Navitor Pharmaceuticals a biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines by targeting cellular nutrient signaling, today announced a $23.5 million Series A financing.
Proceeds from the financing will be used to augment Navitor’s proprietary drug discovery platform and accelerate the development of a pipeline of novel drugs that target cellular nutrient signaling via the mTORC1 pathway to address a wide range of diseases, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as several rare disorders. Investors in the Series A financing include Polaris Partners, Atlas Venture, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, SR One and The Longevity Fund.
“With a proprietary platform and a world-class scientific team, Navitor is uniquely positioned to target newly discovered nutrient signaling mechanisms that drive protein synthesis and cellular growth. We are harnessing this approach to develop novel therapeutics to treat a wide range of chronic diseases and rare disorders,” said George Vlasuk, president and chief executive officer of Navitor.
Navitor’s proprietary drug discovery platform is designed to develop first-in-class selective modulators of mTORC1, which control the cell’s central signaling in response to nutrient availability, particularly amino acids. The selective modulation of mTORC1 offers a new and targeted approach to create new medicines for a variety of clinical indications and to significantly expand the therapeutic potential of a clinically validated pathway.
Navitor’s scientific founder, David Sabatini, professor of biology at MIT, member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, and investigator at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, has led research in the molecular regulation of the mTORC1 pathway, and his discoveries are seminal contributions to the field of cellular nutrient signaling. The company has exclusive access from the Whitehead Institute to fundamental intellectual property from Dr. Sabatini’s laboratory relating to nutrient sensing via the mTORC1 pathway for use in pharmaceutical and other applications.
The Series A financing will enable the expansion of Navitor’s drug discovery platform, including the further development of the company’s proprietary technologies, tools and assays to address the complexity of the mTORC1 pathway. Depending on the targeted disease, the company’s novel therapeutics have the potential to either “turn up” or “turn down” nutrient-responsive cellular pathways to restore normal mTORC1 function. By selectively targeting aberrant cellular nutrient signaling mediated by the mTORC1 pathway, Navitor is creating a new class of therapeutics designed to rebalance these signals to restore normal function and address the underlying biology of multiple diseases.
“Navitor represents a rare convergence of innovative science, world-class scientific advisors, and an experienced team with the potential to create significant value based on breakthrough science,” said Alan Crane, founder and chairman of Navitor and a Partner at Polaris Partners. “We are excited to be a part of building a biopharmaceutical company with the potential to offer new approaches to treat a wide range of important diseases and have a significant impact for patients.”