Versant Ventures has introduced Dayra Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company developing oral macrocyclic peptides for the treatment of a range of serious diseases. The launch is backed by more than $70 million in committed capital, including a $50 million upfront funding collaboration with Biogen and an additional equity investment from Versant.
Dayra originates from Versant’s Frontier Discovery Engine in Toronto and Montreal, a platform that incubates early biotech concepts and accelerates scientific development. During its seed stage, Dayra advanced multiple macrocyclic peptide molecules designed to address high-value immunology targets and several other disease areas. The company’s scientific foundation combines macrocycle discovery tools with computational design and modeling to generate selective oral therapeutics.
The partnership with Biogen aims to identify, validate, and optimize oral macrocycle candidates for priority immunological targets. Biogen will be responsible for subsequent clinical development, manufacturin,g and potential commercialization. The agreement includes a $50 million upfront payment to Dayra, with options for Biogen to acquire each program and provide additional upfront and milestone payments.
Versant emphasized that macrocyclic peptides have reached a pivotal inflection point in drug development, enabling new therapeutic approaches that historically required modalities such as antibodies or injectables. With an experienced leadership team and a collaboration with a global biopharmaceutical company, Dayra enters the market positioned for rapid growth and expansion.
Founded in 2024, Dayra now joins a portfolio of more than 100 companies successfully built or scaled by Versant since its inception. The firm manages $5.5 billion across the U.S., Canada and Europe and continues to focus heavily on next-generation therapeutics.
KEY QUOTES
“The field of macrocycles is at a new inflection point and is starting to deliver meaningful medicines. Dayra has brought together insights and enablement from Versant’s Frontier Discovery Engine, exceptional leadership with deep macrocycle drug development expertise, and this foundational collaboration with Biogen, putting the company in a very strong position.”
Rami Hannoush, Ph.D., Venture Partner at Versant and Acting CEO of Dayra
“Biogen is an ideal partner for Dayra, bringing complementary capabilities and insights. Our talented research team is looking forward to working in close collaboration to deploy our novel approaches to discover and deliver oral macrocycle therapies for immunology.”
Roger Palframan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Dayra Therapeutics
