Pliant Therapeutics is a technology company.
Pliant Therapeutics has raised $162.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Pliant Therapeutics.
Pliant Therapeutics has raised $162.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Pliant Therapeutics has raised $162.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Pliant Therapeutics's investors include Menlo Ventures.
Key people at Pliant Therapeutics.
Pliant Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule therapies targeting fibrosis, a condition involving excessive tissue scarring that leads to organ damage in diseases like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).[1][2][3][4][5] It serves patients with fibrotic diseases and related cancers, addressing unmet needs by inhibiting integrin-mediated TGF-β activation to halt progression, reverse damage, and restore organ function through its proprietary platform.[1][4][5][6] The company's lead candidate, PLN-74809, advances in clinical trials for IPF and PSC, with a pipeline targeting lung, liver, kidney, skin, heart, and GI fibrosis, demonstrating growth via partnerships and a $45 million Series A launch.[3][4][5][6]
Founded in 2015 by Third Rock Ventures, Pliant Therapeutics emerged from a vision to tackle fibrosis using integrin biology and tissue-specific TGF-β inhibition, avoiding broad TGF-β targeting's side effects.[4][6] Scientific founder Dr. Dean Chapman, with expertise in disease mechanisms, shaped its innovative approach, serving as an advisor to guide target validation.[2] Early traction came from a $45 million Series A financing, enabling rapid pipeline development focused on high-unmet-need areas like IPF, PSC, and systemic sclerosis (SSc).[4][5][6]
Pliant rides the fibrosis therapeutics trend, where few effective treatments exist for progressive diseases affecting millions, driven by aging populations and rising chronic conditions like IPF and NASH.[1][3][4] Timing aligns with advances in precision biology, enabling targeted TGF-β pathway inhibition amid failures of broad approaches.[5][6] Market forces favor it via biotech funding for unmet needs and regulatory incentives for rare diseases; it influences the ecosystem by advancing research, building registries, and pioneering organ-specific therapies.[4][6]
Pliant is poised for milestones like PLN-74809 data readouts and Phase 3 initiations, with next earnings on March 2, 2026, potentially catalyzing commercialization in fibrosis.[2][4] Trends in biomarker-driven trials and AI-aided discovery will accelerate its pipeline expansion into cancer and multi-organ fibrosis. Its influence may grow as a fibrosis pioneer, transforming patient outcomes where Pliant first targeted scarring's root causes.[1][3][5]
Pliant Therapeutics has raised $162.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $100.0M Series C in March 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2020 | $100.0M Series C | Menlo Ventures | |
| Jul 1, 2018 | $62.0M Series B | Menlo Ventures |
