We help to catalyze biotechnology breakthroughs
Accelerator Life Science Partners builds successful biotechnology companies based on innovative science.
The scientific discoveries we invest in are shaping the future of medicine and healthcare.
As entrepreneurs, we understand the challenges of starting a new business.
We become partners and offer critical knowledge to help move novel technologies from ideas to products that impact global health.
We nurture companies in all facets of development.
We provide a complete toolkit that includes business, scientific, and financial resources. Our network includes seasoned executives, world-class research institutions, and top-tier investors with extensive experience in transforming science into commercial products.
The future of medicine and healthcare is our obsession.
Let us help you realize your vision to make the world a healthier place.
“Early-stage investors often try to consolidate multiple programs into a single entity. In contrast, Accelerator invested in and prioritized our technology and scientific innovation. They were committed to our prostaglandin dehydrogenase program as true strategic partners. Our success was as important to them as it was to us.”
Rodeo Therapeutics was founded by Accelerator in 2017 to pursue the development of first-in-class oral inhibitor of 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. In March 2021, Amgen acquired Rodeo for up to $721M in cash. Rodeo’s program will play a central part in Amgen’s immunology business.
Partner | Head of APAC
Alice Chen, PhD
Joseph Ready, PhD — Co-Founder
“I didn’t have a background in transforming innovative science into a business. From day one, Accelerator helped ApoGen grow in ways that I couldn’t have done. The Accelerator team provided the resources and intellectual horsepower we needed to establish ApoGen. They welcomed my insights and scientific contributions and allowed me to remain true to my academic interests.
In 2016, Accelerator established ApoGen to pursue the development of novel, small molecule compounds to address drug resistance in the context of cancer therapy. Accelerator recruited a talented R&D team and established multiple academic and commercial partnerships to pursue this emerging opportunity.
Vice President
Merika Koday, Ph.D.
Reuben Harris, PhD — Co-Founder
Lodo was founded in 2015 to develop novel therapeutics derived from natural products based on research from the lab of Sean Brady, PhD, the head of the Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules at Rockefeller University. In 2018 with the help of Accelerator, Lodo established a multi-target collaboration with Genentech potentially worth up to $969 million. The Accelerator team recruited serial entrepreneur Dale Pfost, PhD, as the company's Chairman and CEO, and helped to fill key leadership positions. Since establishing its independent operations, Lodo has achieved multiple milestones and expanded its opportunities through two strategic acquisitions.
Chief of Staff
Jessica Burback
“The Accelerator model is different from other venture-stage investment approaches, giving start-ups access to expertise across all aspects of drug and corporate development. The Accelerator team or someone in the network always has the insights an early-stage company needs to succeed. And those resources are all available any time, on-demand.”
Dale Pfost, PhD – Lodo Therapeutics
“I jumped at the opportunity to join Petra for three reasons: Company founder Lew Cantley’s incredible science; the Accelerator team’s commitment to supporting innovation — financially, operationally, and strategically; and the record-breaking $48 million Series A that Accelerator raised to advance the technology.”
As the first company created in Accelerator’s New York City headquarters, Petra Pharma launched with a $48 million Series A financing — the largest deal of its kind for an NYC-based biotech company. Based on groundbreaking research from two world-leading researchers at Weill Cornell Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Petra made substantial progress in developing innovative therapeutic candidates targeting phosphoinositide signaling, a biological pathway critical in the growth and development of cancer cells. In 2020, Petra was acquired by a global pharmaceutical company.
Partner | Head of APAC
Alice Chen, PhD
Brian O’Callaghan – CEO, Petra Pharma
Accelerator established Proniras in 2017 to develop tezampanel, a small molecule compound in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company. Proniras secured grant funding to evaluate tezampanel as a countermeasure for nerve agent-induced seizures. Recognizing that there were opportunities to develop tezampanel for patients suffering from opiate withdrawal, Proniras refocused its strategy and secured additional grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support this effort.
Senior Managing Director & Chairman
Thong Q. Le
“After more than a decade in large biopharmaceutical companies such as Amgen and Immunex, I joined a Seattle biotech start-up and got to know the Accelerator team. I was so impressed with the ways they supported their scientists and portfolio companies that I jumped at the chance to join Accelerator as the Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Proniras.”
Chris Toombs, PhD – CSO and CoFounder
“Early-stage investors often try to consolidate multiple programs into a single entity. In contrast, Accelerator invested in and prioritized our technology and scientific innovation. They were committed to our prostaglandin dehydrogenase program as true strategic partners. Our success was as important to them as it was to us.”
Rodeo Therapeutics was founded by Accelerator in 2017 to pursue the development of first-in-class oral inhibitor of 15-prostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. In March 2021, Amgen acquired Rodeo for up to $721M in cash. Rodeo’s program will play a central part in Amgen’s immunology business.
Executive Vice President
Alice Chen
Joseph Ready, Ph.D. — Co-Founder
“I didn’t have a background in transforming innovative science into a business. From day one, Accelerator helped ApoGen grow in ways that I couldn’t have done. The Accelerator team provided the resources and intellectual power we needed to establish ApoGen. They welcomed my insights and scientific contributions and allowed me to remain true to my academic interests.
In 2016, Accelerator established ApoGen to pursue the development of novel, small molecule compounds to address drug resistance in the context of cancer therapy. Accelerator recruited a talented R&D team and established multiple academic and commercial partnerships to pursue this emerging opportunity.
Principal
Merika Koday
Reuben Harris, Ph.D — Co-Founder
“The Accelerator model is different from other venture-stage investment approaches, giving start-ups access to expertise across all aspects of drug and corporate development. The Accelerator team or someone in the network always has the insights an early-stage company needs to succeed. And those resources are all available any time, on-demand.”
Lodo was founded in 2015 to develop novel therapeutics derived from natural products based on research from the lab of Sean Brady, PhD, the head of the Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small Molecules at Rockefeller University. In 2018 with the help of Accelerator, Lodo established a multi-target collaboration with Genentech potentially worth up to $969 million. The Accelerator team recruited serial entrepreneur Dale Pfost, PhD, as the company's Chairman and CEO, and helped to fill key leadership positions. Since establishing its independent operations, Lodo has achieved multiple milestones and expanded its opportunities through two strategic acquisitions.
Chief of Staff
Jessica Burback
Dale Pfost, PhD — Lodo Therapeutics
“I jumped at the opportunity to join Petra for three reasons: Company founder Lew Cantley’s incredible science; the Accelerator team’s commitment to supporting innovation — financially, operationally, and strategically; and the record-breaking $48 million Series A that Accelerator raised to advance the technology.”
As the first company created in Accelerator’s New York City headquarters, Petra Pharma launched with a $48 million Series A financing — the largest deal of its kind for an NYC-based biotech company. Based on groundbreaking research from two world-leading researchers at Weill Cornell Medical Center and Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Petra made substantial progress in developing innovative therapeutic candidates targeting phosphoinositide signaling, a biological pathway critical in the growth and development of cancer cells. In 2020, Petra was acquired by a global pharmaceutical company.
Executive Vice President
Alice Chen
Brian O’Callaghan
“After more than a decade in large biopharmaceutical companies such as Amgen and Immunex, I joined a Seattle biotech start-up and got to know the Accelerator team. I was so impressed with the ways they supported their scientists and portfolio companies that I jumped at the chance to join Accelerator as the Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Proniras.”
Accelerator established Proniras in 2017 to develop tezampanel, a small molecule compound in-licensed from Eli Lilly and Company. Proniras secured grant funding to evaluate tezampanel as a countermeasure for nerve agent-induced seizures. Recognizing that there were opportunities to develop tezampanel for patients suffering from opiate withdrawal, Proniras refocused its strategy and secured additional grant funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to support this effort.
Senior Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer
Thong Le
Chris Toombs, PhD — Proniras
More than a decade shaping the future of medicine and healthcare
We start with your science.
We love life science visionaries who want to build something to make the world a healthier place.
We work as a team.
Biotech value creation requires teamwork. We work as a team to help scientific visionaries build breakthrough biotech companies.
We invest early.
We are not afraid of investing before the science has been completely figured out. We are willing to take calculated risks.