Pioneering Long-Acting Peptide Therapeutics
Lotura Therapeutics specializes in the development of long-acting peptide therapeutics. Engineered for efficiency from lead optimization through early Phase 2 trials, our platform leverages a wealth of industry expertise. With a focus on high-value targets, we are poised to set new benchmarks in biopharmaceutical efficacy.
Our Company
Mission
To be a leading innovator in long-acting peptide therapeutics by advancing optimal drug candidates with optimal potency, selectivity and developability.
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Vision
With a clinical compass oriented by paradigmatic therapies such as Ozempic™ and Mounjaro™, we aspire to harness the unparalleled capacity of peptides to transform the existing medical landscape. Our platform's multi-indication applicability permits agile navigational shifts in target selection, thereby maximizing the therapeutic outreach.
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The Lotura Platform
The Lotura Peptide Platform serves as an indispensable cornerstone in our innovation. Conceived to tackle complex disease mechanisms, our platform augments standard care regimens and diversifies the modality portfolio of addressable clinical indications.
Indication Agnostic
Our platform's design transcends disease-specific constraints, thereby affording us the latitude to address therapeutic advancements across a heterogeneous array of medical conditions.
Rapid Drug Development Cycle
Through the judicious integration of our multi-disciplinary proficiencies with the platform’s intrinsic capabilities, we have actualized an expedited drug development trajectory that shortens the timespan from discovery to early-phase clinical validation.
Optimal Patient Uptake
Drawing upon industry insights, we aim to maximize patient compliance and fast track market adoption.
Experienced Leadership Team
Donavon McConn, PhD
Founder and CEO
Donavon McConn is a seasoned biotechnology professional most recently founding Lotura Therapeutics, a peptide-focused research and early development organization based in San Diego. Prior to starting Lotura Tx Donavon led Development at XinThera, Inc (Acquired by Gilead Sciences in May 2023). In his 20+ years of industry experience, Donavon has submitted >30 INDs and taken numerous assets into clinical development, including 3 marketed products.
Prior to this role, Donavon was an entrepreneur-in-residence with Takeda Ventures and the former Chief Operating Officer of Solent Therapeutics. Donavon’s career (GSK, Theravance, Takeda) spans the full drug discovery paradigm from target identification and validation up to and including NDA and MAA submissions across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas.
Donavon earned his BS in Physiology and Biochemistry at UC Davis, and subsequent PhD in Pharmaceutics at the University of Washington.
Derek Cole, PhD
Founder and CSO
Dr. Cole is the founder and CSO for Lotura Tx. Dr Cole spent over 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry, working to discover novel medications for treatment of indications of high medical need.
Dr Cole is currently the founder and principal investigator for Ferdia Therapeutics. Prior to his startup role, Dr. Cole held the position of Senior Vice President, Head of Discovery, at RayzeBio. Prior to RayzeBio, Dr. Cole was the Senior Director, GI-Chemistry & Pharmacology at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he developed peptide therapeutics with optimal properties for once-daily or once-weekly subcutaneous injection in patient-friendly injection pen devices.
Dr. Cole's recent work at Takeda led to the discovery of a gastric inhibitory polypeptide agonist peptide therapeutic suitable for once-daily and once-weekly injections, which is currently in Phase I clinical testing as antiemetics.
Dr. Cole earned a B.S. in chemistry at the University of Limerick, Ireland, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry at the University of Alberta, Canada and completed postdoctoral training on peptide drug discovery at Texas Tech University.
Chris Lemasters, MBA
Strategic Advisor
Chris LeMasters is the CEO of XinThera, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company focused on small molecule discovery and development of oncology and immunology therapeutics.
Previously, he was EVP & Chief Operating Officer of Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Pfizer, Inc. Amplyx has focused on the development of novel first-in-class therapies for infectious disease affecting immune compromised patients. He led the strategic efforts that resulted in Amplyx’s acquisition by Pfizer in April 2021.
Mr. LeMasters was formerly the EVP & Chief Business Officer of Mirati Therapeutics, a clinical-stage oncology company, where he was responsible for corporate development, strategy and investor relations. During his three years in this role, he oversaw the successful expansion of the company and its market capitalization from $100 million in 2016 to nearly $5 billion in December 2019.
Platform Goals and Financing
In-License 2 assets; and discover 2 novel targets
Q4 2023
Q1 2024
Q2 2024
Q3 2024
Q4 2024
Q1 2025
Q2 2025
Q3 2025
In-License 1 (Disc)
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In-License 2 (DC stage)
Novel Target 1
Novel Target 2
Platform Development
Financing
$15M
$40M
In-License Fee/Milestone
$0.5M
$1.0M
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
TBD
Cash
$13M
$10M
$8M
$3M
$38M
$29M
$19M
$12M
Employees
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Contact Us
For inquiries pertaining to strategic alliances, investment landscapes, or scholarly engagement, we invite you to establish contact through our