USA—Mirador Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology startup founded by Mark C. McKenna and led by several former executives of Prometheus Biosciences, has been launched with the goal of revolutionizing precision medicine for immune-mediated inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.
This new development comes after Merck & Co. acquired Prometheus Biosciences for approximately US$11 billion in April 2023, according to BioPharma Dive.
With McKenna at the helm, Mirador aims to leverage its proprietary Mirador360 development engine to rapidly advance multiple programs.
Following this launch, Mirador has raised more than US$400 million in financing led by ARCH Venture Partners, with early investments from OrbiMed and Fairmount.
Other investors include Fidelity Management & Research Company, Point72, Farallon Capital Management, Boxer Capital, TCGX, Invus, Logos Capital, Moore Strategic Ventures, Blue Owl Healthcare Opportunities, Sanofi Ventures, Woodline Partners LP, Venrock Healthcare Capital Partners, RTW Investments, and Alexandria Venture Investments.
This is the largest private financing achieved by a biotech firm in 2024, as well as one of the sector’s most significant Series A rounds in recent years according to BioPharma Dive.
Mirador will focus on generating first-in-class or best-in-class precision medicines by expediting development with Mirador360, its patented precision development engine that takes use of recent advances in human genetics and data science.
Mirador360 was created to harmonize millions of patient molecular profiles in order to discover and validate genetic associations with immuno-fibrotic diseases, identify novel therapeutic targets, and comprehend target-target interactions, as well as optimal target-target pairs for potential combination therapies.
Mirador360 also enables Mirador to create diagnoses and stratify diverse patient populations for more precise clinical development.
Speaking during the ceremony, Mark C. McKenna, chairman, and CEO of Mirador highlighted that he envisions a bold new era of precision medicine for immune-mediated inflammatory and fibrotic diseases driven by speed and superior development accuracy.
He went on to state that the industry has only scratched the surface of utilizing advances in human genetics – coupled with exponential progress in machine learning – to accelerate the development of precision therapies for patients who need them the most. He believes that with a proven team, distinguished board of directors, leading healthcare investors, and proprietary data-driven approach, Mirador will be a leading precision medicine company at scale.
This infusion of capital arrives at a time of renewed vigor in private biotech investment following a multiyear downturn.
Industry experts, interviewed earlier this year by BioPharma Dive, noted a surge in investments, particularly in emerging companies.
This week alone, biotech startups CG Oncology, Kyverna Therapeutics, and ArriVent Biopharma each secured funding rounds exceeding US$150 million.
This influx of investments has also propelled more established companies forward. A recent report by analysts at investment bank Jefferies revealed that public biotech stock funding is on track for its strongest quarter in three years.
Additionally, initial public offerings are experiencing accelerated growth, with total dollars raised surpassing levels not seen since 2021, according to data from BioPharma Dive.
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