Tessellate BIO Raises Initial €8M in Seed Funding
Summary
The company intends to use the funds to advance its lead program which targets the DNA damage response (DDR) and in particular cancers that depend on Alternative Lengthening of Telomeres (ALT). Led by CEO Andree Blaukat, Tessellate BIO discovers and develops novel precision oncology medicines that target pathways beyond HRD. Its lead program – ALT – is a critical mechanism to maintain the integrity of telomeres, which is essential for the unlimited replicative potential of tumor cells that is a key hallmark of cancer. The lead program targets the FANCM protein complex and is based on the discoveries of Tessellate BIO co-founders Prof. Hilda Pickett (CMRI) and Prof. Claus Azzalin (iMM). Tessellate BIO’s leadership team of seasoned entrepreneurs and industry-experienced drug hunters with proven track records, include: • CEO, Andree Blaukat, previously SVP and Head of Oncology Research at Merck KGaA; • CSO, Jürgen Moll, previously Head of Molecular Oncology Unit at Sanofi; and In addition, Eliot Forster, most recently former CEO of NASDAQ-listed F-star, has joined as Chair of the Board of Directors.