Rapafusyn Pharmaceuticals, a trailblazer in the realm of therapeutic drug discovery, has announced a significant milestone with the closure of a Series A financing round, amassing $28 million. This strategic investment round was led by 3E Bioventures Capital and Proxima Ventures Ltd., with participation from Lapam Capital.
Rapafusyn is spearheading the development of non-degrading molecular glues through its groundbreaking RapaGlue™ platform. This innovative technology is poised to address some of the most challenging and previously undruggable disease targets, marking a new era in drug discovery.
The RapaGlue™ platform excels in rapidly discovering novel non-degrading molecular glues, which represent a highly sought-after drug modality. These molecular glues have the unique ability to target and modulate protein-protein interactions (PPIs), transcription factors, ion channels, and other complex targets that have traditionally eluded conventional drug discovery methods.
Financing to Propel Innovation and Expansion
The newly acquired funds will be instrumental in advancing Rapafusyn’s diverse pipeline of macrocyclic peptide-based non-degrading molecular glues. These funds will also bolster the company’s internal capabilities, enabling the development of innovative chemical entities designed to tackle traditionally challenging or currently undruggable targets.
Dr. Jun O. Liu, the scientific founder of Rapafusyn and a pioneer in the molecular glue field, expressed his enthusiasm for the platform’s potential. “The RapaGlue™ platform allows us to design non-degrading molecular glues systematically, rather than discovering them serendipitously,” he said. This approach builds on his groundbreaking work in the early 1990s, which laid the foundation for the field of non-degrading molecular glues.
Distinguished Investors Support Rapafusyn’s Vision
Dr. Karen Liu, Founding Partner at 3E Bioventures, highlighted the platform’s potential to revolutionize drug discovery. “For the first time, we have a systematic and efficient way to screen for small molecule modulators beyond traditional Lipinski rules and protein degraders,” she noted. Haolin Sung, Partner at Proxima Ventures, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the platform’s superiority in addressing challenging or undruggable disease targets.
Zhihua Yu, Founding Managing Partner of Lapam Capital, added, “Rapafusyn’s innovative approach has the potential to address significant gaps in the pharma industry, offering transformational medicines that could benefit patients globally.”
About the Investors
3E Bioventures Capital is renowned for its science-driven investment philosophy, focusing on leading health innovators in biotech and TechBio. Proxima Ventures, with its extensive industry network and experience, invests in innovative and disruptive medical and biotechnologies. Lapam Capital, a leading healthcare venture capital firm in China, focuses on early to mid-stage companies with innovative pharmaceutical and medical device projects.
