Cellarity Inc.

Eli Lilly is expanding its private financing ambitions, partnering with venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz on a new $500 million biotech fund. The pharma company is providing all the capital for the initiative, dubbed The Biotech Ecosystem Venture Fund, according to an announcement from a16z Friday. The fund will invest in “therapeutic platforms and cutting-edge technology companies,” a16z said, and is described as being a “complementary source of capital to traditional venture funding” that will dole out money to biotechs of all stages. The partnership marks a continued expansion of the breadth and scope of collaborations between pharma and biotech venture capital firms. The two frequently tag-team on private financing rounds, with pharma companies frequently using their independent venture arms. In this case, Lilly will also offer early-stage startups access to its Catalyze360 resources, which include Gateway Labs and ExplorR&D. “With the Biotech Ecosystem Fund, we can further scale our work to empower entrepreneurs as they work to bring transformative therapies to patients faster,” Nisha Nanda, group vice president of Catalyze360, said in a release. The pact is the most significant update from a16z since Vineeta Agarwala took the helm of the firm’s healthcare-focused wing, bio and health. Endpoints News reported in December that she would be replacing Vijay Pande, the unit’s co-founder slated for a new role at the firm. Other biotech investors have sought to develop similar collaborations, like Flagship Pioneering, which in 2023 partnered with Pfizer to help develop 10 drugs across Flagship’s portfolio of companies. Both groups chipped in $50 million to the project. Prior to the Pfizer partnership, Flagship linked up with Novo Nordisk in a wide-ranging deal focused on cardiometabolic drugs. The first two programs from that tie-up were unveiled a year ago , with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity each tapped to work on a program.

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc., a late-stage biotechnology company developing a potentially best-in-class, highly potent and selective next generation URAT1 inhibitor to reduce serum urate levels, flares and tophi in patients with gout, today announced the appointment of John Leaman, M.D., to its Board as an Independent Board Director. "John brings more than a decade of experience in finance, M&A and corporate strategy, with a strong understanding of gout, and we are excited to welcome him to our Board of Directors," said Litain Yeh, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Arthrosi Therapeutics. "We believe that his insights and guidance will be invaluable as we continue to advance our pivotal Phase 3 program for AR882 and position the Company as a leader in treating gout, including tophaceous gout patients." John H. Leaman, M.D. is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Cellarity. During his tenure, he has helped oversee the close of a large pharma partnership, as well as leading the Company's Series D crossover financing. Prior to joining Cellarity in 2023, Dr. Leaman served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Business Officer at Impel Pharmaceuticals, where helped lead the Company's IPO in 2021. Before that, Dr. Leaman served as the Chief Financial Officer and Head of Corporate Development at Selecta Biosciences and as Head of Corporate Development at InfaCare Pharmaceutical until it was acquired by Mallinckrodt in 2017. Earlier, Dr. Leaman was the Chief Financial Officer of Medgenics and previously held senior roles at Shire plc. and Devon Park Bioventures, a venture capital fund targeting investments in therapeutics companies. He began his career serving a range of life sciences companies as an Associate Principal at McKinsey & Company. Dr. Leaman received an M.D. from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a B.A. in Psychology, Philosophy and Physiology from Oriel College, University of Oxford while completing a Rhodes Scholarship, and a B.S. in Biology from Elizabethtown College. "I am thrilled to join Arthrosi's Board of Directors as the company progresses AR882 through pivotal Phase 3 studies. Gout remains a serious condition for nearly 13 million patients in the U.S. alone and the current standard of care provides only limited benefit, especially in tophaceous gout patients," said Dr. Leaman. "I look forward to working with Arthrosi's Board and leadership team to lay the foundation for our next stage of growth and deliver on the promise of AR882 for patients." About Arthrosi: Arthrosi Therapeutics, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is focused on developing AR882, a potentially best-in-class, highly potent and selective next generation URAT1 inhibitor to reduce serum urate levels, flares and tophi in patients with gout. Gout remains a large and growing market with ~ 13M patients in the U.S. alone, ~2M of which have tophaceous gout. AR882 has demonstrated encouraging efficacy and safety compared to SOC in Phase 2 studies as well as impressive results in achieving complete resolution of tophi in a Phase 2b study. Arthrosi is currently advancing AR882 in a pivotal Phase 3 program. Media Contact: Shunqi Yan, PhD Founder & Chief Operating Officer [email protected] Investor Contact: Precision AQ Alex Lobo 212-698-8802 [email protected] SOURCE Arthrosi Therapeutics WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM? 440k+ Newsrooms & Influencers 9k+ Digital Media Outlets 270k+ Journalists Opted In GET STARTED

POTOMAC, Md.--( BUSINESS WIRE )--Versant Ventures today announced the debut of Pep2Tango Therapeutics Inc., a startup focused on innovative, next-generation weight loss therapies. Proceeds from the significant, undisclosed round will support development of the company’s novel unimolecular tetra-receptor agonist peptides to treat obesity and related conditions. GLP-1-based therapies have proven efficacy in treating obesity and associated co-morbidities, but come with significant drawbacks. These include up to 40% of weight loss from muscle mass reduction, potentially leading to long-term side effects, especially in elderly patients. This limitation, in addition to tolerability issues, reduces the long-term utility of these agents. Pep2Tango’s lead drug candidates are engineered to overcome these drawbacks. They are unimolecular multi-receptor peptide agonists that target GLP-1, GIP, amylin and calcitonin receptors. This unique combination of targets in one molecule is truly differentiated with key advantages compared with first-generation drugs on the market and therapies currently in development. Preclinical studies of Pep2Tango’s molecules have demonstrated superior weight loss versus tirzepatide, primarily through selective fat mass loss with preservation of muscle mass, improved blood lipid profiles, better glycemic control, and beneficial effects on the liver. The company’s programs were developed by a deeply experienced team led by President, CEO and Chairperson Cristina Rondinone, Ph.D., and CSO Soumitra Ghosh, Ph.D. Dr. Rondinone previously was president of Cellarity, and SVP and head of cardiovascular, renal and metabolic diseases at AstraZeneca plc. Prior to that, she held roles of increasing responsibility in cardio-metabolic disease research and development at MedImmune Inc., Roche and Abbott Laboratories, where she led the research and development of multiple molecules that moved to clinical trials including Rezdiffra ™ , dorzagliatin and bentracimab. Dr. Ghosh is a co-founder of multiple biotech companies and served as executive director for research at Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc., where he was involved in development efforts culminating in the approvals of Byetta ® , Symlin ® , Bydureon ® and Myalept ® . Dr. Ghosh also served as president of the Peptide Therapeutics Foundation. “We are delighted that Versant is backing Pep2Tango as we advance our programs towards clinical development,” said Dr. Rondinone. “There is a critical need to develop safe and highly efficacious drug therapies for obesity that preserve muscle mass and Pep2Tango’s approach should positively impact the lives of patients.” “We are thrilled to partner with the seasoned team of experts at Pep2Tango,” said Carlo Rizzuto, Ph.D., managing director at Versant and a Pep2Tango board member. “We are convinced that the company’s tetra-receptor agonists have best-in-category potential with respect to magnitude and quality of weight loss, as well as improving metabolic and cardiovascular health, that could redefine obesity treatment.” Pep2Tango Therapeutics is focused on CMC development activities to scale up drug candidate manufacturing and on running IND-enabling studies for a rapid transition to first-in-human clinical studies. An IND submission is expected in 2025. About Pep2Tango Therapeutics Inc. Pep2Tango Therapeutics is a biotechnology company founded in 2021 by seasoned pharmaceutical executives with a long track record of successful drug development. The company’s vision is to develop next generation peptide drugs that target unmet medical needs, including for metabolic, endocrine, CNS and cardiovascular disorders. Pep2Tango’s novel drug development approach for obesity focuses on unimolecular peptides that target multiple receptors, allowing for superior weight loss efficacy, muscle mass preservation, improved tolerability, and streamlined development and manufacturability. The company is backed by Versant Ventures. About Versant Ventures Versant Ventures is a leading healthcare venture capital firm committed to helping exceptional entrepreneurs build the next generation of great companies. The firm’s emphasis is on biotechnology companies that are discovering and developing novel therapeutics. With $5.5 billion under management and offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe, Versant has built a team with deep investment, operating and R&D expertise that enables a hands-on approach to company building. Since the firm’s founding in 1999, more than 100 Versant companies have achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs. For more information, please visit www.versantventures.com .