Perceptive Advisors

Axonis Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies for neurological disorders by targeting KCC2, a key mediator of inhibition in the brain. The company utilizes a proprietary discovery engine centered on the neuron-specific K-Cl cotransporter (KCC2) to address various conditions, including epilepsy and pain, as well as other central nervous system pathologies. By harnessing breakthrough research from institutions such as Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard, and Laval University, Axonis aims to enhance the lives of individuals affected by these disorders through improved modulation of neuronal inhibition.

HilleVax is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company established in 2021 and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company specializes in the development and commercialization of innovative vaccines. Its primary focus is on HIL-214, a vaccine candidate that utilizes virus-like particle (VLP) technology aimed at preventing moderate-to-severe acute gastroenteritis caused by norovirus infection.

Renovia Inc. was a Boston-based healthcare company founded in 2016, focused on developing prescription digital therapeutics for pelvic floor disorders. The company aimed to enhance the lives of women suffering from conditions such as stress, mixed, and urgent urinary incontinence, including overactive bladder. Renovia's innovative device provided a clinically proven, non-surgical, drug-free treatment option, allowing for real-time visualization of pelvic movement during muscle training, thereby facilitating effective therapy. However, in late 2022, Renovia ceased operations following a strategic review by its investors, which included the consideration of a potential sale. In January 2023, most of the company's assets, including its intellectual property, were acquired by Axena Health, Inc.

Pyxis Oncology, established in 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts, is a biotechnology company specializing in the development of antibody therapeutics for cancer treatment. The company focuses on promoting the body's immune response to cancer by analyzing tumor antigen-specific tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within hot tumors and tumor cell signaling pathways within cold tumors. Pyxis aims to create novel antibody-based immunotherapies to directly kill tumor cells and address underlying pathologies that enable cancer proliferation and immune evasion, with the goal of improving patient outcomes for difficult-to-treat cancers.

Renovia Inc. was a Boston-based healthcare company founded in 2016, focused on developing prescription digital therapeutics for pelvic floor disorders. The company aimed to enhance the lives of women suffering from conditions such as stress, mixed, and urgent urinary incontinence, including overactive bladder. Renovia's innovative device provided a clinically proven, non-surgical, drug-free treatment option, allowing for real-time visualization of pelvic movement during muscle training, thereby facilitating effective therapy. However, in late 2022, Renovia ceased operations following a strategic review by its investors, which included the consideration of a potential sale. In January 2023, most of the company's assets, including its intellectual property, were acquired by Axena Health, Inc.

AVEO Oncology is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, focused on developing and marketing targeted therapies for cancer. Its lead product, tivozanib, marketed as FOTIVDA, is an oral, once-daily vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The company has completed a Phase III trial of tivozanib and is investigating its use in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitor Opdivo. Additionally, AVEO is developing Ficlatuzumab, an antibody targeting hepatocyte growth factor, currently in Phase II trials for several cancers, and AV-203, an anti-ErbB3 monoclonal antibody that has completed Phase I trials for esophageal cancer. The company also has preclinical products aimed at cachexia and pulmonary arterial hypertension. AVEO collaborates with various pharmaceutical companies to enhance its research and development efforts. Established in 2001, AVEO Oncology aims to address unmet medical needs in oncology through its innovative therapies.