Zymergen has purchased Lodo Therapeutics, which is advancing Rockefeller research, for an undisclosed sum five years after the company raised its only funding round.

Lodo Therapeutics, a US-based drug developer based on research at Rockefeller University, has been acquired by biomanufacturer Zymergen for an undisclosed amount.
Lodo Therapeutics is working on therapeutics that address targets previously deemed undruggable by tapping into molecules encoded in environmental microbial DNA.
The company was co-founded by Sean Brady, head of Rockefeller University’s Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules.
It was launched by Accelerator Life Science Partners in 2016, collecting $17m in series A financing at the same time. The round also featured corporates AbbVie, Eli Lilly, WuXi PharmaTech, Pfizer Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, IBM’s Watson Fund and Alexandria Venture Investments.
Arch Venture Partners, Harris & Harris Group, Innovate NY Fund, The Partnership Fund for New York City and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation filled out the series A, which remained Lodo’s only funding round.
Lodo did however also sign a collaboration deal with Genentech worth up to $969m in 2018.

Thierry Heles

Thierry Heles is the former editor-at-large of Global University Venturing and Global Corporate Venturing, and was the producer and host of the Beyond the Breakthrough podcast until December 2024.