CAMBRIDGE, Mass.– Faze Medicines, a biotechnology company pioneering therapeutics based on the groundbreaking new science of biomolecular condensates, today announced its launch and Series A financing of $81 million. Faze is founded by leading experts in the emerging field of biomolecular condensates with the mission of leveraging this fundamentally new understanding of cell biology to develop therapies to slow, halt or reverse disease pathology. The Series A was led by Third Rock Ventures with Novartis Venture Fund, Eli Lilly and Company, AbbVie Ventures, Invus, Catalio Capital Management, Casdin Capital and Alexandria Venture Investments participating.
Biomolecular condensates are membrane-less clusters of molecules, such as proteins and nucleic acids, that dynamically organize to perform a wide array of cell functions. Research over the past decade, including seminal work by Faze’s founders, has found that disturbances in the behavior of condensates play a causative role in myriad human diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other neurodegenerative disorders. Faze is now poised to deliver medical breakthroughs based on this fundamentally new understanding of cell biology.
“The biology of condensates is the kind of science that will rewrite textbooks — and, we believe, rewrite medicine,” said Cary Pfeffer, M.D., interim chief executive officer of Faze and partner at Third Rock Ventures. “Faze is founded by leading experts who have been integral to this field since its very beginnings. Their insights, coupled with the deep expertise of the team we have assembled, will enable us to realize the enormous potential of this new biology.”
“Cell biology is undergoing a transformation as we come to understand the integral role that biomolecular condensates play within cell processes from DNA repair to intracellular transport,” added Rachel Meyers, Ph.D., chief scientific officer of Faze. “Faze was founded to translate these exciting discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic, where they could make a real difference in treating diseases that have seen very little therapeutic progress.”
The Series A will support Faze’s preclinical research in two initial therapeutic focus areas – ALS and myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) – as well as research to explore condensate biology in other disease areas. In ALS and DM1, a robust body of literature points to a causative role for condensate dysregulation. Leveraging state-of-the-art screening and proteomics techniques, Faze will identify proteins that are key components or regulators of disease-causing condensates, and then employ proprietary assays to discover small molecule drugs targeting these proteins.
