Light Horse Therapeutics Secures $1 Billion+ Novartis Collaboration on Launch Day

Launch and Funding:
Light Horse Therapeutics debuted with a $62 million Series A financing led by Versant Ventures, along with Mubadala Capital and strategic investors Bristol-Myers Squibb, Taiho Ventures, and AbbVie35.

Novartis Collaboration:
The company entered into a multi-target collaboration with Novartis, receiving a $25 million upfront payment and eligibility for up to $1 billion in further research, development, and sales milestones, plus royalties on licensed therapeutics45.

Technology and Focus:
Light Horse Therapeutics specializes in precision genome editing applied to small molecule drug discovery, targeting high-value oncology targets with potential applications in other therapeutic areas35.

Platform and Approach:
The company's proprietary platform uses unbiased genetic screening and proprietary chemical libraries to identify novel functional sites in disease-critical targets, enabling the development of first-in-class therapeutics35.

Leadership and Expertise:
Light Horse is led by experienced executives and scientific founders with expertise in oncology drug discovery and development, including Markus Renschler, MD, CEO, and scientific co-founders Brian Liau, PhD, Ben Cravatt, PhD, and Nathanael Gray, PhD3.

Sources:

3. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250109091896/en/Light-Horse-Therapeutics-Debuts-With-62-Million-Series-A-Financing

4. https://firstwordpharma.com/river/top-stories

5. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250109677925/en/Light-Horse-Therapeutics-Enters-Into-Strategic-Collaboration-With-Novartis