About Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals is a Healthcare company based in San Diego (United States) founded in 2017, and was acquired by Incyte in April 2024. Small molecule therapeutics for inflammatory diseases are developed. Escient Pharmaceuticals has raised $237.5 million across 3 funding rounds from investors including Incyte, TD Securities and Perceptive Advisors. The company has 44 employees. Escient Pharmaceuticals offers products and services including EP262 and EP547. Its focus areas include Life Sciences, Immunology, Drugs and Inflammatory Diseases. Its legal entity is ESCIENT PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Its competitors include Aclaris Therapeutics, Nimbus Therapeutics and Alpine Immune Sciences; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Escient Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017 in San Diego, United States. Small molecule-based therapeutics are developed by the company within the pharmaceutical sector, targeting inflammatory diseases. G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drugs are pursued for treating neuro-immuno-inflammatory and autoreactive conditions. Operations center on drug development for these therapeutic areas, with a focus on broad-range applications in immunology and neurology.
- Headquarters San Diego, United States
- Employees 44
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsHealthcare
- Emailβ’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’
- Phoneβ’β’β’β’ β’β’β’β’
- Website escientpharma.com
- Social LinkedIn X
- Acquired by Incyte (Apr 2024)
- Legal Name Escient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Products & Services of Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including EP262 and EP547.
Antagonist for MRGPRX2 targeting chronic urticaria and mast cell disorders
Antagonist for MRGPRX4 treating cholestatic pruritus
Funding Insights of Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals has successfully raised a total of $237.5M across 3 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series C round of $120 million completed in November 2022. This substantial capital infusion reflects strong investor confidence in the company's business model, growth potential, and market opportunities. The funding enables strategic expansion, product development, market penetration, and operational scaling to drive long-term value creation and competitive advantage.
- Total Funding $237.5M
- Total Rounds 3
- Last Round Series C β $120M
- First Round $40M
(May 2018)
- Investors Count 14
All 3 funding rounds of Escient Pharmaceuticals with amounts and investors; the two latest post-money valuations are shown, the rest are part of the premium plan.
| Date | Amount | Transaction Name | Valuation | Lead Investors | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2022 | $120M | Series C | β | New Enterprise Associates, Abingworth | |
| Sep 2020 | $77.5M | Series B | β | Sanofi Ventures, Perceptive Advisors | β |
| May 2018 | $40M | Series A | β | TCG, 5AM Ventures | β |
15 investors in total: 15 institutional.
Investors in Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals has secured backing from 15 investors, including venture fund and institutional investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Incyte, TD Securities and Perceptive Advisors.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Venture capital investments are offered to startups by NEA. | nea.com | Menlo Park, United States | ||
Early stage venture capital firm investing in US | 1973 | abingworth.com | London, United Kingdom | |
Limited information is provided about Forge Life Science Partners. | forgelsp.com | |||
Private equity investments are directed toward the healthcare sector. | avego.com | Alpharetta, United States | ||
| theelevenfund.com | ||||
Healthcare companies are invested in by this private equity firm. | pfmhealthsciences.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
Early-stage investments in US life science startups are focused on. | 2007 | thecolumngroup.com | San Francisco, United States | |
Venture capital fund backed incubator focused on the healthcare startups | 5amventures.com | San Francisco, United States | ||
Life-Sciences focused Early stage Corporate VC Firm investing in the US | sanofiventures.com | Paris, France | ||
Early- to growth-stage startups are targeted for venture capital investments. | oup.vc | Bala Cynwyd, United States |
Investor details for Escient Pharmaceuticals
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People of Escient Pharmaceuticals
23 people are tracked at Escient Pharmaceuticals (6 in leadership, 12 in board & advisors, 5 in team); the tracked headcount is 44.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Alice Chen | Executive Director, Clinical Operations & Project Management | Leadership |
Michelle Solomon PhD | Director of Immunology | Leadership |
David Houck | VP, Chemistry Manufacturing Controls | Leadership |
Veena Viswanath | VP, Translational Biology & Drug Discovery | Leadership |
Christian Weyer | President & Chief Medical Officer | Leadership |
Christiane Villescaz | Associate Director, Translational Biology and Drug Discovery | Leadership |
Ben Auspitz | Director | Board & advisors |
Matt McAviney | Director | Board & advisors |
Jayson Punwani | Director | Board & advisors |
Peter Svennilson | Director | Board & advisors |
Jason P. Hafler | Director | Board & advisors |
Andrew Schwab | Director | Board & advisors |
Charles Zuker | Director | Board & advisors |
Kevin Raidy | Director | Board & advisors |
Alex Dorenbaum | Scientific Advisor | Board & advisors |
Bryan L. Roth | Scientific Advisor | Board & advisors |
Ethan A. Lerner | Scientific Advisor | Board & advisors |
Kathleen Sereda Glaub | Chairwoman | Board & advisors |
Harry Dedman | Senior Research Associate 3 | Team |
Brandon Selfridge | Principal Scientist, Chemistry | Team |
3 more people are available in the full profile.
Complete people profiles for Escient Pharmaceuticals
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
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Timeline of Escient Pharmaceuticals
4 dated milestones of Escient Pharmaceuticals across 7 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Escient Pharmaceuticals is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $40.0M.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series C, of $120.0M.
- Exit Acquired by Incyte.
Competitors of Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Aclaris Therapeutics, Nimbus Therapeutics and Alpine Immune Sciences.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| aclaristx.com | 2012 | Malvern, United States | $82M | 180 | Novel dermatologic therapies are developed for skin conditions. | |
| nimbustx.com | 2009 | Cambridge, United States | $685M | 81 | Targeted therapeutics for cancer, metabolic, and inflammatory diseases are developed. | |
| alpineimmunesciences.com | 2015 | Seattle, United States | $49.25M | 126 | Developer of immunotherapies to treat cancer and autoimmune disorders |
Detailed competitors of Escient Pharmaceuticals
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Web traffic of Escient Pharmaceuticals
The website of Escient Pharmaceuticals (escientpharma.com) receives about 2.2K visits a month.
- Monthly visits2.2K
▲ 9.1% vs previous month
Top companies in Immunology & Cancer Therapeutics
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Escient Pharmaceuticals (Immunology & Cancer Therapeutics) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
mRNA-based therapeutics for diseases including cancer and infections are developed. | 2010 | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States | USD 2.78 B | USD 1.94 B | 5,800 | |
Targeted and immune-oncology drugs for cancer treatment are developed. | 2010 | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States | USD 172 M | |||
Immuno-modulatory therapies for dementia and neurodegenerative disorders are developed. | 2013 | San Francisco, California, United States | USD 214.78 M | USD 21.05 M | 211 |
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Related news about Escient Pharmaceuticals
Complete news archive for Escient Pharmaceuticals
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Frequently Asked Questions about Escient Pharmaceuticals
Escient Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017 and raised its 1st funding round 1 year after it was founded.
Escient Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in San Diego, United States. It is registered at San Diego, California, United States.
Escient Pharmaceuticals is a funded company, having raised a total of $237.5M across 3 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $40M, raised on May 2018.
Escient Pharmaceuticals has 44 employees.
Escient Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2017 in San Diego, United States. Small molecule-based therapeutics are developed by the company within the pharmaceutical sector, targeting inflammatory diseases. G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drugs are pursued for treating neuro-immuno-inflammatory and autoreactive conditions. Operations center on drug development for these therapeutic areas, with a focus on broad-range applications in immunology and neurology.
Escient Pharmaceuticals's top competitors include Nimbus Therapeutics, Alpine Immune Sciences and Aclaris Therapeutics.
Escient Pharmaceuticals offers EP262 and EP547.
Escient Pharmaceuticals has 15 investors. Key investors include Incyte, TD Securities, Perceptive Advisors, Abingworth, and The Column Group.
Escient Pharmaceuticals operates through Escient Pharmaceuticals, Inc..
Yes. Escient Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Incyte in April 2024.

