Published: May 05, 2021
By Mark Terry
There’s money on the move and venture capital firms launch several biotech companies with hefty Series A financing rounds. Here’s a look.
Esker Launches with $70 Million Series A
San Francisco-based Esker Therapeutics, a Foresite Labs-incubated company,
launched with a $70 million Series A financing. The round was led by Foresite Capital. The company focuses on autoimmune diseases and so-called precision therapies that target patients most likely to benefit from them.
The company’s precision analytics platform is powered by Foresite Labs. The technology platform is made up of high-quality curated genetic, clinical and medical record data, a systems immunology approach for prospective data collections and tools for building patient registries. Its lead pipeline product is ESK-001, a highly selective TYK2 inhibitor with greater selectivity for TYK2 over JAK1, initially in development for psoriasis. It is currently in a Phase I trial.