Marea launches with $190m to advance medicines for cardiometabolic diseases

Targeting ‘remnant cholesterol,’ company’s lead program is already in Phase 2 development for adults with metabolic dysfunction.

US biotech Marea Therapeutics launched this week with $190 million in investment as it aims to accelerate the development of innovative medicines for cardiometabolic diseases. The company’s approach leverages large-scale human genetics to create new treatments that address critical and genetically validated causes of these diseases. Marea’s lead program, currently in Phase 2 clinical trials, is designed to target untreated lipid and metabolic drivers of cardiovascular events in high-risk patients.

My take on this: Marea addresses the root causes of cardiometabolic disease by focusing on safe energy storage rather than symptom management, aiming to reduce high rates of atherosclerotic heart disease and diabetes. Their approach targets elevated remnant cholesterol, a highly atherogenic lipid not effectively addressed by current therapies.

“Marea aims to transform the way cardiometabolic diseases are treated by leveraging large-scale human genetics and expertise in adipose function and biology to pursue genetically validated targets focusing on central – but unaddressed – drivers of cardiometabolic disease risk,” said Dr Josh Lehrer, CEO of Marea. “This approach could be the next frontier for patients with cardiometabolic disease who remain at very high risk, despite currently available therapies.”

Remnant cholesterol, carried by triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, is a major driver of cardiovascular disease risk, independent of traditional risk factors like LDL cholesterol, diabetes or obesity. Marea’s lead drug MAR001 is a monoclonal antibody targeting ANGPTL4 that aims to lower remnant cholesterol by enhancing adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity. The company claims its approach is backed by human genetics, which has shown that ANGPTL4 inhibition can lead to improved triglyceride distribution, insulin sensitivity, and protection against cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Dive deeper into Marea, its lead program, notable list of investors and more, right HERE.

Thanks for reading! If you’ve enjoyed this article, it would mean a lot to me if you could subscribe and share it on LinkedIn!