Bitterroot Bio, a new California-based biotechnology company, has stepped out of the shadows and officially announced its presence to the public after first forming back in 2021. The company was launched by a team physicians, scientists and veterans of the pharmaceutical industry. This includes cardiologist Nicholas Leeper, MD, chief of vascular medicine at Stanford University, and Irv Weissman, MD, founding director of Stanford’s Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
Bitterroot Bio is focused on developing immunotherapies for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
“CVD represents an enormous global health burden, and there is a pressing need for safe and effective therapies,” Pavan Cheruvu, MD, Bitterroot Bio’s president and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Our team is excited to leverage our deep expertise in immunology and cardiology to develop transformative therapies that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients with atherosclerosis and other serious cardiovascular disorders.”
Bitterroot Bio aims to advance new protein therapies that physicians can prescribe to treat the underlying causes of CVD. Its lead product is BRB-002, a therapy being developed to help limit atherosclerosis and vascular inflammation among high-risk patients.
$145 million in funding to continue developing cardiac immunotherapy treatments
Bitterroot Bio also announced the completion of a Series A financing round worth $145 million. ARCH Venture Partners and Deerfield Management led the funding round. GV, Koch Disruptive Technologies, Alexandrea Venture Investments and other investors also participated.
“We are pleased to partner with Bitterroot Bio as they work to bring groundbreaking medicines to patients with cardiovascular diseases,” Steve Gillis, PhD, chairman of the board and managing director at ARCH Venture Partners, said in the same statement. “The team’s depth of experience as scientific pioneers, drug developers, and accomplished biopharma leaders makes them an ideal partner for us.”
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.