Cambridge cancer drug startup Nuvalent raises $135 million
The new funding comes just four months after it was launched with $50 million.
By Jonathan Saltzman Globe Staff,Updated May 11, 2021, 6:00 a.m.
Email to a Friend
James Porter is CEO of Cambridge biotech Nuvalent.Nuvalent
Nuvalent, a Cambridge biotech working on precision cancer drugs, has raised another $135 million in venture capital just four months after the firm was launched with $50 million in financing.
The startup is developing lung cancer drugs that rely on enzyme blockers known as kinase inhibitors to help keep cancer cells from growing. Nuvalent hopes to use cash from the second round of financing to advance two potential drugs into clinical trials.
Share this article
Share this article
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ Nuvalent, Inc., a biotechnology company creating precisely targeted therapies for clinically proven kinase targets in cancer, today announced a $50M Series A financing from Deerfield Management. The company also announced its launch of a portfolio of innovative small molecule kinase inhibitors with parallel lead programs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), including NUV-520 – a potential best-in-class ROS1-selective inhibitor - and NUV-655 – an ALK-selective inhibitor. These novel molecules have been designed through Nuvalent s proprietary discovery efforts to specifically solve for the dual challenges of kinase resistance and selectivity, with the goals of minimizing adverse events and driving more durable responses for patients with cancer. Chief Executive Officer James Porter, Ph.D., leads an experienced team with deep expertise in structure-based drug design, oncology drug development an
Art by Anasthasia Shilov.
“What really motivates me is being able to spread the joy and the thrill of science,” Diondra Dilworth says. Dilworth is a third-year Ph.D. candidate in chemistry at Yale, researching how ribosomes can act as catalysts. She is committed to spreading her love of science and creating a supportive scientific community for her peers and students. Dilworth combines her passions for science as a researcher, mentor, and teacher to those around her.
Growing up
Before she began her research career, Dilworth grew up in Las Vegas, NV, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, but, for Dilworth, her home. Having grown up with two younger sisters, Dilworth always filled the role of support and guidance for those around her. Her maternal grandparents, who were both schoolteachers, were two of her biggest inspirations. Their passion for giving back to, teaching, and helping others is a core value that rubbed off on Dilworth, and one that has remaine