About First Wave Bio
First Wave Bio is a Healthcare company based in Ann Arbor (United States) founded in 2015 by Luigi Franchi, Gary D Glick, and Anthony W Opipari, and was acquired by AzurRx BioPharma in September 2021. Developer of therapeutics for treating inflammatory bowel disease. Its chief executive, as recorded, is Gary D Glick. First Wave Bio offers products and services including Latiglutenase, Capeserod, and Adrulipase. Its focus areas include Life Sciences, Gastroenterology, Drugs and Diversified. Its legal entity is FIRST WAVE BIOPHARMA, INC. Its competitors include Ironwood Pharma, Alcresta and Seed; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
First Wave Bio was founded in 2015 and is based in Ann Arbor, United States. Operations focus on the biotechnology sector, where therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease are developed. Proprietary forms and formulations of the gut-restricted salicylanilide antihelmintic drug Niclosamide are advanced. The lead candidate, FW-424, targets pathogenic immune cells in IBD.
- Headquarters Ann Arbor, United States
- Founders Luigi Franchi, Gary D Glick, Anthony W Opipari
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsHealthcare
- Emailβ’β’β’β’β’β’β’β’
- Phoneβ’β’β’β’ β’β’β’β’
- Website firstwavebio.com
- Social LinkedIn YouTube
- Acquired by AzurRx BioPharma (Sep 2021)
- Legal Name First Wave Biopharma, Inc.
- Investors
- Acquired byAzurRx BioPharma
(Sep 2021)
Products & Services of First Wave Bio
First Wave Bio offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services, including Latiglutenase, Capeserod, and Adrulipase.
Oral therapy to break down gluten and reduce celiac disease symptoms.
Selective receptor partial agonist for GI indications like gastroparesis.
Recombinant lipase for treating exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in patients.
Apps and channels of First Wave Bio
its YouTube channel Entero Therapeutics has 82 subscribers and 30 videos.
Videos from First Wave Bio
The most watched videos on First Wave Bio's YouTube channel, Entero Therapeutics (82 subscribers). Click a video to play it here.
More on Entero Therapeutics.
Funding Insights of First Wave Bio
- Total Rounds 3
- First Round $2.62M
(Aug 2019)
All 3 funding rounds of First Wave Bio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | Post-IPO | β | β | β | |
| Jul 2022 | Post-IPO | β | β | β | |
| Aug 2019 | $2.62M | Post-IPO | β | β | β |
1 investors in total: 1 institutional.
Investors in First Wave Bio
First Wave Bio has secured backing from 1 investor. Prominent investors backing the company include AzurRx BioPharma.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Recombinant proteins are provided for gastrointestinal disease treatments. | 2014 | azurrx.com | New York, United States |
Investor details for First Wave Bio
The complete investor list, round-by-round participation and investor portfolios require an active premium plan.
- Complete investor list
- Round participation
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
People of First Wave Bio
4 people are tracked at First Wave Bio (4 in leadership).
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Luigi Franchi | Co-Founder | Leadership |
Gary D Glick | Co-Founder & CEO | Leadership |
Anthony W Opipari | Co-Founder | Leadership |
James Sapirstein | CEO & President | Leadership |
Complete people profiles for First Wave Bio
Full employee and board profiles, team structure, tenure and professional contact details require an active premium plan.
- Full employee list
- Team structure
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Timeline of First Wave Bio
5 dated milestones of First Wave Bio across 8 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded First Wave Bio is founded.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Funding First funding round of $2.6M.
- Exit Acquired by AzurRx BioPharma.
- Funding Latest funding round, Post-IPO,.
Competitors of First Wave Bio
First Wave Bio has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Ironwood Pharma, Alcresta and Seed.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ironwoodpharma.com | 1998 | Cambridge, United States | $206.25M | 220 | Therapeutics for gastrointestinal disorders, including linaclotide, are developed. | |
| alcresta.com | 2011 | Newton, United States | $95.89M | 52 | Enzyme-based products for gastrointestinal disorders are developed using immobilization technology. | |
| seed.com | 2016 | Los Angeles, United States | $40.62M | Synbiotics are developed for simulating the gut microbiome. |
Detailed competitors of First Wave Bio
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- Full competitor set
- Operating metrics
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Verified entity values are shown only after access is granted.
Top companies in Gastroenterology
3 companies that operate in the same segment as First Wave Bio (Gastroenterology) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Therapeutics for gastrointestinal disorders, including linaclotide, are developed. | 1998 | Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States | USD 206.25 M | USD 296.15 M | 253 | |
Sacral neuromodulation devices are developed for urinary and bowel control. | 2013 | Irvine, California, United States | USD 143.47 M | |||
Provider of a deep learning platform for detecting circulating cancer-related markers | 2014 | United States | USD 1.35 B | 411 |
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Related news about First Wave Bio
Complete news archive for First Wave Bio
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Frequently Asked Questions about First Wave Bio
First Wave Bio was founded in 2015 and raised its 1st funding round 4 years after it was founded.
First Wave Bio is headquartered in Ann Arbor, United States. It is registered at Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States.
Gary D Glick is the CEO of First Wave Bio, as recorded in our data. They have also founded this company.
First Wave Bio was founded in 2015 and is based in Ann Arbor, United States. Operations focus on the biotechnology sector, where therapeutics for inflammatory bowel disease are developed. Proprietary forms and formulations of the gut-restricted salicylanilide antihelmintic drug Niclosamide are advanced. The lead candidate, FW-424, targets pathogenic immune cells in IBD.
First Wave Bio's top competitors include Ironwood Pharma, Seed and Alcresta.
First Wave Bio offers Latiglutenase, Capeserod, and Adrulipase.
First Wave Bio has 1 investor. Key investors include AzurRx BioPharma.
First Wave Bio operates through First Wave Biopharma, Inc..
Yes. First Wave Bio was acquired by AzurRx BioPharma in September 2021.

