Valora Therapeutics

About Valora Therapeutics

Valora Therapeutics is a pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company operating from San Diego, California, focused on developing a new class of drugs by modulating glyco-immune checkpoints. The company was established in 2023, building upon the foundational research of its scientific co-founders: Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi, a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry from Stanford University, and Dr. Jessica Stark, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The company's inception was facilitated by Stanford's Innovative Medicines Accelerator and an exclusive license from the university for the core technology.

The scientific underpinning of Valora rests on the discoveries of Drs. Bertozzi and Stark in glycobiology, which explores the role of complex sugar molecules, or glycans, in cellular communication. Their research identified how glycans on cell surfaces interact with lectin receptors on immune cells, a process that can be dysregulated in diseases like cancer and autoimmune disorders. This led to the creation of Valora's proprietary AbLec™ (Antibody-Lectin chimera) platform. AbLec molecules are engineered, chimeric antibodies where one arm is replaced with a lectin domain. This structure allows the antibody portion to target specific cells while the lectin domain binds to glycans, either activating or reducing their signaling to modulate the immune response. For oncology applications, the goal is to reactivate the immune system against tumors, whereas for autoimmune diseases, the aim is to suppress hyperactive immune cells.

Valora is led by CEO Miguel Garcia-Guzman, a veteran of companies like Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Rakuten Medical, who joined after learning about the AbLec technology from a pre-print article. In November 2024, the company emerged from stealth with $30 million in seed funding. The financing was co-led by Avalon BioVentures, Bregua Corporation, and TigerGene, with participation from Alexandria Venture Investments and Correlation Ventures. This capital is intended to advance the AbLec platform, validate mechanisms of action, and move lead candidates into preclinical development. The company conducts its research and development at the Avalon BioVentures Accelerator in San Diego, providing access to a supportive biotech ecosystem.