Funding
The Philadelphia market has gained recognition not only for its cell and gene therapy sector but also its real estate scene and talent pool. Vittoria Biotherapeutics, Interius BioTherapeutics and Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia executives share why the area is a life sciences hot spot.
In the first podcast in a special series focused on BioSpace’s NextGen Class of 2025, Senior Editor Annalee Armstrong speaks with Dannielle Appelhans, CEO of COUR.
COUR Pharmaceuticals has been around a while, but not until last year did the company solidify behind its ultimate mission with a series A raise.
The company, helmed by BioNTech alums, is developing therapies aimed at dermatological, respiratory and gut-related indications.
Helmed by Roche alums, Newleos Therapeutics is taking over four drugs dropped from the Swiss pharma’s pipeline in early 2024.
The Boston-area company’s previous raises were also aimed at getting its investigational antibody treatment for inclusion body myositis through clinical trials. Now, Abcuro is eyeing a regulatory submission and potential launch.
While the Chicago metropolitan area is not a major life sciences hub, a recent Cushman & Wakefield report predicts the Chicago market should be a growth spot in the coming years. Chicago Biomedical Consortium and COUR Pharmaceuticals executives share what makes the area a hot spot.
The company, co-founded by Nobel Laureate Craig Mello, aims to push molecules for Huntington’s and a form of epilepsy into Phase I trials, with additional preclinical assets targeting Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Versant Ventures continues to invest in the increasingly competitive obesity space, this time launching Helicore with $65 million and a GIP-targeting asset intended to induce higher-quality weight loss.
The funding, which follows the $176 million the government awarded Moderna in June 2024, aims to get mRNA vaccines ready before bird flu strains currently circulating in the wild and on farms can potentially cause human outbreaks.
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