 California-based Santa Ana Bio has raised $168 million in funding and is developing three precision medicine antibodies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company is led by Peter Emtage, Ph.D., who previously served as the global head of cell therapy research at Kite Pharma. Santa Ana's three programs are expected to enter clinical trials in 2025. The first program, SAB01, targets c-Kit and aims to conditionally block it while avoiding toxicity challenges. SAB03 agonizes PD-1, a validated target in rheumatoid arthritis. SAB05 is an antibody-drug conjugate that aims to safely harness the therapeutic efficacy of glucocorticoids while avoiding their side effects. Santa Ana's programs are designed to attack the cause of disease rather than targeting cytokines. The company has attracted several academic founders and advisers, including Alexander Rudensky, Ph.D.; Richard Flavell, Ph.D.; Graham Lord, M.D., Ph.D.; and Ansu Satpathy, M.D., Ph.D.

Ex-Kite leader helms Santa Ana's ship with $168M in hand

Santa Ana Bio, a California-based company, has raised $168 million in funding and is developing three precision medicine antibodies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The company is led by Peter Emtage, Ph.D., who previously served as the global head of cell therapy research at Kite Pharma. Santa Ana's three programs are expected to enter clinical trials in 2025.