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§ Private Profile · Philadelphia, PA, USA
Scout Bio is a technology company.
Scout Bio has raised $53.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Scout Bio.
Scout Bio has raised $53.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Scout Bio develops therapeutic proteins and one-time adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapies for chronic pet health conditions. The company uses AAV vector technology to induce sustained, long-term expression of therapeutic proteins, delivering durable benefits for animals. This approach provides a novel alternative to traditional small molecule or frequently administered antibody treatments.
Scout Bio originated as a spin-out from the University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program, founded from the laboratory of Dr. James M. Wilson, a pioneer in gene therapy. Co-founder Matthew Wilson was instrumental. The company was conceived with the insight that human gene therapy advancements could transform veterinary medicine, offering novel solutions for persistent animal ailments.
The company's products serve companion animals suffering from chronic diseases, benefiting pet owners seeking more effective and less burdensome treatment options. Scout Bio’s vision is to establish a new standard in animal health by developing advanced biotherapeutic solutions that provide enduring relief and improve the long-term well-being of pets worldwide.
Scout Bio has raised $53.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Scout Bio's investors include Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Digitalis Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, RiverVest, SV Health Investors, Adage Capital Management, Correlation Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Greenspring Associates, OrbiMed, RiverVest Venture Partners.
Key people at Scout Bio.
Scout Bio has raised $53.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $33.0M Series B in October 2021.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2021 | $33M Series B | — | Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences, Digitalis Ventures, MRL Ventures Fund, Rivervest, SV Health Investors, Adage Capital Management, Correlation Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Greenspring Associates, OrbiMed, RiverVest Venture Partners | Announced |
| Mar 1, 2019 | $20M Series B | Digitalis Ventures, Nancy Hong | Abingworth, Bain Capital Life Sciences, MRL Ventures Fund, Rivervest, SV Health Investors, Adage Capital Management, Correlation Ventures, Frazier Healthcare Partners, Greenspring Associates | Announced |
Scout Bio is a biotechnology company developing one-time AAV gene therapies and monoclonal antibodies to treat chronic conditions in pets, such as anemia from chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, and arthritis pain.[1][2][3] It serves pet owners and veterinarians by providing single-injection treatments that induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins via adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, primarily through intramuscular delivery for enhanced durability and convenience.[1][2] The company addresses the limitations of frequent injections for chronic pet diseases, with a pipeline showing early clinical successes like pilot studies in feline CKD-anemia and diabetes.[3][5] Headquartered in Philadelphia, Scout Bio originated as a University of Pennsylvania spin-out and was acquired by Ceva Santé Animale in January 2024, accelerating its biotherapeutics for companion animals.[1][4][6]
Scout Bio emerged as a spin-out from the University of Pennsylvania's Gene Therapy Program (GTP), led by pioneering gene therapy expert Dr. James M. Wilson, director of GTP and the Rose H. Weiss Professor.[3][4] Founded around 2020-2021, it leveraged GTP's expertise in AAV vectors to target veterinary applications, marking industry firsts like the first gene therapy in clinical development for feline CKD-associated anemia and a novel GLP-1 analog for feline diabetes.[3][5] Early traction included a $20 million financing round and successful pilot studies, such as the completion of a feline CKD-anemia trial with SB-001 in 2021, followed by a $33 million Series B2 in 2023 to advance diabetes, pain, and anemia programs.[5] Named Best New Start-Up for 2021 by IHS Markit, Scout Bio expanded its GTP collaboration before Ceva Santé Animale's acquisition in January 2024, which preserved ties to Penn while boosting global development.[3][4][5][6]
Scout Bio rides the gene therapy wave in veterinary medicine, adapting human AAV successes to pets amid rising pet humanization and demand for chronic disease solutions—pets now represent a $150+ billion market with unmet needs in conditions like CKD, diabetes, and pain.[1][2][3] Timing aligns with maturing AAV platforms, proven safe in humans, now proving durable in animals via intramuscular delivery, potentially disrupting monthly injectables.[2][3] Market forces favor it: pet ownership surges post-pandemic, regulatory paths for vet biologics are opening, and Ceva's #5 global animal health position provides distribution muscle.[4][6] It influences the ecosystem by validating AAV for non-monogenic vet diseases, inspiring cross-species applications and fostering biotech-vet med convergence.[2][3][4]
With Ceva's backing, Scout Bio is poised to launch its first therapies, targeting feline CKD-anemia and diabetes by advancing multi-center trials like its cat arthritis pain study.[4][5] Trends like AI-optimized vectors, expanded monoclonal pipelines, and global vet biotech growth will propel it, potentially evolving AAV into a standard for pet chronic care.[2][4] Its influence may expand via new Penn collaborations, influencing human-animal translational medicine and cementing one-time dosing as pet med's future—transforming Scout Bio from nimble startup to biotherapeutics leader.[1][3][4]
