Investing in Lupus
Lupus Ventures aims to accelerate the development of new treatments and diagnostics for SLE and its related manifestations by funding high-potential scientific innovations that can deliver meaningful value to people living with lupus worldwide.
Our Story
Lupus Ventures (dba “The Lupus Ventures Fund”) is the only philanthropic venture capital fund dedicated to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and its manifestations (including lupus nephritis, cutaneous lupus, neuropsychiatric lupus, drug-induced lupus erythematosus, neonatal lupus, among others). This is the venture investment fund of the Lupus Research Alliance, the world’s largest private, nonprofit funder of lupus research.
About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic, complex autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide. In lupus, the immune system, meant to defend against infections, produces autoantibodies that mistake the body’s own cells as foreign, causing other immune cells to attack organs such as the kidneys, brain, heart, lungs, and skin, as well as blood and joints. Ninety percent of people with lupus are women, most often diagnosed between the ages of 15-45. Black, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander people are disproportionately affected.
A Changing Landscape
Currently, symptoms are being managed but there is no cure. However, the tide is turning:
- Cell therapies show great promise [1]
- Recent product approvals are sparking renewed Pharma interest [2]
- Inflammation M&A activity and VC financings in Immunology are at all-time highs [3,4,5,6,7]
- 140+ lupus therapies are in clinical trials from 120+ companies [8]
Our Connection to the Lupus Research Alliance
- As the venture investment fund of the Lupus Research Alliance, we are a unique investor that can support companies from bench to bedside
- To date, the Lupus Research Alliance has invested over $284 million in lupus research across more than 650 research grants
- The clinical affiliate, Lupus Therapeutics, is involved in 25–30% of active lupus trials
“Philanthropic capital has the unique power to turn bold ideas into reality – specifically high-risk ideas that can be transformative for patients, but traditional funding might overlook.” Nishant Rastogi, Managing Director
What We Fund
The Fund has a broad mandate to invest in any technology that has the potential to improve the standard of care for patients living with lupus, across all stages of development.
Company Type
- Biotech
- Pharma
- Diagnostics
- MedTech
- Digital Health
- Others
Areas of Interest*
- Small molecule, large molecule, ADCs, cell therapy (CAR-T), gene therapy, RNA-based, TPDs, peptides, and others
- Immune reset, T-cell engagers, Immunomodulatory, Anti-Inflammatory, and Immunosuppressive technologies
- Novel and existing mechanisms of action, including but not limited to:
- Blys/BAFF, Type1 IFN receptor, CD19, CD20, CD28, CD38, BDAC2, ILT7, Factor H, C5 inhibitors, IL-2, IL-3, mTOR, BTK, JAK, TYK2 inhibitors, etc.
*Illustrative only. Other areas not specifically mentioned may be considered for investment.
“Lupus Ventures allows us to strategically deploy resources and accelerate solutions for people living with lupus, ensuring promising ideas don’t sit on a shelf simply for lack of funding.” Albert T. Roy, President & CEO of the Lupus Research Alliance
Contact Us
Fill out the form below or contact NRastogi@lupusresearch.org to learn more.