Venrock continues a tradition of partnering with entrepreneurs to establish successful, enduring companies. With a primary focus on technology and healthcare, portfolio companies have included Apple Computer, Athenahealth, Centocor, Check Point Software, DoubleClick, Endeca, Gilead Sciences, Idec Pharma, Imperva, Illumina, Intel, Nest, SlideShare, and Tudou.

Venrock

Ligand Pharmaceuticals

Leveraging personal data for custom-fit diagnosis and treatment

Precision Medicine

<div>
 
 Viking Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. The company's primary focus is developing treatments for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a liver disease that is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, and, as of July 2023, had no approved treatments. The company is competing with leading pharmaceuticals such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to enter the US market.&nbsp;
 
 
 As of August 2023, the company had three drug candidates in the pipeline:
 
 
 1) its lead candidate, VK2809, a small molecule thyroid receptor agonist, was in Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of NASH,&nbsp;
 
 
 2) VK0214 for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy in a Phase Ib trial, and&nbsp;
 
 
 3) VK2735, a novel dual agonist being evaluated to treat metabolic disorders in a Phase I trial and also being evaluated in Phase II to treat obesity.&nbsp;
 
 
 Key Customers and Partnerships
 
 
 The company has several key partners including Ligand Pharmaceuticals (since May 2014) on a licensing agreement for five programs and Academic Medical Center (in February 2015) for a research collaboration on the company&rsquo;s drug compounds.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and Financials
 
 
 The company began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange in April 2015 under the ticker symbol &ldquo;VKTX,&rdquo; raising USD 24 million at IPO. In March 2023, the company raised USD 287.5 million via an underwritten 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/17440">
 public offering
 </a>
 of 19.8 million common shares at USD 14.50 per share. The new funds were used toward continued development of its drug candidates, VK2809, VK2735, and VK0214 programs, as well as for R&amp;D, working capital, and general corporate purposes.&nbsp;
 
 
 The company did not generate any revenue in the three months ended March 2023. However, it reported an increase in net loss by 21% YoY to USD 19.5 million. Its cash and cash equivalent as of March 2023 was at USD 135.7 million compared to USD 155.5 million in Q4 2022. 
 
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Palvella Therapeutics is a start-up life sciences company that focuses on relentlessly and selflessly serving abandoned patient populations with therapies. The company specializes in developing therapies that specifically target the root cause of the disease. Palvella Therapeutics was founded in 2015 and headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

invIOs is a private biotechnology company that specializes in the discovery and development of next-generation cancer therapies that empower and educate the immune system to fight cancer.

Agenus develops and commercializes immunotherapies and vaccines for cancer and infectious diseases. The company's treatment aims to stimulate the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells. Its goal is to treat cancers with novel combinations utilizing its unique portfolio of checkpoint antibodies, tumor microenvironment modifiers, vaccines, and adjuvants. In addition to a broad portfolio, the company has an accomplished team of scientists, novel technology platforms, and fully-integrated end-to-end capabilities from discovery to GMP manufacturing. It was established in 1994 and is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Novan develops products that tap the anti-bacterial properties of nitric oxide by encapsulating the compound in nano-particles that deliver therapeutic agents to desired body location. They use its proprietary nitric oxide-based science and technology platform to develop innovative, first-in-class therapies for unmet medical needs. The company is committed to using the power of the human body to create safe and effective treatments. They complement their internal scientific talent with strategic partners around the globe to enable Novan to harness the power of nitric oxide and develop technologies that will help address currently untreated and under-treated medical conditions. It was incorporated in 2008 and is based in Morrisville, North Carolina.

Dianomi Therapeutics is a development stage biopharmaceutical company focused on improving the delivery and efficacy of large and small molecules in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.  With an initial focus on osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, They are working to enhance the safety, efficacy, and duration of effect of therapeutic agents by incorporating them with Thier proprietary mineral coated microparticle system (MCM).

Viking Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development of novel, first-in-class or best-in-class therapies for metabolic and endocrine disorders. Viking’s research and development activities leverage the Company’s expertise in metabolism to develop innovative therapeutics that improve patients’ lives. The Company’s lead clinical program is VK0612, a first-in-class, orally available drug candidate type 2 diabetes. The Company’s second clinical program is VK5211, an orally available, non-steroidal selective androgen receptor modulator, or SARM, for the treatment of cancer cachexia. Viking is also developing three novel preclinical programs targeted at metabolic diseases and anemia.

Ligand is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing or acquiring technologies that help pharmaceutical companies discover and develop medicines. Ligand business model creates value for stockholders by providing a diversified portfolio of biotech and pharmaceutical product revenue streams that are supported by an efficient and low corporate cost structure. Ligand's goal is to offer investors an opportunity to participate in the promise of the biotech industry in a profitable, diversified, and lower-risk business than a typical biotech company. Ligand business model is based on doing what we do best: drug discovery, early-stage drug development, product reformulation, and partnering. Ligand partner with other pharmaceutical companies to leverage what they do best (late-stage development, regulatory management, and commercialization) to ultimately generate Ligand revenue.

<div> Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: LGND) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing or acquiring technologies that help pharmaceutical companies discover and develop medicines. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in San Diego, California. Ligand's business model revolves around providing financing, licensing technologies, or both to support the clinical development of high-value medicines. For the full year 2023, Ligand reported total revenues of USD 131.3 million. Ligand's key products and services include: <ul> <li> Captisol platform technology: A chemically modified cyclodextrin designed to optimize the solubility and stability of drugs. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> OmniAb antibody discovery platform: A suite of transgenic animal platforms for producing fully human antibodies. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> Pelican Expression Technology: A protein expression platform for recombinant protein production. </li> </ul> <ul> <li> Licensing and partnering: Ligand partners with pharmaceutical companies to leverage its technologies for drug discovery and development. </li> </ul> In 2023, Ligand underwent a strategic transformation to become a leaner, high-margin business focused on royalties and partnering. The company expanded its deal-making capabilities by strengthening its senior team and opening a Boston office. Ligand has established partnerships with major pharmaceutical companies including Amgen, Merck, Pfizer, Jazz, Takeda, Gilead Sciences and Baxter International. Ligand expects 2024 royalties to range from USD 90 million to USD 95 million as it continues to pursue growth through life science royalty opportunities and supporting clinical development of high-value medicines. </div>

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Biotechnology companies that focus on the research, development, production, and commercialization of prescription drugs including biosimilars.

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Biopharmaceutical technology development and support service companies that offer specialized solutions to biosimilar companies.

Companies offering testing solutions to support the biological characterization, comparability, and other clinical assessments required in the biosimilar development process.

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