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§ Private Profile · La Jolla, CA, USA
biopharmaceutical company focused on movement disorders, rare orphan diseases, and deuterium chemistry.
Founded in 2001 by Thomas Gant and Sepehr Sarshar, Auspex Pharmaceuticals is a San Diego, California-based biopharmaceutical company that develops novel medicines for movement disorders and rare orphan diseases by applying deuterium chemistry to existing drug molecules. Prior to its acquisition, the clinical-stage enterprise operated with approximately 35 employees, secured $84 million in its 2014 initial public offering, and built an extensive intellectual property portfolio of 1,015 patents. In May 2015, the business was officially acquired by multinational pharmaceutical company Teva Pharmaceutical Industries for an equity valuation of approximately three and a half billion dollars. The organization's lead developed compound, deutetrabenazine, subsequently received regulatory approval from the FDA and is currently marketed by Teva under the brand name Austedo. This medication targets hyperkinetic movement conditions, including tardive dyskinesia, Tourette syndrome, and chorea associated with Huntington's disease.
Auspex Pharmaceuticals has raised $60.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Auspex Pharmaceuticals has raised $60.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Auspex Pharmaceuticals has raised $60.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Auspex Pharmaceuticals's investors include Jonathan Leff, BioMed Ventures, CMEA Capital, Costa Verde Capital, Oxford Finance, Panorama Capital, Thomas, McNerney & Partners, Gaurav Aggarwal, Vivo Capital, Sloan Biotech Fund.
Auspex Pharmaceuticals has raised $60.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $35.0M Debt / Series E in January 2014.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2014 | $35M Debt Financing | Jonathan Leff | Biomed Ventures, CMEA Capital, Costa Verde Capital, Oxford Finance, Panorama Capital, Thomas, McNerney & Partners | Announced |
| Nov 1, 2012 | $25M Series D | Gaurav Aggarwal | Vivo Capital, CMEA Capital, Sloan Biotech Fund, Thomas, McNerney & Partners | Announced |
Auspex Pharmaceuticals was a biopharmaceutical company that developed novel therapies using deuterium chemistry to modify known molecules, targeting hyperkinetic movement disorders like Huntington's disease, tardive dyskinesia, and Tourette syndrome, as well as other rare diseases such as fibrotic conditions and Parkinson's.[1][2][3] Its lead product, Austedo (SD-809 or deutetrabenazine), a vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT-2) inhibitor, offered potential improvements in safety, reduced drug-drug interactions, and less frequent dosing compared to existing treatments.[1][2][3] The company served patients with rare neurological and movement disorders, addressing unmet needs in efficacy and tolerability; it raised $95.62M, went public, and achieved positive Phase 3 results for SD-809 in Huntington's chorea before being acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries in 2015 for integration into Teva's CNS portfolio.[2][4]
Founded in 2001 and headquartered in La Jolla, California, Auspex Pharmaceuticals emerged from innovative research into deuterium-modified drugs to enhance pharmacokinetics and safety profiles of existing molecules.[1][2][3] Pratik Shah, PhD, MBA, joined as an investor in 2007, later becoming President, CEO, and Director, steering the focus toward orphan indications like Huntington's disease after being drawn to the deuteration technology's potential.[7] Early traction included developing SD-809, securing orphan drug designation from the FDA, completing an IPO in 2014 (with market cap reaching $478M), and reporting positive Phase 3 trial results for Huntington's chorea in 2014, paving the way for a planned NDA submission in 2015.[3][7] This momentum culminated in Teva's acquisition on May 5, 2015, as a subsidiary to advance commercialization.[1][4]
Auspex rode the trend of precision medicinal chemistry in rare disease therapeutics, particularly deuterium substitution to optimize CNS drugs amid growing demand for better-tolerated treatments for orphan movement disorders affecting limited patient populations.[1][2][3] Timing aligned with rising biotech IPOs in the early 2010s and FDA incentives like orphan designations, amplified by unmet needs in Huntington's and tardive dyskinesia where existing therapies like tetrabenazine had dosing and safety limitations.[3][7] Market forces favoring big pharma acquisitions of late-stage assets with validated tech enabled Teva to bolster its CNS portfolio, influencing the ecosystem by validating deuteration as a platform—now seen in approved drugs like Austedo—and accelerating therapies from discovery to patients via integrated R&D and commercialization.[4]
Post-2015 acquisition, Auspex's assets integrated into Teva, with Austedo gaining FDA approval for Huntington's chorea in 2017 and expanding labels, demonstrating the enduring value of its deuteration approach in delivering marketed therapies.[1][4] Looking ahead, trends in rare disease innovation, AI-driven drug design, and gene therapies will shape similar platforms, potentially evolving Auspex's legacy through Teva's ongoing CNS expansions or deuterium applications in new modalities. Its influence persists as a model for tech-enabled biopharma acquisitions, tying back to its origins in transformative chemistry that unlocked safer treatments for underserved patients.[2][4]