Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based newly formed product-focused company building a pipeline of oral for the treatment of chronic blood-based diseases and genetic disorders, has raised $40.7m in Series A financing from founding investor Third Rock Ventures, LLC.
Founded by Charles Homcy, M.D., and Craig Muir of Third Rock Ventures, David Phillips, Ph.D., co-founder of COR Therapeutics and co-founder with Dr. Homcy of Portola Pharmaceuticals, and three scientific researchers at the University of California, San Francisco: Matthew Jacobson, Ph.D., professor, pharmaceutical chemistry, Andrej Sali, Ph.D., professor, bioengineering and therapeutic sciences, and Jack Taunton, Ph.D., associate professor, cellular and molecular pharmacology, and led by CEO Mark A. Goldsmith, M.D., Ph.D., venture partner at Third Rock Ventures, Global Blood Therapeutics has developed the SHAPE Platform, which is designed to enable the discovery and development of oral, small molecule drugs that change the shapes of key blood proteins to modify their functions, enhance vital biological pathways and drive therapeutic benefits.
The company’s lead program focuses on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), a rare genetic disease caused by a single mutation that alters the oxygen-transport protein hemoglobin and results in the “sickling” – or change to a crescent shape – of red blood cells.
In addition to Dr. Goldsmith, the Global Blood Therapeutics management team includes acting chief scientific officer Brian Metcalf, Ph.D., and chief technology officer Craig Muir, partner at Third Rock Ventures.
FinSMEs
14/06/2012