Pulmokine

Pulmokine, Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company with a strategic focus on developing treatments for severe lung diseases, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Founded in November 2007 by Lawrence Zisman, the company directs its efforts towards kinase inhibitor technology to address unmet needs in the pulmonary medicine space. Dr. Zisman, a board-certified specialist in cardiovascular medicine with a focus on pulmonary hypertension and heart failure, brought his experience as the former head of cardiovascular drug development at Cytopia to his role as CEO of Pulmokine.

The company's primary business revolves around the research and development of novel drug candidates. Pulmokine’s business model is centered on identifying and advancing promising therapies through preclinical and early clinical stages before out-licensing them to larger pharmaceutical partners for late-stage development and commercialization. This strategy was exemplified by their main asset, seralutinib (formerly GB002), an inhaled small molecule inhibitor of the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) receptor. In 2017, Pulmokine licensed seralutinib to Gossamer Bio, Inc., which has since advanced the drug into Phase 3 clinical trials for PAH. The therapy is designed to target an underlying cause of PAH, rather than only alleviating symptoms, by interfering with the PDGF receptor pathway.

Financially, Pulmokine supported its research through a combination of non-dilutive grant funding and venture capital. The company secured at least $1 million in a Series A round from Broadview Ventures in March 2015 and also received significant grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A notable milestone was a $1.5 million VITA contract from the NHLBI to advance its lead candidate toward human clinical trials. In a significant move for its founders and investors, Pulmokine was acquired by XOMA Royalty in November/December 2024 for a $20 million upfront cash payment, with additional success-based considerations. This acquisition provides XOMA Royalty with the economic rights to potential future royalties and milestone payments from seralutinib, which is being co-commercialized by Gossamer Bio and Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

Keywords: Pulmokine, seralutinib, pulmonary arterial hypertension, PAH treatment, kinase inhibitor, Lawrence Zisman, biopharmaceutical, drug development, PDGF receptor inhibitor, Gossamer Bio, XOMA Royalty, Broadview Ventures, Chiesi Farmaceutici, lung disease therapy, clinical trials, inhaled therapeutics, cardiovascular medicine, orphan disease, biotechnology acquisition, royalty monetization