Fortitude Biomedicines, a biopharmaceutical firm based in Waltham, Massachusetts, has officially launched following the closure of a $13 million seed financing round. The company focuses on developing immune cell-targeting biologics and a new generation of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).
GLUE-DAC proprietary technology
At the heart of Fortitude’s strategy is the GLUE-DAC drug discovery engine, a next-generation ADC platform powered by proprietary molecular glue payloads.
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Origin: The technology was developed by Professor Jin Wang and his laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine. Professor Wang is also a co-founder of the company.
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Objective: GLUE-DAC is designed to overcome drug resistance, a growing hurdle in the current ADC landscape. By combining the validated delivery of antibodies with the transformative potential of targeted protein degradation, this technology aims to meet significant unmet medical needs.
Development roadmap and financial backing
The $13 million investment, co-led by K2 Bio Partners and Shanghai Healthcare Angel Capital, will support the advancement of Fortitude’s lead immune cell-targeting biologic program through Investigational New Drug (IND) studies.
Dr. Jesse Chen, President and CEO of Fortitude, stated that the company is at the forefront of a new era in therapeutic innovation, unlocking the ability to precisely target diseases while engaging the body’s own biology in powerful, transformative ways.