Basel, Switzerland & San Francisco — Granite Bio AG, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on immunology, has officially launched with $100 million in funding to drive forward its innovative pipeline targeting inflammation, autoimmunity, and fibrosis. The financing includes a $30 million Series A round led by founding investors Versant Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund, along with a $70 million Series B round led by Forbion and Sanofi Ventures.
Granite Bio’s pipeline features two first-in-class antibody therapies designed to address major unmet needs in autoimmune diseases. The lead candidate, GRT-001, targets pro-inflammatory monocytes, which play a key role in driving inflammation and autoimmunity. In preclinical studies involving non-human primates, GRT-001 demonstrated effective and dose-dependent depletion of these monocytes while sparing tissue-resident macrophages crucial for maintaining tissue health. GRT-001 is currently undergoing Phase 1a trials in healthy volunteers and is expected to advance into a Phase 1b trial for patients with inflammatory bowel disease later this year.
A second candidate, GRT-002, blocks interleukin-3, a cytokine involved in autoimmune inflammation and type II inflammation, offering a new therapeutic approach for conditions such as itch and allergy. GRT-002 is in preclinical development, with plans to enter clinical trials in 2026.
Both antibody programs were developed in collaboration with Versant’s Ridgeline Discovery Engine in Basel and originated from the laboratory of Professor Matthias Mack at the University of Regensburg, who also serves as Granite Bio’s scientific co-founder.
“Granite is pioneering a new approach to tackling inflammation, autoimmunity, and fibrosis by addressing fundamental disease drivers at their source,” said Patrick Loustau, Granite Bio’s president and chief executive officer. “With the support of an exceptional investor syndicate and a world-class team, we are advancing a pipeline of first-in-class therapies with the potential to transform patient outcomes.”
Investors backing the company expressed confidence in its potential to reshape treatment paradigms for inflammatory disorders. Nigel Sheail, partner at Versant Ventures and a board member at Granite, noted that despite existing immunology treatments, many patients continue to experience inadequate symptom control and frequent relapses. Rogier Rooswinkel, Ph.D., general partner at Forbion and also a Granite board member, highlighted the company’s differentiated strategy, saying, “Granite is well-positioned to drive its pipeline forward and deliver meaningful new therapies for patients.”
Granite Bio is led by a seasoned executive team. CEO Patrick Loustau brings extensive experience from previous leadership roles at Amolyt Pharma, Zumbro Discovery, Zafgen Inc., and global pharmaceutical firms Bristol Myers Squibb and Novo Nordisk. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Dominik Hartl, formerly with Quell Therapeutics and Novartis, Roche, and Galapagos, has a deep background in immunology and fibrosis drug development. Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Gijs van den Brink, a gastroenterologist and immunology expert, previously held senior leadership positions at Roche and GlaxoSmithKline. The board is chaired by Eliot Forster, a biotech veteran with over 30 years of executive experience, including leadership roles at F-star Therapeutics and Immunocore.
With its substantial financial backing and an experienced leadership team, Granite Bio aims to advance its novel therapies into clinical development, addressing critical gaps in the treatment of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
