RyboDyn Discovers Cryptic Human Proteome, Secures $4 Million Funding
RyboDyn, a biotechnology company based in San Diego, California, has made a significant breakthrough in the field of immunotherapy by discovering a previously unknown “cryptic” human proteome. This groundbreaking finding has been accompanied by the successful closure of a $4 million pre-seed financing round, which will be instrumental in advancing the company’s mission to target the dark proteome for the development of novel immunotherapies.
The pre-seed funding round was co-led by Genedant Capital and SeaX Ventures, with substantial participation from SOSV and Swell VC as part of the investment syndicate. This investment underscores the urgent need for innovative strategies to overcome cancer and other debilitating conditions where long-term therapeutic solutions are currently lacking.
RyboDyn has developed a proprietary RNA sequencing technology, RyboCypher, which enables high-throughput detection of RNA molecules that have been overlooked by existing next-generation sequencing methods. The first datasets generated using the RyboCypher sequencing method have revealed a vast set of previously uncharacterized proteins from the dark proteome. These novel proteins offer untapped potential for therapeutic discovery and position RyboDyn as a leader in developing first-in-class cancer immunotherapies.
Dr. Kid Parchariyanon, Founder and Managing Partner at SeaX Ventures, who co-led the funding round with Genedant Capital, emphasized the significance of this discovery. “Discovering such a vast set of previously uncharacterized proteins from the dark proteome is exceptionally rare. These novel proteins offer untapped potential for therapeutic discovery and position RyboDyn as a leader in developing first-in-class cancer immunotherapies.”
In addition to its groundbreaking target discovery capabilities with RyboCypher, RyboDyn has licensed the patent rights to three additional technologies from Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). These patent rights encompass innovative methods for single-cell functional drug profiling and spatial biology applications designed to enhance patient stratification. By leveraging this proprietary IP portfolio, RyboDyn is driving the development of cutting-edge biologics both internally and through strategic partnerships.
The new funding will be used to expand target discovery and accelerate drug development. RyboDyn is collaborating with leading academic institutions and biopharma partners to advance conserved targets with broad therapeutic potential. Dr. Imad Ajjawi, CEO of RyboDyn, outlined the company’s ambitious goals. “Our goal is to build a premier pipeline of first-in-class, next-generation immunotherapies, developed both internally and in partnership with large pharmaceutical companies.”
Rusty Ralston, Managing Partner at Swell VC, highlighted the timely nature of this investment. “The dark genome space is heating up, and RyboDyn has the right team and approach to make a significant impact on patients’ lives.”
RyboDyn’s innovative approach and proprietary technology have positioned the company at the forefront of the biotechnology industry. With its scalable, in-house platform for lead discovery and optimization, and its strategic partnerships with leading clinical and academic institutions, RyboDyn is poised to make significant strides in the development of transformative solutions for cancer and other diseases with unmet medical needs.
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