Versant’s Granite Bio unveils with $100M for new autoimmune disease antibodies
Title
Granite Bio Launches with $100 Million to Advance First-in-Class Antibodies for Autoimmune Diseases
Keywords
- Granite Bio
- autoimmune disease
- Versant Ventures
- antibody therapy
- GRT-001
- GRT-002
- inflammatory bowel disease
- interleukin-3 (IL-3)
- monocyte depletion
- biotech funding
- immunology
- clinical trials
Key Facts
- Granite Bio, a clinical-stage immunology company, has launched with $100 million in funding from major investors including Versant Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, Forbion, and Sanofi Ventures12.
- The funding supports the development of two first-in-class antibody therapeutics aimed at treating autoimmune diseases and inflammation12.
- GRT-001, the lead candidate, selectively depletes pro-inflammatory monocytes—key drivers of autoimmunity—using a mechanism targeting these cells while sparing tissue-resident macrophages important for homeostasis; GRT-001 is in Phase 1a clinical testing in healthy volunteers, with a Phase 1b study in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients planned for later in 202512.
- Non-human primate studies of GRT-001 showed efficient, dose-dependent depletion of the targeted monocytes, with good tolerability12.
- The second asset, GRT-002, blocks interleukin-3 (IL-3), a cytokine involved in autoimmune and type II inflammation, and offers a novel approach to treating itch and allergy; GRT-002 is in preclinical development and is expected to enter clinical trials in 2026125.
- Both antibodies were developed via Versant’s Ridgeline Discovery Engine in Switzerland and originated from the research of Professor Matthias Mack at the University of Regensburg12.
- Granite Bio’s strategy is to target fundamental disease biology nodes underlying chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, and fibrosis, with the goal of delivering selective and effective therapies for conditions with significant unmet medical needs3.
Sources:
1. https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/versants-granite-bio-unveils-100m-new-autoimmune-disease-antibodies
2. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250424328454/en/Granite-Bio-Debuts-With-$100-Million-of-Capital