Digest 8/1/23
Surveying great inventors and businesses
Axial: https://linktr.ee/axialxyz
Axial partners with great founders and inventors. We invest in early-stage life sciences companies such as Appia Bio, Seranova Bio, Delix Therapeutics, Simcha Therapeutics, among others often when they are no more than an idea. We are fanatical about helping the rare inventor who is compelled to build their own enduring business. If you or someone you know has a great idea or company in life sciences, Axial would be excited to get to know you and possibly invest in your vision and company . We are excited to be in business with you - email us at info@axialvc.com
Medarex: invented Opdivo, one of the 1st immunotherapies & acquired by BMS for $2.4B in 2009
With their humanized mouse platform, discovered an anti-PD1 mAb. Sparking widespread interest in the target with their 2012 clinical results. Leading to Merck's investment in Keytruda
Takeaway: Medarex had also developed Yervoy (CTLA-4). Focusing on PD-1 for their 2nd program was controversial at the time, but they benefited from the built up expertise in IO they had. Giving the company the ability to take more target risk, given PD-1 was still relatively new
Structural and functional properties of mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes revealed through single-cell perturbation screens led by Jordan Otto, Oana Ursu & Alexander Wu from the Cigall Kadoch lab https://www.cell.com/molecular-cell/fulltext/S1097-2765(23)00203-4
Alltrna:
- Founded in 2018 to develop programmable tRNA medicines
- Delivering tRNAs to restore disrupted protein production and treat diseases with the same underlying genetic mutation
- Mapping out the universe of tRNAs and their effects on translation/human disease
Tisento Therapeutics:
- Raised $81M after spinning out from Cyclerion Therapeutics from Polaris, Invus among others
- Led by founder Peter Hecht (image below) to develop a phase 2 sGC stimulator (brain-penetrant) in MELAS and other genetic mitochondrial diseases
Founder Stories: Chad Robins, Co-Founder and CEO of Adaptive Biotechnologies
On founder relationships: "Understand where you complement each other’s skillsets, be patient and hopefully have an ace-in-the-hole mediator that can help with dispute resolution when things get challenging."
- Harlan Robins, Co-Founder and CSO of Adaptive Biotechnologies
