Welcome to Watertown Bio
Soufflé Therapeutics Launches from Stealth, Disc and Werewolf receive FDA priority, Affini-T may be winding down.
Watertown’s biotech scene has grown exponentially over the last five years, from a handful of companies scattered across a few buildings to over 90 firms conducting cutting edge research to find cures for the most challenging diseases our society faces. Because of our rapid growth our community hasn’t had a chance to develop the supporting and connective tissue that enables long term innovation. Often times our community resembles a number of individual isolated labs, rather than a cohesive ecosystem.
Our goal at Watertown Bio is to cultivate Watertown’s life science community by elevating the innovative research going on in our labs and by building opportunities for connection and collaboration between firms and scientists. Our first initiatives are two newsletters, a bimonthly News Round Up to highlight recent biotech news in Watertown, and a monthly Journal Club collecting the research coming out of Watertown labs. We believe that by aggregating news across the city, our combined voice will elevate Watertown’s scientific innovations further than any single firm can do so on their own.
We have also launched a website, Watertown.bio, to serve as a hub for real time news from local firms, and as a resource hub to explore all of the biotech companies in the city. I would love to hear your ideas for how to develop the life sciences community in Watertown, so feel free to send me an email at newsletter@watertown.bio with your thoughts.
Soufflé Therapeutics Launches from Stealth
Soufflé Therapeutics, which has been operating in Watertown since 2023, publicly launched this month. The company was co-founded by MIT professor and entrepreneur Robert Langer, (who also co-founded Watertown companies Lyra Therapeutics and recently closed Lyndra Therapeutics) and lauched with $200 million in Series A funding and $3.5 Billion in partnerships, according to the company.
Soufflé is focused on developing siRNA therapeutics and associated delivery systems to treat a range of diseases, with their first therapy targeting mutant phospholamban (PLN) to address Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) and are aiming to start clinical trials in 2026. They join a number of RNA therapeutic focused companies in Watertown, including ORNA Therapeutics (circular RNAs) and Remix Therapeutics (RNA processing modulators)
Soufflé’s is the second well funded public unveiling in Watertown in as many months, following the public launch of Treeline Biosciences (and their $1.1 billion in funding) in September.
Disc Medicine Receives FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher
(Editor’s note: Updated 11/6 with company’s announced timeline for bitoperin launch)
Disc Medicine, a clinical stage hematology focused company headquartered at the Arsenal on the Charles, received one of the initial nine FDA Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers for Bitopertin, a GlyT1 inhibitor currently in Phase 3 Trials for the treatment of Erythropoietic Protoporphyria and X-Linked Protoporphyria, rare genetic disorders that result in severe pain when exposed to sunlight. The voucher program was announced in June and aims to reduce the review time for a new product to 1-2 months. In their third quarter financial results released on 11/6, Disc indicated that they are accelerating resources to seek a US Launch of biotoperin in late 2025 or early 2026. The current Phase 3 Trial of bitopertin is scheduled to be completed in November 2026.
Werewolf Therapeutics Receives Fast Track Designation for WTX-124
Werewolf Therapeutics, a clinical stage oncology-focused company also headquartered at the Arsenal on the Charles, received a Fast Track Designation From the FDA for WTX-124, a conditionally activated IL-2 therapy currently in Phase 1/1b trials for patients with advanced or metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma or renal cell carcinoma. The designation is designed to facilitate the development and review of drugs to treat serious conditions that fill an unmet medical need and among other things, enables more frequent communication between the company and the FDA during the clinical trial and application review process.
Affini-T Therapeutics may be shutting down
Affini-T Therapeutics, a clinical stage, oncology focused cell therapy company headquartered at Arsenal Yards, appears to be shutting down. As reported by Endpoint News, the CEO and Co-Founder Jak Knowles left the company in September, leaving the firm without any senior executives. Furthermore, the company’s partnership with Metagenomi was terminated later that month under the contract’s provisions for Insolvency, Noting that Affini-T has made an assignment for the benefit of creditors to pay off their debts. Affini-T is the latest cell therapy company to face economic challenges in 2025 and looks to be going down the same path as former Arsenal Yards cell therapy firm Abata Therapeutics, which closed its doors in August.
Quick Updates
Welcome to Watertown
Clinical Trial Headlines
Tectonic Therapeutics, headquartered at the LINX building, announced topline data results from their Phase 1b trial of TX45 in patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.
Neumora Therapeutics, headquartered on Arsenal Place, initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of NMRA-898, which is being developed for patients with schizophrenia.
Remix Therapeutics, headquartered at Arsenal Yards, reported preliminary data from their Phase 1 trial of REM-422 in patients with adenoid cystic carcinoma.
Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, headquartered at Riverworks, announced a Phase 3 Trial for DURAVYU for patients with diabetic macular edema.
Lyra Therapeutics, headquartered on Arsenal Way, announced their plans for an additional Phase 3 Trial for LYR-210 for patients with chronic sinusitis.
Finance/Deals
Disc Medicine, C4 Therapeutics (LINX), Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, and Enanta Pharmaceuticals (Arsenal on the Charles) all announced public offerings of common stock.
C4 also announced a collaboration with Pfizer for a Phase 1b trial evaluating C4’s cemsidomide compound in combination with Pfizer’s elranatamab for patients with multiple myeloma.
People
Progentos Therapeutics (Cambridge Scientific Labs) named Paul Frohna as Chief Medical Officer.
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