South San Francisco, United States
Vicinitas Therapeutics, established in 2022, is a promising biotechnology startup based in South San Francisco, California. Their tagline, "Advancing a one-of-a-kind protein stabilization platform to develop novel therapeutics for cancer and genetic disorders," encapsulates their innovative approach to treating diseases previously considered "undruggable."
The company focuses on developing Deubiquitinase Targeting Chimeras (DUBTACs), aiming to stabilize and thus therapeutically target proteins that are crucial in the pathogenesis of illnesses like cancer and monogenic disorders. This addresses a significant unmet need in life sciences by potentially unlocking a suite of therapies previously inaccessible through traditional drug discovery.
Vicinitas Therapeutics emerged from a collaboration between Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and the University of California, Berkeley. Their successful $65.00M Series A funding round on 28 July 2022 was backed by notable investors including GV, Andreessen Horowitz, Berkeley Catalyst Fund, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research, Droia Ventures, and Deerfield, underscoring strong industry confidence in their potential.
