January 10,San Francisco, Ouro Medicines, a biotechnology company developing immune-resetting therapies for patients with chronic immune-mediated diseases, announced its launch with $120 million in financing. The company was founded by Monograph Capital in collaboration with GSK. Series A round was co-led by TPG Life Science Innovation Fund, NEA, and Norwest Venture Partners, with participation from Monograph Capital, GSK, UPMC Enterprises,Boyu/Zoo Capital、LongRiver Investments (Jiangyuan Investment)And other undisclosed investors participated. On the same day, Keymed Biosciences' CD38 antibodyCM313 and Timberlyne TherapeuticsAlso reached a NewCo deal. (NewCo！$180 Million Series A Financing, Sole Asset from Connaught）
Chronic immune-mediated diseases include a range of conditions driven by the body's own immune cells. This category includes B-cell mediated diseases, which are a top priority for the company. Current treatments for these diseases often require ongoing immunosuppressive therapy and may be ineffective with high toxicity.Due to their high efficiency, specificity, and relatively ease of administration and manufacturing, T cell engager antibodies (TCE) have emerged as a promising off-the-shelf therapeutic approach for targeting and depleting specific pathogenic cell populations that drive immune-mediated diseases. By depleting the target cell population, TCEs can be used to reset the immune system to a state prior to the pathogenic actions of these cells. This approach has the potential to achieve long-term remission without the need for immunosuppression.Jaideep Dudani, CEO and Portfolio Head of Ouro Medicines, said:"We see a huge opportunity to define the future of treatment for patients with immune-mediated diseases because today's standard of care still has many shortcomings. As a category, we believe TCEs have the potential to unlock immune system reset within a durable remission period without requiring ongoing immunosuppression. The ability to precisely target cell populations with highly effective therapeutic agents is crucial for depleting the entire spectrum of pathogenic cell lineages, allowing us to achieve immune reset."Dr. Bo CHEN
Connoymab BioOM336 (CM336) is currently being studied in a Phase 2 expansion study for multiple myeloma in China. Ouro Medicines holds exclusive rights outside of Greater China and plans to initiate its Phase 1 clinical trial in 2025. B cell-mediated diseases include systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, Sjögren's syndrome, and myositis. In these indications, off-label use of BCMA-targeted TCEs has generated supportive proof-of-concept data.Shinichiro Fuse, Ph.D., Partner at TPG's Life Sciences Innovation Business Unit, stated:"Since the initial data on CAR-T cell therapy became available, TPG has been focusing on the topic of deep B-cell depletion. At Ouro, we have assembled a leadership team and a group of advisors with deep insights into immune-mediated diseases and the key modalities being studied for these indications, as well as extensive experience in drug discovery and clinical development. We are excited to support the company in developing immune-reset therapies to address the significant unmet needs of patients."Behind its leading programs, Ouro Medicines plans to advance a series of discovery programs targeting other dimensions of B-cell biology. These programs explore unique B-cell subsets compared to existing therapies in the clinic. Additionally, Ouro's protein engineering expertise is being applied to a new generation of novel TCEs to continue driving innovative treatments for chronic immune-mediated diseases.Ouro Medicines Board Member andMonograph CapitalDr. Tim Funnell, Partner, said:"Ouro Medicines firmly believes that immune resetting has the potential to alter the course of many autoimmune diseases. Our goal in establishing Ouro is to create a discovery platform to unlock immune resetting therapies, and we are excited to accelerate the company’s progress by introducing OM336. Based on the preclinical profile and clinical data we have observed in oncology, we believe that OM336 holds tremendous promise. The learnings from the OM336 clinical program, along with Ouro's discovery activities, will lay a solid foundation for us to build a leading immune resetting therapy company."Ouro Medicines has assembled a leadership team with expertise in a range of related diseases and models, including:Dr. Jaideep Dudani, Chief Executive Officer. Dudani was recently a member of the founding team at HI Bio, where he led portfolio development and strategy prior to its acquisition by Biogen. Throughout his career, he has played a cross-functional role in R&D, strategy, and business development. Dudani is also the portfolio lead at Monograph Capital.Dr. Neely Mozaffarian, Chief Medical Officer. Mozaffarian has served as the Chief Medical Officer of GentiBio and Atomwise, with extensive pharmaceutical experience at Johnson & Johnson, Gilead, Eli Lilly, and AbbVie, leading the development of biologics and small molecule drugs.Dr. Christina Carlson, Chief Administrative Officer. Carlson recently served as General Counsel of HI Bio and has nearly 20 years of pharmaceutical and legal experience at Ouro Medicines.Dr. Kevin P. Baker, Chief Development Officer. Former Chief Development Officer of Pionyr Immunotherapeutics, where he led a team developing monoclonal antibodies and proteins to modulate the tumor microenvironment, with extensive experience in immuno-oncology and immunology research projects.The board of directors of Ouro Medicines includes Dr. Shinichiro Fuse (TPG), Dr. Matt McAviney (NEA), Dr. Brian Matesic (Norwest), and Dr. Tim Funnell (Monograph) and Dr. Bo Chen (Concerto Biologics).Supporting the Ouro leadership team are several experienced clinical advisors, including Dr. John Davis, President of Norte Health Consulting and former member of the Scientific Advisory Board at HI Bio; Dr. Matthew Baker, Clinical Chief of the Department of Immunology and Rheumatology at Stanford University, and Co-Director of the Stanford Multidisciplinary Sarcoidosis Program;Stanford PengDr., recently RenAlpine Immune SciencesPresident and R&D Director.Follow the official account below to see the world!
