Cambridge biotech Pronutria Biosciences just closed out a $39 million Series C for its amino acid-modulating therapeutic line.
Pronutria Biosciences is building out a pipeline of oral biologics – likely in food-form – to help patients restore their cellular homeostasis. It holds patents around treating conditions that cause muscle loss, such as anorexia, congestive heart failure and COPD. Diseases caused by autophagy, the company says.
This comes just on the heels of a $28 million Series B this past February. The startup adds Fidelity to its roster of investors, though also participating in the round is founding investor Flagship Ventures. It’s now raised $65 million since its 2010 launch.
When Investment Rhymes with Canada
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Pronutria just recently added the Biosciences to its title – adding a little gravitas to a startup that initially seemed to be headed down the nutraceutical track. Fierce Biotech writes:
“We are the architects of a new modality,” says CEO Robert Connelly. And while the biotech is primarily focused on developing a new class of drugs, it’s not overlooking the potential for supplements.
“We are about amino acid biology,” Connelly adds. “What we’re doing here, to some extent, is mimicking nature. Food is loaded with intact proteins, breaks it down and delivers amino acids to the bloodstream. We have to find proteins with the right amino acids which can be orally ingested and delivered with the right timing, PK and PD.”
The company has created a library of more than 1 billion protein sequences, it says, and has a set of proprietary tools to identify which might be useful in treating disease.
Pronutria Biosciences remains vague about what indications it’s chasing (just saying “multiple therapeutic areas”), though historically it’s suggested conditions like anorexia and metabolic disorders.
