Heart of the Scorpion: Antares Unleashed with $177M to Forge New Cancer Cures

Antares Therapeutics, born from the legacy of Scorpion Therapeutics, launches with a staggering $177 million Series A financing to pioneer first-in-class precision medicines^{6, 8}.
Leveraging Scorpion's groundbreaking science, which previously secured a $2.5 billion deal with Eli Lilly^{1, 2, 4}, Antares targets "undruggable" foes in cancer and other devastating diseases.
Led by Scorpion's acclaimed former executive team, Antares aims to rapidly advance a potent pipeline, with its first program slated for clinical trials by 2026⁸.

BOSTON -- In a bold move poised to reshape the landscape of medical innovation, Antares Therapeutics has burst onto the scene, armed with a formidable $177 million in Series A financing⁶. This new titan rises from the highly successful Scorpion Therapeutics, which itself raised $420 million and saw its PI3Kα inhibitor program acquired by Eli Lilly for up to $2.5 billion^{1, 2, 4, 8}. Antares, aptly named after the brightest star in the Scorpius constellation – "the heart of the Scorpion" – inherits a rich legacy and a clear, audacious mission.

The company, steered by Scorpion's proven leadership, including CEO Adam Friedman, M.D., Ph.D., is not just building on past triumphs; it's aiming for targets long deemed untouchable⁸. "We are committed to leveraging our expertise to address well-validated, first-in-class targets across oncology and other serious diseases," Friedman declared, underscoring their "fast-to-clinic strategy."

Fueled by discoveries in drugging previously inaccessible targets, Antares advances a robust pipeline developed at Scorpion. This includes programs in precision oncology and other critical therapeutic areas, bolstered by existing collaborations like Scorpion’s 2022 transcription factor alliance with AstraZeneca⁸. Further validating their platform, Pierre Fabre Laboratories has acquired global rights to two clinical-stage EGFR inhibitors, a testament to the team's drug development prowess⁸.

With powerhouse investors like Omega Funds, Atlas Venture, and Lightspeed Venture Partners co-leading the charge⁶, Antares is primed to tackle some of science's most complex challenges, striving to deliver transformational medicines to patients battling the most serious unmet medical needs.

Heart of the Scorpion: Antares Unleashed with $177M to Forge New Cancer Cures

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