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§ Private Profile · San Diego, CA, USA
Lassogen is a technology company.
Lassogen develops a novel therapeutic modality utilizing engineered lasso peptides, programming these scaffolds to address challenging diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders. Their proprietary platform leverages naturally occurring bacterial lasso peptides, whose distinctive 3D structures provide stability and potent activity against difficult biological targets. This approach enables high-throughput discovery and optimization of therapeutics.
Founded in 2019, Lassogen originated from CEO Mark J. Burk's vision to integrate chemistry and biotechnology for novel drug innovation. The pivotal insight came from academic co-founder Douglass Mitchell, PhD, whose University of Illinois research revealed the vast therapeutic potential and natural diversity of lasso peptides. Recognizing rapid production possibilities, Burk initiated its formation.
Lassogen initially focuses on immuno-oncology. Its lead candidate, LAS-103, aims to antagonize the endothelin type B receptor (ETB) to improve immune cell infiltration in "cold" tumors, addressing conditions like ovarian and triple-negative breast cancers. The company envisions fully harnessing lasso peptides' immense natural diversity as a versatile new class of programmable medicines for broad applications.
Lassogen has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Lassogen has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Lassogen has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in October 2020.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2020 | $5M Seed | Playground Global | 01 Advisors, Better Ventures, Impact America Fund, Techstars, Tencent Holdings, Unpopular Ventures, Eric Anschutz, First IN Ventures, Foothill Ventures (formerly Tsingyuan Ventures) | Announced |
Lassogen, Inc. is a San Diego-based biotechnology company developing Lassotides™, a new class of programmable medicines based on engineered lasso peptides. These therapeutics combine the binding specificity of antibodies with the stability and tissue penetration of small molecules to target challenging diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders, particularly those involving G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) inadequately addressed by existing treatments.[1][2][3] With a team of experts boasting over 100 years of combined biotech and pharma experience, Lassogen optimizes lasso peptides—naturally occurring, knotted 3D scaffolds—for potency, selectivity, stability, safety, and efficacy, serving patients with hard-to-treat conditions through innovative immuno-oncology applications.[1][2]
The company has raised $5.1 million since 2019, including a $4.5 million seed round, fueling advancements in lasso peptide production and GPCR-targeted agonists or dual antagonists. Early momentum includes federally funded collaborations for scalable enzymatic production and structural studies validating lasso peptides like RES-701-3 as selective inhibitors for receptors such as ETB in immunotherapy-resistant cancers.[3][4][5]
Lassogen was founded in 2019 by CEO Mark Burk, PhD, and co-founder Kent Boles, PhD, alongside academic co-founders Douglas Mitchell, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois, and Tracy Handel, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC San Diego.[3][5] The idea emerged from lasso peptides' unique lariat-like structure, discovered in nature and prized for exceptional stability, which the founders sought to engineer into therapeutics bridging antibodies and small molecules.[1][2][4]
Pivotal early traction came via a $4.5 million seed round announced around 2023, bringing total funding to $5.1 million and enabling focus on immuno-oncology. Key moments include a federally funded project with Mitchell's lab to develop enzymatic production of custom lasso peptides and cryo-EM structural insights into RES-701-3 binding to the ETB receptor, highlighting its potential against GPCR-driven cancers.[3][4][5]
Lassogen rides the wave of next-generation biologics, addressing the limitations of dominant modalities amid rising demand for precision therapies against "undruggable" targets like GPCRs, which drive 30-40% of diseases but resist traditional drugs.[3][4] Timing aligns with advances in structural biology (e.g., cryo-EM) and AI-driven protein engineering, enabling lasso peptide optimization as cancer immunotherapy evolves beyond checkpoints to receptor modulation.[4]
Market forces favor Lassogen: surging immuno-oncology investment (post-2020 boom), unmet needs in solid tumors with poor immunotherapy response, and scalable production breakthroughs reducing biotech barriers. By pioneering lasso peptides, Lassogen influences the ecosystem, potentially expanding programmable scaffolds into antimicrobials and beyond, validated by academic ties at Illinois and UCSD.[2][3][5]
Lassogen is poised to advance Lassotides™ into preclinical immuno-oncology candidates, prioritizing GPCR targets with first-in-class potential like ETB inhibitors for resistant cancers. Near-term milestones include scaling enzymatic production and structure-activity optimization via ongoing collaborations.[3][4]
Shaping trends—AI protein design, multi-modal combos, and GPCR-focused oncology—will accelerate their path, with influence growing through partnerships or Series A funding. As lasso peptides prove viable, Lassogen could redefine therapeutics for tough diseases, evolving from seed-stage innovator to modality leader, building on its nature-inspired platform to deliver the programmable medicines promised at inception.[2][5]
Lassogen has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Lassogen's investors include Playground Global, 01 Advisors, Better Ventures, Impact America Fund, Techstars, Tencent Holdings, Unpopular Ventures, Eric Anschutz, First In Ventures, Foothill Ventures.