Quellis Biosciences is a technology company.
Quellis Biosciences has raised $17.0M across 1 funding round.
Quellis Biosciences has raised $17.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Quellis Biosciences has raised $17.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Quellis Biosciences's investors include Perceptive Advisors.
Quellis Biosciences was a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 2017, focused on developing next-generation antibody therapies for serious rare diseases, particularly hereditary angioedema (HAE), a debilitating genetic condition causing unpredictable swelling attacks.[1][2][3] Its lead program, QLS-215, targeted plasma kallikrein inhibition with an extended half-life for infrequent dosing, aiming to improve patient outcomes through best-in-class performance.[1][3][4] The company raised $17 million in Series A financing and was acquired by Catabasis Pharmaceuticals in January 2021 for undisclosed terms, with Catabasis securing $110 million in parallel funding to advance QLS-215 into IND-enabling studies and early clinical trials.[1][2][3][4]
Quellis served patients with rare diseases like HAE, addressing unmet needs for therapies with sustained efficacy and reduced dosing frequency via technologies like Xencor's Xtend Fc.[2][3] Post-acquisition, its assets integrated into Catabasis (later rebranded as Astria Therapeutics), which continued development of related plasma kallikrein inhibitors like STAR-0215, with cash runway through mid-2025 and proof-of-concept data expected mid-2024.[1]
Quellis Biosciences emerged from biopharma incubator Viridian LLC and life sciences accelerator Xontogeny, founded in November 2017 with seed financing from Xontogeny.[2][3] Key leaders included President and founding CEO Jonathan Violin, Ph.D., and Chief Scientific Officer Vahe Bedian, Ph.D., both Viridian partners, with board chair Chris Garabedian (CEO of Xontogeny and manager of Perceptive Xontogeny Ventures).[2][3] The idea stemmed from a patient-focused, data-driven approach to discover novel molecules for rare diseases, kickstarted by successful lead optimization.[2]
Early traction came via a $17 million Series A in 2018, led by Perceptive Xontogeny Ventures (PXV) with Fairmount Funds, following promising monoclonal antibody candidates for an undisclosed rare disease target (later specified as HAE).[2][3] This funded optimization of QLS-215, incorporating Xencor’s Xtend technology for extended half-life, demonstrated in non-human primates.[2][3] The pivotal moment was the 2021 acquisition by Catabasis, approved by both boards, enabling clinical advancement.[1][3][4]
Quellis rode the wave of precision biologics for rare diseases, capitalizing on advances in monoclonal antibodies and Fc engineering to target niche immunology conditions like HAE, where unpredictable attacks demand long-acting prophylactics.[1][2][3] Timing aligned with growing investor interest in rare disease biotechs—post-2017 funding boom—fueled by regulatory incentives (e.g., orphan drug status) and validated targets like plasma kallikrein, proven by prior HAE therapies.[3]
Market forces favored Quellis: HAE's high unmet need (debilitating swelling without reliable long-term options) and biopharma M&A trends, exemplified by its acquisition amid Catabasis's pivot.[1][4] It influenced the ecosystem by accelerating asset handoffs via accelerators like Xontogeny, bridging discovery to clinic and enabling firms like Astria to advance similar inhibitors (e.g., STAR-0215 into Phase 1b/2 by 2023).[1][3]
Post-acquisition, Quellis's legacy lives on through Astria Therapeutics' STAR-0215, with mid-2024 proof-of-concept data from the ALPHA-STAR trial poised to validate long-acting kallikrein inhibition and $226M cash extending runway to H1 2025.[1] Next steps likely include Phase 2/3 advancement if data succeeds, amid HAE market growth from oral and subcutaneous prophylactics.
Shaping trends—AI-driven antibody design, gene therapies, and combo regimens—could evolve its influence, potentially via partnerships or further M&A, reinforcing Quellis's role as a catalyst in rare disease innovation from incubator to clinical pipeline.[1][2]
Quellis Biosciences has raised $17.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $17.0M Series A in December 2019.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 1, 2019 | $17.0M Series A | Perceptive Advisors |