Locus Biosciences is a technology company.
Locus Biosciences has raised $54.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Locus Biosciences has raised $54.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Locus Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing CRISPR-enhanced bacteriophage therapies (crPhage™) to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections and microbiome-related diseases in areas like infectious diseases, immunology, oncology, and neurology.[1][2][3] Its lead product, LBP-EC01, targets *E. coli* urinary tract infections (UTIs) and is in Phase 2 trials, while the pipeline includes candidates for *Klebsiella pneumoniae*, *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, *Staphylococcus aureus*, and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).[3][8][9] The company serves patients with hard-to-treat infections, solving the crisis of antibiotic resistance by offering precision therapies that kill specific pathogens without disrupting the microbiome, backed by partnerships like Johnson & Johnson, BARDA, and CARB-X.[2][8] Growth momentum includes completing the world's first controlled clinical trial for a CRISPR-phage product in 2021, positive Phase 2 Part 1 results, and an award-winning cGMP manufacturing facility enabling scalable production.[3][4][6]
Founded in 2015 as a spin-out from North Carolina State University (NCSU), Locus Biosciences licensed foundational CRISPR-Cas3 technology to engineer bacteriophages, with initial funding from founder Paul Garofolo, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and private investors.[3][7] The idea emerged from recognizing antibiotics' limitations—broad-spectrum killing leading to resistance and microbiome damage—prompting a shift to precision phage therapies enhanced by synthetic biology.[1][7] Early traction came from high-throughput phage discovery and platform industrialization via acquisition of EpiBiome's AI and automation tech, culminating in the first human clinical trial of LBP-EC01 in 2021 and strategic collaborations for respiratory and other infections.[2][5]
Locus rides the antibiotic resistance crisis trend, where bacteria resist nearly all common drugs, threatening routine procedures and causing millions of infections yearly, amplified by post-pandemic respiratory threats.[2][7][9] Timing aligns with surging demand for precision medicine and microbiome modulation, fueled by CRISPR advancements and regulatory support via BARDA/CARB-X funding.[2][8] Market forces like failing broad-spectrum antibiotics favor phage therapies' specificity, positioning Locus to influence biotech by industrializing phage development—previously artisanal—through AI and manufacturing scale, potentially reshaping treatments for UTIs, BSIs, and IBD in a $20B+ antimicrobials market.[5][6]
Locus is poised to deliver first-in-class crPhage approvals, with LBP-EC01's Phase 2 Part 2 (BARDA-funded) and expansions into *S. aureus* BSIs, Klebsiella, and IBD driving milestones in 2026+.[3][9] Trends like AI-accelerated drug discovery, microbiome therapeutics, and viral vector demand will accelerate its pipeline, bolstered by manufacturing prowess for partnerships or gene therapy CDMO revenue.[5][6][10] Its influence may evolve from niche antibiotic alternative to microbiome platform leader, revolutionizing precision antibacterials as resistance worsens—echoing its origins in outsmarting evolution's arms race with engineered viruses.[1][7]
Locus Biosciences has raised $54.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Locus Biosciences's investors include ACME Capital, Artis Ventures (AV), Color Capital, David Namdar, Endeavor Venture Funds, M13, Jaime Schmidt, Matt Ocko, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Seventure Partners, Tencent Holdings.
Locus Biosciences has raised $54.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $35.0M Series B in May 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2022 | $35.0M Series B | ACME Capital, Artis Ventures (AV), Color Capital, David Namdar, Endeavor Venture Funds, M13, Jaime Schmidt | |
| Nov 1, 2017 | $19.0M Series A | ACME Capital, Artis Ventures (AV), Color Capital, David Namdar, Matt Ocko, Endeavor Venture Funds, Khosla Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, M13, Seventure Partners, Tencent Holdings, Jaime Schmidt |