Third Rock's Marea secures $190M for cardiometabolic medicine advancements

Marea Therapeutics has recently gained significant attention with its successful fundraising of $190 million and its innovative approach to treating cardiometabolic diseases. The San Francisco-based biotech company, which was incubated by Third Rock Ventures, aims to harness genetic insights to pioneer new treatments in this critical medical field.

The $190 million raised includes funds from both Series A and Series B rounds. The Series A was led by Third Rock Ventures, while the Series B saw leadership from Sofinnova Investments, and co-leadership from Forbion, Perceptive Xontogeny Venture Fund, and venBio. This substantial funding will be primarily directed towards advancing Marea’s lead program, MAR001, through its clinical phases.

MAR001 is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to inhibit ANGPTL4, a protein predominantly found in body fat. This inhibition has shown promising results in preclinical models, including reductions in triglycerides, remnant cholesterol, and ectopic fat, as well as improved insulin sensitivity. The mAb is administered via subcutaneous injection.

In a phase 1 trial, a single dose of MAR001 significantly lowered remnant cholesterol levels and improved metabolic biomarkers. These results were highlighted by Maha Katabi, Ph.D., a Marea board member and general partner at Sofinnova Investments. The ongoing phase 1b/2a trial involves 48 participants with metabolic dysfunction and is nearly fully enrolled, with the phase 2a component still in progress. Further, Marea plans to initiate a phase 2b trial assessing MAR001 for metabolic dysfunction early next year.

The treatment aims not only to lower remnant cholesterol and improve metabolic function but also to reduce cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. Currently, there are no approved therapies specifically targeting remnant cholesterol and enhancing metabolic performance. Ethan Weiss, M.D., co-founder and chief scientific officer of Marea, emphasized the potential of MAR001 to benefit over five million cardiovascular patients in the U.S. who have elevated remnant cholesterol, placing them at risk of heart attacks.

Marea’s leadership team includes notable experts such as Charles Homcy, M.D., Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, M.D., and Joshua Rabinowitz, M.D., Ph.D. The company is led by CEO Josh Lehrer, M.D., who joined in October 2023. Lehrer brings extensive experience from his previous roles at Graphite Bio and Global Blood Therapeutics.

Josh Lehrer expressed the company’s mission to revolutionize cardiometabolic disease treatment by leveraging large-scale human genetics and expertise in adipose biology. Marea aims to target genetically validated factors that are central yet unaddressed drivers of cardiometabolic disease risk. Lehrer highlighted that this innovative approach could be the “next frontier” for patients who remain at very high risk despite existing therapies.

In addition to MAR001, Marea is developing a pipeline of other potential treatments targeting various cardiometabolic diseases, which include heart attacks, diabetes, strokes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). The biotech company’s comprehensive strategy and promising clinical program position it as a significant player in the future of cardiometabolic medicine.