Loading organizations...

§ Private Profile · Philadelphia, PA, USA
Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision oncology for hard-to-treat cancers, focused on unaddressed tumor mutations.
Fore Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing precision oncology therapies for patients with unaddressed tumor mutations, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with additional operations in Jerusalem, Israel. The organization utilizes a proprietary functional genomics platform to identify and advance targeted drugs, including its lead asset FORE8394, a Class I/II BRAF inhibitor currently undergoing Phase 1/2a clinical trials. Operating as a private venture-backed entity, the firm focuses on screening existing compounds to accelerate clinical development for rare cancer indications that currently lack effective treatment options. The company's executive leadership team includes Chief Executive Officer Matthew E. Ros, Chief Medical Officer Stacie Peacock Shepherd, and Chief Financial Officer Nora Brennan. The board of directors is chaired by Dieter Weinand, the former Chief Executive Officer of Bayer Pharma. Fore Biotherapeutics was established in 2011 by currently undisclosed founders.
Fore Biotherapeutics has raised $178.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Fore Biotherapeutics has raised $178.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Fore Biotherapeutics has raised $178.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
Fore Biotherapeutics's investors include Roberto De Ponti, 3B Future Health Ventures (Helsinn Investment Fund), Hbm Partners, Novartis Venture Fund, Pontifax Venture Capital, SR One, 3B Future Health Fund, Cormorant Asset Management, Medicxi, Novartis, OrbiMed, Wellington Management.
Fore Biotherapeutics has raised $178.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $40.0M Series D in May 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2025 | $40M Series D | — | Roberto DE Ponti, 3B Future Health Ventures (helsinn Investment Fund), HBM Partners, Novartis Venture Fund, Pontifax Venture Capital, SR ONE, 3B Future Health Fund, Cormorant Asset Management, Medicxi, Novartis, OrbiMed, Wellington Management | Announced |
| Aug 1, 2023 | $75M Series D | — | Roberto DE Ponti, 3B Future Health Ventures (helsinn Investment Fund), HBM Partners, Novartis Venture Fund, Pontifax Venture Capital, SR ONE | Announced |
| Sep 1, 2020 | $57M Series C | — | HBM Partners, OrbiMed, Pontifax Venture Capital, SR ONE, Vivo Capital | Announced |
| Apr 30, 2018 | $6M Venture Round | — | Helen Fisher, Riccardo Braglia, Adam Fine | Announced |
Fore Biotherapeutics is a precision oncology biopharmaceutical company developing innovative treatments for patients with hard-to-treat cancers, particularly those with rare mutations in established targets like BRAF and RAS.[1][2][3] It builds a pipeline of therapies, including its lead candidate plixorafenib (formerly FORE8394), a next-generation BRAF inhibitor targeting a broad range of BRAF alterations beyond V600 mutations, currently in a Phase 2 clinical trial for advanced solid tumors.[1][2] The company serves patients with unaddressed tumor mutations, such as in RAS-mutant cancers and non-V600 BRAF mutations affecting up to 50% of multiple myeloma patients, solving the problem of limited access to matched therapies through functional genomics screening and in-licensing clinic-ready assets via its Foresight engine.[1][2] Operating virtually across the US with discovery in Jerusalem and new US headquarters in Philadelphia, Fore shows growth momentum via ongoing trials, recent KOL events, active recruiting in Philly's biotech hub, and plans to expand its pipeline through partnerships.[1][2]
Fore Biotherapeutics, formerly NovellusDx, emerged from expertise in functional genomics for precision oncology and opened its US headquarters in Philadelphia in 2021 (or shortly before, per announcement), transitioning from a diagnostics focus to full drug development.[1] The idea stemmed from pioneering functional genomics screening to match rare cancer mutation patients—especially RAS and non-V600 BRAF—to therapies, validated in peer-reviewed studies like one in the *European Journal of Cancer*.[1] Key early traction includes in-licensing FORE8394 (now plixorafenib), advancing it from Phase 1 dose-finding to Phase 2 based on strong preclinical and early clinical data, while building a virtual team with oncology veterans and top investors experienced in successful oncology ventures.[1][2][3] This evolution positions Fore to scale operations in Philadelphia's talent-rich ecosystem, recruiting for clinical, manufacturing, and commercial roles.[1]
Fore rides the precision oncology wave, targeting "undruggable" mutations in BRAF and RAS—prevalent in 50% of multiple myeloma and other solids—amid rising demand for mutation-specific therapies post-immunotherapy era.[1][2] Timing aligns with maturing functional genomics tools and AI-driven discovery, accelerating from screening to clinic-ready assets faster than traditional pipelines.[1] Market forces like Philadelphia's biotech boom (fourth-highest US university density, major institutions) favor expansion, while peer-reviewed validations and Phase 2 momentum position Fore to influence ecosystem shifts toward patient-matched drugs for rare cancers.[1][2] By in-licensing and partnering, it democratizes access to therapies, boosting efficiency in an industry facing high failure rates for broad-spectrum oncology drugs.[2]
Fore's pipeline expansion via Foresight, Phase 2 plixorafenib readouts, and new in-licenses signal near-term catalysts, potentially yielding approvals for BRAF-altered cancers by late 2020s.[1][2] Trends like AI-genomics integration and hub growth in Philly will accelerate its virtual model, while partnerships could add assets for RAS and beyond. Its influence may grow by proving functional screening scales to multiple myeloma and solids, redefining precision oncology for rare mutations and delivering on its mission for rapid, matched therapies. This positions Fore as a nimble leader in biotech's targeted therapy frontier.