Metsera, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company advancing the next generation of medicines for obesity and metabolic diseases, announced its launch this week. And Metsera also announced it raised $290 million in funding led by ARCH Venture Partners with participation from other leading healthcare investors, including F-Prime Capital, GV, Mubadala Capital, Newpath Partners, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and other undisclosed investors.
Launched by Population Health Partners and ARCH Venture Partners and led by former executives of The Medicines Company, Metsera is driving a broad portfolio of oral and injectable incretin, non-incretin, and combination therapies designed with sophisticated profiles to address multiple targets and meet the future needs of a rapidly evolving weight loss treatment landscape.
Metsera’s next-generation injectable and oral development program portfolio is sourced from the company’s proprietary library of over 20,000 gut hormone peptides and peptide/antibody conjugates. The company’s development programs include strategies focused on multiple next-generation targets and combinations. This includes:
- GLP-1 portfolio – Led by an injectable, fully-biased GLP-1 receptor agonist in Phase 1 clinical trials with a potential class-leading duration of effect
- A dual amylin/calcitonin receptor agonist (DACRA) engineered for class-leading duration of effect, which is being combined with the GLP-1 receptor agonist
- A unimolecular GGG (GLP-1, GIP, Glucagon) built for class-leading duration of effect and combination with DACRA
- An oral peptide delivery platform – including two IND-ready candidates with potential best-in-class bioavailability and multiple first-in-class oral follow-on candidates
- Many other early-stage programs and delivery modalities
KEY QUOTES:
“Metsera was purpose-built over the last two years to get ahead of the innovation curve in one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the history of biopharma. We have assembled a portfolio of long-acting injectable and oral agents to address multiple next-generation weight loss goals. With a proven team of world experts across multiple company functions, leading healthcare investors and proprietary health technology tools, we are well-positioned to rapidly advance our clinical stage pipeline and create value for patients, health systems and investors.”
- Clive Meanwell, chief executive officer of Metsera
“We are in the early days of a fascinating new era of innovation in weight loss and obesity-associated diseases. Metsera’s portfolio is focused beyond the current generation of market leaders to address the full spectrum of future weight loss therapeutic needs, including effective weight maintenance, preserving muscle, less-frequent dosing, and better efficacy, tolerability and patient access.”
- Kristina Burow, Metsera board member and managing director of ARCH Venture Partners
“Metsera’s portfolio is designed to unlock new treatment strategies through scalable, sustainable and personalized interventions for weight loss, weight maintenance and disease prevention. Through optimized combinations of injectable and oral peptides, we aim to establish a cycle of continuous and responsive innovation to address a growing worldwide obesity crisis.”
- Sir Stephen R. Bloom, FMedSci, FRS, senior vice president of research and development at Metsera and head of drug development, metabolism, digestion and reproduction at Imperial College London
