen (ability to generate homogeneous ADCs), and 4) Immunosynthen (capable of inducing anti-tumor activity).
 
 
 Mersana&rsquo;s lead product candidate, upifitamab rilsodotin (UpRi), targeting NaPi2b, is undergoing trials to treat ovarian cancer and was in Phase III of clinical trials as of December 2022. In addition, it was developing two other ADC programs in clinical and preclinical studies: 1) XMT-2056, which is designed to treat HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor, which is a protein that promotes cancer growth and the company planned to initiate a Phase I trial during 2022, and 2) XMT-1660, which is designed to target B7-H4 to treat multiple solid tumors and is also in Phase I of clinical trials. In May 2022, the FDA granted an orphan drug designation to XMT-2056 for the treatment of patients with gastric cancers. Its collaboration with Asana Biosciences, ASN004, was in Phase 1 clinical trials targeting the 5T4 oncofetal antigen (trophoblast glycoprotein), which is expressed in a wide range of malignant tumors. The company also had four other undisclosed programs in preclinical studies and three programs in the discovery stage of the pipeline.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 The company has several partners that are using its platforms to advance their ADC pipelines. In February 2022, the company signed a research collaboration and license agreement with Janssen Biotech to develop three ADC targets. Furthermore, 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/12204">
 the company partnered with pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline 
 </a>
 (GSK) in August 2022&nbsp; to co-develop XMT-2026, receiving an initial payment of USD 100 million.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 The company began trading on Nasdaq in June 2017 under the ticker symbol &quot;MRSN,&quot; raising USD 75 million at its IPO. The company raised USD 174.8 million in June 2020 via a public offering consisting of 9.2 million shares priced at USD 19 per share. The new funds were used to advance XMT-1536 and XMT-1592 and for working capital, capital expenditures, and general expenses.
 
 
 For the six months ended June 2023, the company is yet to generate revenue from drug sales. However, collaboration revenue for the same period was USD 18.5 million, increasing by almost 2x YoY. The company&rsquo;s net loss increased by 11.1% YoY to USD 110.5 million for 1H 2023. Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities as of June 30, 2023 were USD 286.6 million, compared to USD 280.7 million as of December 31, 2022. Mersana expects that its available funds will be sufficient to support its current operating plan commitments into 2026.
 
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Artificial intelligence is identifying and testing new therapies faster than ever.

AI Drug Discovery

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 Nimbus Therapeutics is a biotechnology company designing small molecule compounds targeted at various diseases. It utilizes the chemical simulation computational platform built by co-founder Schr&ouml;dinger Inc., which incorporates artificial intelligence and machine learning, and co-develops drugs by partnering with pharma companies. Its pipeline includes programs in metabolic diseases, cancer, and immune-inflammatory disorders.&nbsp;
 
 
 As of March 2024, the company was developing five targets, of which one is in the clinical stage, two are in the preclinical stage, and others remain at a discovery stage. The company initiated investigational new drug (IND)-enabling studies on two novel agents in 2022.
 
 
 Takeda Pharmaceuticals acquired Nimbus Therapeutics&rsquo;s fully owned subsidiary, Nimbus Lakshmi, and its tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2) (intracellular enzyme) program 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/16314">
 in February 2023
 </a>
 . Following the acquisition, Nimbus&rsquo; drug candidate, NDI-034858, for psoriasis was renamed to &ldquo;TAK-279.&rdquo;&nbsp;
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Nimbus Therapeutics&rsquo;&nbsp; pharma partners include Roche&rsquo;s Genentech, Celgene, and Gilead.
 
 In 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/24983">
 December 2023
 </a>
 , Nimbus Therapeutics partnered with Anagenex to discover small-molecule drugs for various complex targets. Further, in October 2022, the company partnered with Eli Lilly to progress the development of novel targeted therapies that activate AMPK to potentially treat a broad range of metabolic disorders.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In September 2023, the company raised USD 210 million in a 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/21624">
 private funding round
 </a>
 co-led by GV (Google Ventures) in September 2023 to advance Nimbus Therapeutics' pipeline of drugs for various disorders. 
 
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 Triana Biomedicines develops small molecule therapeutics to treat a variety of previously undruggable or poorly addressed diseases with a focus on oncology. The company&rsquo;s approach entails the discovery and development of molecular glues&ndash;a molecule that facilitates interaction between two non-interacting proteins&ndash;through its AI platform. The platform is reportedly capable of identifying over 600 E3 ubiquitin ligases to address disease-specific targets.
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 In April 2022, Triana had emerged from stealth with USD 110 million in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/9691">
 Series A
 </a>
 financing led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. Pfizer Ventures had also participated in the round. The proceeds from the round were said to be earmarked for fuelling the company&rsquo;s R&amp;D and expansion efforts. 
 
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Novel therapies to reboot cells and organs

Cell & Gene Therapy

Capstan Therapeutics is a developer of cell-based therapeutic platforms for the treatment of diseases related to oncology, autoimmune disorders, fibrosis, and monogenic blood disorders. Launched in September 2022, Capstan’s therapeutics use targeted lipid nanoparticles (tLNP) as a delivery mechanism for either mRNA or gene editing solutions. The company’s solutions are capable of reprogramming specific cells in-vivo, allowing for therapeutics to either target pathogenic cells or engineer immune cells. As of May 2024, the company had not publicly disclosed its clinical pipeline.

Promoting the health, well-being, and ethical treatment of animals

Animal Therapeutics

Mirna Therapeutics was an Austin-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that developed a pipeline of microRNA-based oncology therapeutics. It implemented NetSuite's cloud-based business management software to drive its Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance success and enhance reporting and accounting functions. Mirna completed an initial public offering (IPO) and started trading on the Nasdaq exchange under the ticker symbol MIRN in October 2013. The company received a three-year, USD 16.8 million product development grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) in 2012 to fund its cancer research programs. NetSuite enabled Mirna to meet the timely reporting compliance requirements associated with the CPRIT grant.

Radioactive materials open up new pathways in patient treatment and medication

Radiopharmaceuticals

Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly, developed the first radioactive diagnostic agent approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for imaging tau neurofibrillary tangles on positron emission tomography (PET) scans. The F-18 flortaucipir tracer, marketed under the name Tauvid, helps clinicians estimate the density and distribution of tau tangles in the brains of adults with cognitive impairment being evaluated for Alzheimer's disease.
Tauvid works by binding to tau proteins that form neurofibrillary tangles, which are a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease along with amyloid plaques. Previously, doctors could only diagnose Alzheimer's neuropathologically by identifying both plaques and tangles in the brain after death. With Tauvid, physicians can now visualize and assess tau pathology in living patients through PET imaging.
The FDA's approval of Tauvid in May 2020 was supported by two clinical studies evaluating the agent's safety and effectiveness. These studies demonstrated that readers interpreting Tauvid PET scans had a high probability of accurately detecting tau pathology and an average-to-high probability of correctly identifying patients without tau pathology.

A decentralized version of the web powered by the blockchain

Web3 Ecosystem

VitaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organizations (DAO) collective for community-governed and decentralized drug development. It aims to acquire, support, and finance new therapeutics and research data in the longevity space.The public can join VitaDAO and govern its IP through <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/19846">VITA-FAST </a>tokens by contributing funds, work, research data, or IP assets. VITA-FAST tokens enable their holder to engage in decision-making and governance of VitaDAO’s research, signal support for specific initiatives, and govern its data repositories and IP portfolio.Key customers and partnershipsAs of June 2023, VitaDAO had a community of over 9,000 researchers and contributors, and had distributed more than USD 4 million in funding to over 17 longevity-based research projects.Funding and financialsIt raised USD 4.1 million in a strategic funding round in January 2023, which saw participation from Pfizer Ventures, Shine Capital, and L1 Digital among others. The fresh funds were geared towards investing in longevity research projects, precede the spinout of VitaDAO’s first biotech startups scheduled in Q1 2023, and commercialize and license its IP-NFT assets through its partnership with <a href="https://sp-edge.com/companies/789559">Molecule DAO </a>.

Transforming neurological care with innovation

Neurostimulation Tech

Neuronetics is a commercial-stage medical technology company that develops the NeuroStar Advanced Therapy System, a non-invasive and non-systemic office-based treatment that uses transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to create a pulsed magnetic field designed to stimulate specific areas of the brain associated with mood regulation. The NeuroStar system is FDA-cleared for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adult patients who have failed to achieve satisfactory improvement from prior antidepressant medication. It is also cleared for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and for decreasing anxiety symptoms in adult patients with MDD who exhibit comorbid anxiety.
The NeuroStar therapy delivers magnetic pulses that stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of MDD and OCD. It provides a valuable option for patients who do not respond to antidepressant medications. As of March 2024, Neuronetics secured FDA clearance for NeuroStar as the first and only TMS treatment to be used as a first-line adjunct treatment for adolescent patients aged 15 to 21 with MDD. This expands the company's total addressable market in MDD by approximately 35%.
Neuronetics utilizes its proprietary TrakStar platform, a data repository that collects real-world evidence from daily use of NeuroStar therapy, to evaluate opportunities for expanding the treatment's indications. The company reported full-year 2023 revenue of USD 65.2 million, up 18% from the previous year, driven by strong growth in treatment session sales, particularly in the local consumable customer segment.
Key customers and partnerships
In March 2024, Neuronetics announced a five-year exclusive partnership with Transformations Care Network, one of the nation's largest mental healthcare providers. Under this agreement, Neuronetics became Transformations' exclusive provider of new TMS systems, and Transformations converted from a fixed price to a consumable model for all its existing NeuroStar systems.

RNA Therapeutics

ReCode Therapeutics is a clinical-stage genetic medicines company developing mRNA and gene correction therapeutics using its proprietary Selective Organ Targeting (SORT) lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery platform. The company's technology enables precise delivery of genetic medicines to targeted organs and cells beyond the liver, potentially improving efficacy and potency. ReCode's lead programs focus on primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and cystic fibrosis (CF).RCT1100, ReCode's lead candidate for PCD caused by DNAI1 gene mutations, is an inhaled mRNA therapy designed to restore proper ciliary function. In January 2024, ReCode dosed the first patient in a Phase 1 clinical trial of RCT1100. The company is also developing RCT2100 for CF patients with Class I CFTR mutations who do not respond to current modulators, representing 10-13% of CF patients. Both therapies utilize ReCode's SORT LNP platform for targeted delivery.preclinical data presented in 2022 showed that ReCode's CFTR mRNA encapsulated in SORT LNPs could be nebulized, delivered as an aerosol, and rescue CFTR function in cells from CF patients to levels comparable with approved modulators. In June 2022, ReCode published research in Science demonstrating its SORT LNPs could facilitate high levels of persistent gene editing in lung stem cells when given intravenously, achieving over 70% editing efficiency sustained for up to 660 days in mice.Key customers and partnershipsIn January 2023, ReCode announced a strategic investment of up to USD 15 million from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to support development of its inhaled mRNA-based CF therapeutic. The investment includes USD 10 million upfront to fund preclinical studies and early clinical development, with an additional USD 5 million upon meeting milestones.ReCode entered a multi-year research collaboration with Asklepios BioPharmaceutical (AskBio) in January 2023 to develop a novel platform for full gene insertion using single vector delivery of gene editing and DNA cargoes. The partnership aims to combine AskBio's synthetic DNA and gene editing expertise with ReCode's SORT LNP technology to enable precision delivery of both gene editing tools and DNA in a single LNP to desired targets.

Therapeutics that target specific areas/tissues to minimize treatment side effects.

Tissue Targeting Therapeutics

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 Bolt Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. The company's primary technology platform is the Boltbody Immune-Stimulating Antibody Conjugate (ISAC), which is designed to harness the precision of antibodies with the power of the innate and adaptive immune system to reprogram the tumor microenvironment and generate anti-cancer responses. Boltbody ISACs comprise a tumor-targeting antibody, a non-cleavable linker, and a proprietary immune stimulant. This technology aims to activate myeloid cells, initiating a positive feedback loop by releasing cytokines and chemokines to attract other immune cells and promote a robust immune response.
 
 
 
 
 As of May 2024, Bolt Biotherapeutics has shifted its focus to two primary drug candidates. BDC-3042 is a first-in-class Dectin-2 agonist antibody designed to repolarize tumor-associated macrophages to attack tumor cells, currently in Phase 1 clinical trials. BDC-4182 is a newly-disclosed next-generation Boltbody ISAC candidate targeting the cancer antigen Claudin 18.2, currently in preclinical evaluation.
 
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TRexBio is a discovery stage biotechnology company leveraging cutting-edge computational biology tools, a focus on human tissue, and expertise in immunobiology to develop revolutionary therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases. Our powerful ‘deep biology’ discovery engine maps human tissue Treg behavior to disease processes, allowing us to identify and characterize novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Leveraging this platform, we are building a broad portfolio of novel therapies that modulate the immune system to restore human tissue immune homeostasis.

Enara Bio is a science-led company targeting the T-cell/cancer cell interface (the “immune synapse”) to develop new targeted cancer immunotherapies designed to treat a broad patient population. Enara Bio focuses on discovering and developing therapeutic cancer vaccines utilizing novel antigens derived from endogenous retroviral (ERV)-related DNA sequences.

ImmunOs Therapeutics AG is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing next generation and novel human immunomodulatory proteins with a role in both innate and adaptive immunity.Their mission is to develop the next generation of novel therapeutics that will improve the lives of patients with serious disease.

Autobahn Therapeutics is a biotechnology company developing a portfolio of neuropsychiatric and neuroimmunologic clinical candidates leveraging its brain-targeting chemistry platform. Autobahn aims to unlock new therapeutic opportunities through precision tuning of CNS exposure, pursuing validated clinical and biologic targets, and guiding development with biomarkers. The company’s pipeline is led by ABX-002, a thyroid hormone receptor beta agonist being developed as a potential adjunctive treatment for people with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder depression. Autobahn Therapeutics is based in San Diego.

Grey Wolf was founded by leading scientists, drug developers and investors committed to translating the broad therapeutic potential of ERAP-driven antigen modulation into next generation therapies for patients with immunologically-driven diseases. Grey Wolf is a clinical-stage, UK- and Australia-based drug discovery and development company spearheading a new therapeutic strategy based on a first-of-its-kind approach to antigen modulation.  The company’s innovative technology is centered on inhibiting the endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases (ERAP1 and ERAP2), which play a central role in the antigen presentation pathway.  The company is leveraging its leadership in the area of ERAP inhibition and antigen modulation to advance novel therapeutic approaches to address the source of immune dysfunction in oncology and autoimmunity.

Capstan Therapeutics is advancing precision in vivo cell engineering to develop therapeutics for a broad range of disease categories with unmet or underserved clinical need.

MISSION Therapeutics is a biotechnology company specializing in developing drugs that target the cellular process of deubiquitylation for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Their focus is on developing small molecule drugs that selectively inhibit specific deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), which play crucial roles in regulating protein degradation and cellular processes. These drugs aim to intervene in disease mechanisms where DUB dysregulation is implicated, offering potential therapeutic benefits.

Curve has developed an innovative screening platform that is transforming the discovery of first-in-class therapeutics. The platform allows functional screening of diverse, genetically encoded Microcycle™ libraries against a broad range of disease-associated targets that are present in their native conformation inside a mammalian cell. Curve is deploying this platform to build a pipeline of novel cancer drugs.

RefleXion is developing the first biology-guided radiotherapy system, a significant change in strategy from single tumor therapy to the ability to one day treat multiple tumors in the same treatment session in cancers that have metastasized. Currently, the RefleXion X1 machine is cleared for the delivery of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT),  stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). The company is also developing BgRT, which incorporates positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging data to enable tumors to continuously signal their location. The BgRT technology will synchronize these data with the linear accelerator to direct radiotherapy to tumors with subsecond latency.

ReCode Therapeutics is a genetic medicines company that specializes in mRNA and gene correction therapeutics. Its selective organ targeting (SORT) lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform is a genetic medicines technology that enables precise delivery to target organs and cells beyond the liver.

Nimbus Discovery is now Nimbus Therapeutics to reflect our transition into a clinical-stage company. Nimbus Therapeutics is a biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., that is pioneering a new computational technology-driven paradigm to rapidly advance a diverse pipeline of novel small molecule product candidates into clinical development. Nimbus Therapeutics designs highly selective and potent medicines to disrupt known drivers of serious diseases, including metabolic disease, cancer, and immune-inflammatory disorders.

Crossbow Therapeutics is a biotech company developing a new type of cancer treatment. They engineer antibodies to mimic T-cells, a natural part of the immune system, with the goal of improving the lives of cancer patients.

Mozart Therapeutics is a biotech startup focusing on the development of disease-modifying therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company is using a novel regulatory CD8 T cell network to create disease-modifying CD8 Treg modulators for a variety of autoimmune diseases. Mozart is developing a pipeline of first-in-class 'CD8 Treg modulators with the goal of restoring long-term immune balance and preventing the progressive damage caused by an autoreactive and pathogenic immune response.

Flare Therapeutics is a biotechnology company opening up a new therapeutic space with a novel approach to decipher the biology of transcription factors to develop small molecule medicines. Based on insights from the seminal work of its scientific founders, Flare’s team has uncovered ‘switch sites,’ druggable regions that are key targets for transcription factor regulation to address mutations that cause disease.  Its drug discovery to target switch sites has rapidly advanced, resulting in an emerging pipeline of drug programs that address well-validated transcription factors, initially focused on precision oncology with future potential in neurology, rare genetic disorders, immunology, and inflammation.

Mediar is a pre-clinical stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for the treatment of fibrosis. Its therapeutics target key fibrotic mediator proteins that aid in the development of fibrosis in chronically-damaged organs. The company was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

PrescriberPoint is “Kayak” for prescribers looking for an easier, one-stop-shop way to get their patients on therapy who may be facing complex coverage, affordability and patient start challenges.  We are disrupting the $100Bn+ the pharma industry spends on healthcare providers (HCPs) which includes HCP marketing, field teams and hub-services. Our goal is to build an alternative to these fragmented, pharma-centric solutions with an HCP-centric, aggregation-based approach. Our marketplace platform aggregates all the resources HCPs need for the over 35k marketed drugs in the US to look up and evaluate a drug, research and find coverage and affordability options for patients, order samples and take other actions to get patients started on therapy.  Our AI and software tools provide decision-support and workflow automation to cut down on the two days a week doctors offices report they spend dealing with these bureaucratic challenges.  As a “connector” platform, like other aggregators like Kayak, Zillow and Cars.com, we are making it easy for HCPs to tap into other solutions across the prescribing journey that can help facilitate patient starts such as RTBI, ePA and pharmacy offerings. Our solution is free for HCPs. Our business model relies on charging pharma brands a monthly subscription fee for premium services designed to help targeted HCPs take advantage of the content, tools and services offered through the brand’s PrescriberPoint “microsite”.

VitaDAO is a decentralized collective funding early stage longevity research Our mission is to extend human lifespan by researching, financing, and commercializing longevity therapeutics in an open and democratic manner. VitaDAO and its members are committed to nurturing and developing the intellectual property, licenses, and data sets that result from the projects it supports. Members can join VitaDAO by purchasing VITA tokens or earning them through contributions of work or Intellectual Property.

Ribon Therapeutics is a biotechnology company pioneering the discovery of new cancer medicines that target monoPARP proteins, critical regulators of cancer survival mechanisms. The diverse and central functions that PARPs, or poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases, play in cancer cell survival pathways are just emerging, and many of the seminal discoveries in the field have been made by Ribon’s scientific founders. By combining insights from our founders and an experienced management team, Ribon is building a proprietary drug discovery platform to investigate the molecular action and biological function of a subset of the PARP protein family, called monoPARPs. Based on its platform, Ribon is creating a pipeline of innovative medicines that selectively target monoPARPs to treat cancer and may have the potential to impact other diseases. The company is backed by prominent life science investors, including The Column Group, U.S. Venture Partners, Deerfield Management and Osage University Partners.

Targeting pathways that modify RNA to deliver novel cancer therapeutics.

Jnana Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing medicines that improve patient lives. Utilizing its RAPID platform, the firm accelerates the identification of therapeutic targets and the creation of small molecule therapies for various diseases. Jnana aims to enhance drug discovery efficiency through advanced chemoproteomics techniques, addressing unmet medical needs.

Nucleome Therapeutics is decoding the dark matter of the human genome to uncover novel ways to treat disease. The dark genome holds more than 95% of disease-linked genetic variants whose value remains untapped, representing a significant opportunity for drug discovery and development. We have the unique ability to link these variants to gene function and map disease pathways. Our cell type-specific platform creates high resolution 3D genome structure maps and enables variant functional validation at scale in primary cell types. This enables us to discover and develop novel, better and safer drugs. The initial focus of the company is on lymphocytes and related autoimmune disease. Our ambition is to build a robust pipeline of drug assets, with corresponding biomarkers. Nucleome Therapeutics was founded by leading experts in gene regulation from the University of Oxford and backed by investment from Oxford Sciences Innovation. For more information, please visit www.nucleome.com.

MindImmune Therapeutics is a pharmaceutical company developing first-in-class drugs that target the immune system to treat diseases of the central nervous system, including Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease, pain, and psychiatric disorders. It is increasingly clear that the central nervous system and the immune system are intimately integrated. Consequently, immune system dysfunction is a critical, often causative, factor in brain dysfunction. MindImmune scientists are at the forefront in recognizing the therapeutic opportunities in targeting the immune system to treat brain disease. MindImmune is based in Kingston, RI and is building an affiliation with the George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience at the University of Rhode Island to leverage the rapidly expanding Rhode Island ecosystem of academic neurosciences resources to advance its drug development programs.

DEM BioPharma is an immuno-oncology company that is working to eradicate cancer by targeting novel innate immune system checkpoints.

ImCheck Therapeutics is a developer of immuno-modulatory antibodies designed for the treatment of cancer and other immune-related diseases. The company's services are engaged in the discovery and development of immunomodulators for treating breast cancer, gastric, ovarian cancer cells and other solid solid tumours.

Triana Biomedicines is a developer of a molecular glue discovery platform to regulate disease targets that are difficult to address with any other modality. Triana’s drug discovery engine is powered by high-resolution structural insights, state-of-the-art in silico tools, and bespoke chemical libraries. The research team has validated the best-in-class platform and initiated multiple programs across different disease areas.

Arkuda Therapeutics is a biotechnology company leveraging new insights into progranulin and lysosomal biology to develop medicines to change the trajectory of neurodegenerative disease. Arkuda’s lead compounds aim to correct progranulin deficiency and lysosomal dysfunction in GRN-related frontotemporal dementia (FTD-GRN), a genetically-defined subtype of frontotemporal dementia caused by an autosomal dominant mutation in the GRN gene.

Anaveon are developing IL-2 complexes which selectively promote effector T cell functions. Our compounds act as effective immune adjuvants with a broad therapeutic window and marked preclinical efficacy against cancer either as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies.

Kestrel Therapeutics is a medical research and devenlopment company that offers treatment solutions for RAS cancers.

Parthenon Therapeutics is inventing a novel class of anti-cancer therapies that reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME). The interplay between cancer cells and their surrounding microenvironment is relevant in drug development as manycancers use the TME to build barriers that shield immune system attack. One approach, PRTH-101, breaks these barriers to overcome recalcitrant cancers. Based on research, the company is designing a portfolio of drug candidates to treat the right patients at the right time.

Anjarium is focused on creating a new class of non-viral gene therapies to deliver more predictable, enduring, and inclusionary ways to tackle genetic diseases throughout a patient's lifetime. Combining deep domain expertise in synthetic and natural delivery systems, Anjarium is developing a novel class of bioinspired nanomedicine to address a range of genetic diseases, including those that necessitate very large gene delivery. Anjarium’s versatile platform systematically addresses key deficiencies of viral gene therapies in order to provide benefits to patients that have previously been out of reach.

eFFECTOR is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on pioneering the development of a new class of oncology drugs referred to as selective translation regulator inhibitors (STRIs). eFFECTOR’s STRI product candidates target the eIF4F complex and its activating kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1/2 (MNK 1/2). The eIF4F complex is a central node where two of the most frequently mutated signaling pathways in cancer, the PI3K-AKT and RAS-MEK pathways, converge to activate the translation of select messenger RNA into proteins that are frequent culprits in key disease driving processes. Each of eFFECTOR’s product candidates is designed to act on a single protein that drives the expression of multiple functionally related proteins, including oncoproteins and immunosuppressive proteins in T cells, that together control tumor growth, survival and immune evasion. eFFECTOR’s lead product candidate, tomivosertib, is a MNK 1/2 inhibitor.  KICKSTART, a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase 2b trial of tomivorsertib in NSCLC in combination with pembrolizumab is currently open for enrollment. Zotatifin, eFFECTOR’s inhibitor of eIF4A, is currently in the dose-escalation portion of a Phase 1/2 trial, with Phase 2a expansion cohorts expected to initiate in the second half of 2021. eFFECTOR has a global collaboration with Pfizer to develop inhibitors of a third target, eIF4E.

Strata Oncology is a precision oncology company dedicated to transforming cancer care by expanding patient access to precision medicine clinical trials and accelerating drug approval.  Strata's national precision oncology platform serves the needs of patients, providers and drug developers by providing a link from patient screening to streamlined enrollment in mutation-matched clinical trials. Follow us on Twitter @StrataOncology.

Artios is an independent DNA Damage Response (DDR) company focused on developing first-in-class treatments for cancer. Established in May 2016, the Company is led by an experienced scientific and leadership team with proven expertise in DDR drug discovery. Artios is building a pipeline of next-generation DDR programs, including through a unique partnership with Cancer Research Technology (CRT), the development and commercialization arm of Cancer Research UK (CRUK), and with leading DNA repair researchers worldwide.  The Company’s investors include SV Life Sciences, Merck Ventures, Imperial Innovations, Arix Bioscience PLC, CRT Pioneer Fund (managed by Sixth Element Capital), and AbbVie Ventures. Artios is based at the Babraham Institute in Cambridge, UK.

Interius BioTherapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops in vivo cell-specific gene medicines to treat B cell lymphomas. Intravenous in vivo CAR treatment, which treats B cell lymphomas, is the company's flagship program. Its unique engineering provides exceptional target tissue specificity. The business is working on a second initiative to address autoimmune conditions. With the help of Interius, a novel and distinct therapeutic modality for the precise administration of gene therapies may soon be made available to patients in expanded care settings, without the need for preconditioning chemotherapy.

Pyxis Oncology is a developer of antibody therapeutics intended to promote the body's immune response to cancer. The company has engaged in deep analyses of tumor antigen-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within hot tumors and of tumor cell signaling pathways within cold tumors, providing laboratories with development of novel antibody-based immunotherapies. It was founded in 2019 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Resilience is a technology-driven biomanufacturing company committed to expanding access to complex medicines, including biologics, vaccines, nucleic acids, and cell and gene therapies. The company is creating a sustainable network of advanced, end-to-end manufacturing solutions to ensure that today's and tomorrow's treatments can be produced rapidly, safely, and at scale. By continuously innovating in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and development, Resilience enables its partners to focus on breakthrough discoveries that enhance patient outcomes while safeguarding biopharmaceutical supply chains against future disruptions.

Palleon Pharmaceuticals is a developer of a biotechnology platform designed to offer glycoimmune checkpoint inhibitors to treat cancer.The company's biotechnology platform integrates technologies and insights from scientific leaders all over the world in the fields of glycoscience and human immunology to create a novel approach to treating cancer by targeting multiple immune cell types, providing physicians with a wider range of rational combination therapies to treat cancer and tackle resistance to first-generation immuno-oncology agents.

BioAtla develops safer, more effective drugs for cancer using a proprietary next-generation antibody discovery and evolution platform. BioAtla is a San Diego biotech company that develops novel monoclonal antibody and cell-based therapeutics using our proprietary Conditionally Active Biologics (CAB) and Comprehensive Integrated Antibody Optimization (CIAO!) platforms. These and other proprietary technologies (protected by more than 150 issued patents and patent applications) allow them to develop novel biologics (CABs) that are better drugs in multiple ways including more selective targeting of cancer tissue and improved manufacturability. Improved selectivity for the tumor microenvironment, even when the target is also found in normal tissue, not only improves safety but also expands the universe of potential drug targets, enabling the treatment of previously untreatable cancers.

Bolt Biotherapeutics is a biotechnology company that develops a platform for cancer immunotherapy. Its platform, Boltbody, is a cancer immunotherapy that consists of immune-stimulating antibody conjugates.

Simcha Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company developing engineered cytokine immunotherapy for cancer. The company uses directed evolution to engineer novel cytokines designed to unlock the precision and power of the immune system. Simcha’s lead program, ST-067, is a designer IL-18 cytokine that has shown potent antitumor effects in animal models, both as a monotherapy and when combined with anti-PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors, as described in Nature in June 2020. It was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.

4D Molecular Therapeutics is a biotechnology company.The Company designs, develops, and commercializes transformative gene therapeutic products for unmet medical conditions.

FoRx Therapeutics is a recently incorporated privately-held company aiming to develop first-in-class compounds for cancer treatment. FoRx focuses on drugging key molecular targets involved in DNA replication stress, as a new approach towards the development of targeted anticancer drugs.

Kymera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that specializes in the field of targeted protein degradation. It features a proprietary predictive modeling degradation platform with a novel small molecule modality to accelerate the drug discovery designed for disease-causing proteins.

Montis Biosciences is develops novel immune-oncology therapeutics targeting the intersection between vascular dysfunction and immune suppression to treat solid tumours.

Metabomed designs drugs designed treats cancer. Its drugs target the reprogrammed cancer cell's metabolism to halt their growth, enabling patients to begin their treatment more quickly and result in a higher likelihood of a successful treatment.

Triplet is developing transformative therapies that treat repeat expansion disorders at their source.

Arrakis Therapeutics is a developer of a drug discovery platform intended to target RNA. The company's platform integrates leading-edge RNA bioinformatic and structural tools to produce a pipeline of rSMs to treat a range of disease including neurology, oncology and rare genetic diseases, enabling physicians to offer enhanced care.

SpringWorks is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company applying a precision medicine approach to acquiring, developing and commercializing life-changing medicines for patients living with severe rare diseases and cancer. SpringWorks has a differentiated targeted oncology pipeline spanning solid tumors and hematological cancers, including two potentially registrational clinical trials in rare tumor types as well as several programs addressing highly prevalent, genetically defined cancers. SpringWorks’ strategic approach and operational excellence in clinical development have enabled it to rapidly advance its two lead product candidates into late-stage clinical trials while simultaneously entering into multiple shared-value partnerships with innovators in industry and academia to unlock the full potential for its portfolio and create more solutions for patients with cancer.

Imara Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin. Imara is currently advancing IMR-687, a highly selective, potent small molecule inhibitor of PDE9 that is an oral, once-a-day, potentially disease-modifying treatment for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. IMR-687 is being designed to have a multimodal mechanism of action that acts on red blood cells, white blood cells, adhesion mediators and other cell types.

Mitokinin is operates in the healthcare industry focusing on biotechnology business. It launches medicinal chemistry effort to generate kinetin analogs optimized for activating PINK1. It plans to develop the analog or optimized variants to treat Parkinson's disease.

Morphic Therapeutic is a biotechnology company that develops oral integrin therapies to treat serious chronic diseases, including autoimmune, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, fibrosis, and cancer. The company offers the development of therapies for patients with immunological, fibrotic, neoplastic, and vascular diseases, focusing on creating small molecule inhibitors of various integrin targets.

System1 Biosciences, Inc., is a San Francisco-based neurotherapeutics company that employs phenotypic screening to discover novel drugs for complex neurological and psychiatric diseases such as epilepsy, autism, and schizophrenia, disorders for which current discovery techniques have proved least successful. System1 combines cerebral organoid science, systems neuroscience, robotic automation, and advanced data analytics to discover characterizations of disease never before achievable. These “deep phenotypes” are exploited to identify novel therapeutic targets and drug treatments.

BlueLight Therapeutics uses a proprietary structure-based platform to discover small molecules against difficult-to-drug targets. BlueLight Therapeutics leverages a proprietary, structure-driven platform to develop novel therapeutic molecules against challenging, high-value drug targets. The company has a passionate and experienced team with unique expertise on developing structural assays across a broad range of target classes.

Magnolia Neurosciences aims to discover and develop proprietary, selective, and drug-like small molecule therapeutics for the prevention of neuronal cell death, thereby providing novel treatment options for patients suffering from neurodegeneration and related conditions. Magnolia Neurosciences Corporation, created to pursue technologies developed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Therapeutics Discovery Division and the Neurodegeneration Consortium (NDC), is a New York-based Accelerator Life Science Partner portfolio company.

Therachon is a global biotechnology company focused on developing medicines for rare, genetic diseases that currently have no available treatments. The company’s lead pipeline candidate, TA-46, is a novel protein therapy in development for achondroplasia, the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism. Therachon is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, with research labs in Nice, France.

Cortexyme is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company developing therapeutics based on data supporting a new theory of the cause of Alzheimer's and other degenerative disorders. Cortexyme is targeting a specific, undisclosed pathogen tied to neurodegeneration. The target has been validated in a number of animal models and Cortexyme is currently testing several potential lead therapeutics in preclinical studies.

BioGraph 55 is an immuno-oncology target discovery and drug development company.

Cydan is an orphan drug accelerator that identifies and de-risks compounds with therapeutic and commercial potential. Their rigorous process generates data to support a development path and new company formation. Cydan’s experienced and globally networked team brings strong relationships with academia and patient advocacy, deep expertise in drug development, and a track record of successful product commercialization.

Complexa is a clinical-stage platform biopharmaceutical company researching and developing endogenous human cell signaling technologies targeting an array of prevalent inflammatory, fibrotic, and CNS diseases. The company's proprietary technology involves the synthesis and therapeutic applications of endogenous nitro-fatty acids (NFAs) and additional structure/function-related mediators that are designed to treat various diseases. NFAs are cell-signaling agents that regulate major inflammatory signaling pathways (e.g., Nrf2, NFkB, and HSF). Capitalizing on their identification and synthesis of these endogenous signaling mediators, Complexa's technologies act to amplify the existing anti-inflammatory and metabolic signaling mechanisms that promote the resolution and repair of acute and chronic tissue injury and disease. It is headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania.

Neuronetics is a medical technology company. They develop non-invasive therapies for psychiatric and neurological disorders using mri-strength magnetic field pulses. They specialize in providing therapy for mental health.

Cordex Systems designs and manufactures a cardiovascular diagnostic device. Its product includes the Cordex EnDys System is a diagnostic tool that provides both early detection and ongoing monitoring of cardiovascular disease by measuring endothelial dysfunction.

Rhythm is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing peptide therapeutics for the treatment of rare genetic deficiencies that result in life-threatening metabolic disorders. Their lead peptide product candidate, setmelanotide, is a potent, first-in-class melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist for the treatment of rare genetic disorders of obesity. They believe that setmelanotide, for which they  have exclusive worldwide rights, has the potential to serve as replacement therapy for the treatment of melanocortin 4, or MC4, pathway deficiencies. The MC4 pathway is a compelling target for treating these genetic disorders because of its critical role in regulating appetite and weight, and peptide therapeutics are uniquely suited to activating this target.

AMRA is an international medical technology company, the first in the world to transform MR images into precise body composition measurements using a cloud-based, computer-aided service.They collaborate with world-leading pharmaceutical organizations, biobanks and population cohorts, research institutions, hospitals, and clinics, aiding in the advancement of metabolic research and therapeutic application. With more accurate knowledge about our bodies, AMRA assists the world's medical leaders in predicting and preventing disease.

Ixchelsis Ltd is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing an oxytocin receptor antagonist (IX-01) for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). IX-01 is a clinical stage asset that has the potential to be the best in class pharmacological approach for the treatment of PE. To date IX-01 has completed a Phase 1 single ascending dose study in healthy male volunteers and is currently being progressed through to clinical proof of concept (POC). Ixchelsis is funded by TVM Life Sciences Ventures VII and is lead by an excellent Management team with extensive experience in pharmaceutical R&D, particularly in the male sexual health therapeutic area.

At AnTolRx they are approaching the treatment of autoimmune diseases differently–through the development of novel nanoparticle-based therapies to promote antigen-specific immune tolerance.  Standard therapies broadly suppress the immune system, inducing side effects that may include life threatening infections and tumors. Thus, there is an unmet clinical need for methods of targeted immune-regulation. Their proprietary drug development approach selectively targets pathogenic immune cells providing a unique tolerogenic signal to induce an anti-inflammatory phenotype and better treat diseases.

About Vtesse Vtesse, Inc. is a rare disease company dedicated to developing drugs for patients suffering from diseases that are underserved. The first spin-out company from Cydan Development, Inc., an orphan-drug accelerator that identifies and de-risks programs with therapeutic and commercial potential, Vtesse is working collaboratively with the NIH to advance clinical study of VTS-270 for NPC, and to conduct pre-clinical discovery and development of other novel drugs for NPC and other LSDs. Vtesse is led by a highly experienced management team that has been involved in the development of more than 20 approved drugs and vaccines. Its experienced consortium of investors, led by New Enterprise Associates, has committed initial funding that is expected to bring this compound through pivotal clinical trials. Vtesse is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. For more information, visit www.vtessepharma.com.

Blade Therapeutics is a discovery stage drug development company. Their mission is to create antifibrotic treatment strategies that address a wide variety of congenital and acquired diseases of fibrosis. Their leadership team has extensive experience at developing drugs that treat fibrotic disorders. They are also partnering with international experts in order to identify and in-license cutting-edge technologies to build a robust pipeline of antifibrotic compounds.

Pfizer Venture Investments is a corporate venture capital firm that invests in areas of current or future strategic interest to Pfizer. It aims to remain at the forefront of life science advances. It identifies and invests in emerging companies that are developing transformative medicines and technologies that have the potential to enhance Pfizer’s pipeline and shape the future of its industry.

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