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§ Private Profile · San Diego, CA, USA
RayzeBio is a technology company.
RayzeBio has raised $425.0M across 4 funding rounds.
Key people at RayzeBio.
RayzeBio has raised $425.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
RayzeBio develops precision radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs) for various cancers. The company employs targeted radiopharmaceutical therapeutics to build a pipeline of drug candidates. This approach aims to deliver therapeutic radioisotopes directly to cancer cells, minimizing harm to healthy tissue. RayzeBio advances the potential of radiopharmaceuticals as innovative cancer treatment modalities.
Founded in 2020 by Aron Knickerbocker and Deborah Charych, Ph.D., RayzeBio leverages their combined expertise. Knickerbocker offered strategic leadership, while Dr. Charych, co-founder and CTO, provided scientific and pharmaceutical depth. Their insight focused on the profound potential of targeted radiopharmaceuticals to address unmet needs in oncology, inspiring the company’s formation.
RayzeBio’s therapies target cancer patients, offering precision treatment options. The company is dedicated to progressing its radiopharmaceutical pipeline through clinical development for wider patient access. Its mission is to transform the lives of individuals battling cancer, establishing itself as a leading developer of specialized therapeutics, continually innovating for improved patient outcomes.
Key people at RayzeBio.
RayzeBio has raised $425.0M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $160.0M Series D in September 2022.
RayzeBio is a biotechnology company developing precision radiopharmaceutical therapies (RPTs) using actinium-225 (Ac-225), an alpha-emitting isotope, to target and kill cancer cells in solid tumors.[1][2][3] Its lead product, RYZ101, is in Phase 3 trials for gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs), addressing unmet needs for patients progressing beyond standard care, with a pipeline extending to small cell lung cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and others.[2][6] Now a Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) company, RayzeBio operates a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub in Indianapolis for rapid, on-demand production and global delivery of clinical doses.[2][6]
The company serves oncology patients and physicians by enabling theranostic approaches—using the same drug conjugate for tumor imaging and targeted therapy—improving patient selection and outcomes through high-potency, localized radiation that minimizes damage to healthy tissue.[1][2][3]
RayzeBio was established in 2020 as a biotechnology company focused on tumor-targeted radiopharmaceuticals, launching with a $45 million Series A financing led by investors like venBio Partners.[3][4] Key leadership includes CEO Ken Song, M.D., who emphasized the company's entrepreneurial drive, and President Ben Hickey, involved in recent expansions.[2][4] The idea emerged from coordinating target selection (clinically validated solid tumor targets), binder selection (novel macrocyclic peptide mimetics via partnerships like PeptiDream), and isotope selection (Ac-225 for its potent, focused cell-killing).[3][4]
Early traction included a 2021 strategic collaboration with Nimble Therapeutics to discover peptide-based RPTs, expanding the pipeline with upfront payments, milestones, and royalties.[4] A pivotal moment came with its acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb, integrating RayzeBio's innovation into BMS's oncology platform and enabling the 2024 opening of a dedicated manufacturing facility.[2][6]
RayzeBio rides the radiopharmaceutical therapy wave, a next-generation oncology trend shifting from broad chemotherapy to precision radiation delivery directly to tumors.[1][2] Timing aligns with surging demand for targeted therapies in hard-to-treat cancers like GEP-NETs (200,000 U.S. patients), where standard options fail, fueled by advances in isotope supply and peptide discovery platforms.[2][3][4]
Market forces favor it: growing clinical validation of RPTs as diagnostics and therapeutics, regulatory momentum (e.g., Phase 3 for RYZ101), and BMS's resources amplifying scale.[2][6] RayzeBio influences the ecosystem by pioneering Ac-225 applications, partnering for binder tech, and building infrastructure that accelerates RPT adoption, potentially redefining solid tumor treatment paradigms.[1][4]
RayzeBio's Phase 3 readout for RYZ101 in GEP-NETs could validate Ac-225 RPTs, unlocking commercialization and pipeline expansion into lung, liver, and beyond.[2] Trends like AI-driven discovery, supply chain maturation for alpha-emitters, and theranostics integration will propel growth, with the Indianapolis hub enabling rapid iteration.[2][4]
As a BMS entity, its influence will evolve from innovator to platform leader, potentially delivering first-in-class therapies that transform survival rates and inspire broader RPT investment—positioning it at the forefront of precision oncology's transformation of lives.[1][6]
RayzeBio has raised $425.0M in total across 4 funding rounds.
RayzeBio's investors include Sofinnova Investments, Viking Global Investors, Irina Margine, Ph.D., Cambridge Innovation Capital, Forbion, Ally Bridge Group, Laurion Capital Management, Sands Capital, Soleus Capital, Venrock, Atlas Venture, KohFounders.
