Marea Therapeutics launches to target remnant cholesterol

It all started with a tweet. Ethan J. Weiss, then a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), posted about his growing interest in the mechanisms of metabolism and weight gain. In particular, Weiss had taken note of a protein called angiopoietin-like 4 (Angptl4), which blocks lipoprotein lipase (LPL), regulating where and when the body stores fat. Someone commented on the tweet, Weiss recalls, directing him to a company that had a molecule targeting Angptl4: Novartis. The Swiss pharma giant was looking to out-license the drug candidate. By spring 2022, Weiss had closed a deal giving the rights to that molecule to his new start-up, Marea Therapeutics. Marea formally launched on June 18, with the molecule already in Phase 2 clinical trials. The $190 million that Marea has in venture funding—a series A led by Third Rock Ventures and a series B co-led by Sofinnova Investments, Forbion, Perceptive