About Ra Pharmaceuticals
Ra Pharmaceuticals is a Healthcare company based in Cambridge (United States) founded in 2008, and was acquired by UCB in October 2019. Complement system inhibitors using peptides are developed for rare diseases. Ra Pharmaceuticals has raised $77.43 million across 3 funding rounds from investors including Amgen, UCB and RA Capital. The company has 92 employees. Its focus areas include Life Sciences, Life Sciences Platforms and Tools, Research Services and Diversified. Its legal entity is RA PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Its competitors include Moderna, BridgeBio and Spark Therapeutics; 3 of its 3 listed competitors have raised funding.
Company details
Ra Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2008 and is based in Cambridge, United States. Synthetic peptide-like inhibitors called Cyclomimetics are developed to target the complement system. A lead C5 inhibitor is undergoing preclinical testing for rare conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. A Factor D inhibitor is also being explored. The Extreme Diversity technology, which relies on mRNA display libraries, is applied to macrocyclic peptide chemistry.
- Headquarters Cambridge, United States
- Employees 92
- Stage Acquired
- SectorsHealthcare
- Website rapharma.com
- Acquired by UCB (Oct 2019)
- Legal Name Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Funding Insights of Ra Pharmaceuticals
Ra Pharmaceuticals has successfully raised a total of $77.43M across 3 strategic funding rounds. The most recent funding activity was a Series B round of $58.5 million completed in July 2015. 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 $77.43M
- Total Rounds 3
- Last Round Series B — $58.5M
- First Round $10.33M
(Feb 2010)
- Investors Count 8
All 3 funding rounds of Ra 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2015 | $58.5M | Series B | – | RA Capital Management, Lightstone Ventures | |
| May 2012 | $8.6M | Series A | – | – | – |
| Feb 2010 | $10.33M | Series A | – | New Enterprise Associates, Morgenthaler | – |
9 investors in total: 9 institutional.
Investors in Ra Pharmaceuticals
Ra Pharmaceuticals has secured backing from 9 investors, including institutional and venture fund investors. Prominent investors backing the company include Amgen, UCB and RA Capital.
| Investor | Description | Founded Year | Domain | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Venture capital investments are offered to startups by NEA. | nea.com | Menlo Park, United States | ||
Venture capital and private equity investment firm | morgenthaler.com | Portola Valley, United States | ||
Venture capital fund and fund of funds focused on the life science sector | lightstonevc.com | Menlo Park, United States | ||
Investments are made in innovative life science companies globally. | nvfund.com | Basel, Switzerland | ||
Early-stage and late-stage biotech and finance companies are funded. | rockspringscapital.com | Baltimore, United States | ||
Venture capital investments are facilitated by Amgen-backed entity. | amgenbd.com | Thousand Oaks, United States | ||
RA Capital is engaged in evidence-based investing in healthcare and life sciences. | 2004 | racap.com | Boston, United States | |
Developer of pharmaceutical products for treating multiple diseases | 1980 | amgen.com | Thousand Oaks, United States | |
Therapies for immunological and neurological disorders are developed. | 1928 | ucb.com | Brussels, Belgium |
Investor details for Ra Pharmaceuticals
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People of Ra Pharmaceuticals
7 people are tracked at Ra Pharmaceuticals (5 in leadership, 2 in team); the tracked headcount is 92.
| Name | Role | Group |
|---|---|---|
Alonso Ricardo | Chief Technology and Innovation Officer and Head of Research | Leadership |
Peter DiRoma | Senior Vice President, Regulatory, Quality, and Government Affairs | Leadership |
Joe Shulman | Senior Vice President, Technical Operations | Leadership |
David Lubner | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | Leadership |
Petra Duda | Executive Director Clinical Research | Leadership |
Alexa Burke | Senior Accountant | Team |
Wenqing Xu | Scientist | Team |
Complete people profiles for Ra Pharmaceuticals
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Timeline of Ra Pharmaceuticals
5 dated milestones of Ra Pharmaceuticals across 11 years, from founding to its latest funding, stage changes and deals.
- Founded Ra Pharmaceuticals is founded.
- Funding First funding round of $10.3M.
- Funding Latest funding round, Series B, of $58.5M.
- IPO Lists on the stock exchange (IPO).
- Exit Acquired by UCB.
Competitors of Ra Pharmaceuticals
Ra Pharmaceuticals has 3 listed competitors in our database, 3 of them funded. They include Moderna, BridgeBio and Spark Therapeutics.
| Company Name | Domain | Founded | HQ Location | Total funding | Employees | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| modernatx.com | 2010 | Cambridge, United States | $2.78B | 1,312 | mRNA-based therapeutics for diseases including cancer and infections are developed. | |
| bridgebio.com | 2015 | Palo Alto, United States | $434.2M | Therapeutics for genetic diseases are developed through targeted interventions. | ||
| sparktx.com | 2013 | Philadelphia, United States | $82.8M | 822 | Gene therapies for rare diseases including retinal dystrophies are developed. |
Detailed competitors of Ra Pharmaceuticals
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Top companies in Life Sciences Platforms & Tools
3 companies that operate in the same segment as Ra Pharmaceuticals (Life Sciences Platforms & Tools) in United States, ranked by their profile score on The Company Check.
| Company | Description | Founded | Location | Total funding | Revenue | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Medidata is recognized as a leading provider of SaaS solutions for clinical research. | 1999 | New York, New York, United States | USD 41.5 M | |||
AI-based solutions for health management are provided. | 2015 | Dallas, Texas, United States | USD 2.8 B | 1,111 | ||
Real-world health data is provided for research and decisions. | 2012 | Menlo Park, California, United States | USD 259.16 M |
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Frequently Asked Questions about Ra Pharmaceuticals
Ra Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2008 and raised its 1st funding round 2 years after it was founded.
Ra Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Cambridge, United States. It is registered at Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States.
Ra Pharmaceuticals is a funded company, having raised a total of $77.43M across 3 funding rounds to date. The company's 1st funding round was a Series A of $10.33M, raised on Feb 2010.
Ra Pharmaceuticals has 92 employees.
Ra Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2008 and is based in Cambridge, United States. Synthetic peptide-like inhibitors called Cyclomimetics are developed to target the complement system. A lead C5 inhibitor is undergoing preclinical testing for rare conditions such as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome. A Factor D inhibitor is also being explored. The Extreme Diversity technology, which relies on mRNA display libraries, is applied to macrocyclic peptide chemistry.
Ra Pharmaceuticals's top competitors include Moderna, Spark Therapeutics and BridgeBio.
Ra Pharmaceuticals has 9 investors. Key investors include Amgen, UCB, RA Capital, NEA, and Morgenthaler.
Ra Pharmaceuticals operates through Ra Pharmaceuticals, Inc..
Yes. Ra Pharmaceuticals was acquired by UCB in October 2019.