What is Lycera?
Lycera is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Its core technology revolves around a proprietary portfolio of small molecules engineered to either suppress or activate the immune system. The company leverages its deep expertise in immune metabolism, cell signaling, and immune cell differentiation to drive its research pipeline. Lycera has four wholly owned programs, including a lead candidate for inflammatory bowel disease (LYC-30937) slated for clinical testing. Furthermore, the company has established strategic collaborations with Merck for the discovery, development, and commercialization of autoimmune disorder treatments. The leadership team possesses extensive experience across drug discovery, development, and commercialization, maintaining strong ties with global thought leaders and clinical researchers.
How much funding has Lycera raised?
Lycera has raised a total of $96.2M across 6 funding rounds:
Series A
$36M
Private Equity
$21M
Debt
$5M
Debt
$4M
Series B
$29.9M
Debt
$350K
Series A (2009): $36M with participation from ARCH Venture Partners, EDF Ventures, InterWest Partners, and Clarus Ventures
Private Equity (2012): $21M, investors not publicly disclosed
Debt (2013): $5M supported by InterWest Partners and ARCH Venture Partners
Debt (2014): $4M featuring Clarus Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, and InterWest Partners
Series B (2015): $29.9M backed by ARCH Venture Partners, InterWest Partners, and Clarus Ventures
Debt (2020): $350K with participation from PPP
Key Investors in Lycera
ARCH Venture Partners
ARCH Venture Partners is a leading earlystage venture capital firm that creates and invests in life sciences and advanced technology companies, often cofounding startups with scientists and entrepreneurs to commercialize innovations from universities, corporate R&D groups, and national laboratories.
Clarus Ventures
Blackstone Life Sciences focuses on bringing vital medicines and technologies to market, aiming to improve patient outcomes through collaboration with pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical technology companies. The firm addresses the funding gap in the life sciences sector by investing in late-stage development of innovative products. With a team of over 215 professionals, Blackstone Life Sciences leverages its clinical, commercial, and operational expertise to advance promising life science products. Their strategy seeks to deliver attractive, market-unrelated returns while addressing unmet medical needs globally.
InterWest Partners
InterWest Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage technology and life sciences companies. They focus on providing capital and strategic guidance to help their portfolio companies achieve significant growth and market leadership.
What's next for Lycera?
The recent major strategic investment in Lycera signals a pivotal phase for the company, likely enabling accelerated clinical development of its lead candidates and expansion of its research initiatives. This capital infusion, coupled with its existing collaborations, positions Lycera to further solidify its standing in the biopharmaceutical sector. The company's focus on immune-modulating small molecules addresses critical unmet needs in oncology and autoimmune diseases, suggesting a strategic push towards advancing its pipeline through late-stage trials and potential commercialization.
See full Lycera company page
