With $50M, Vilya’s Peptides Aim to Transcend Cells’ Lipid Membrane

Vilya Inc., the newest spinout from the University of Washington’s Institute of Protein Design (IPD), raised $50 million in a series A funding round.

Vilya uses sophisticated machine learning algorithms to design therapeutic peptides that can cross the cell membrane. The company’s computation methods design membrane-permeable peptides by tweaking the structure, making it less likely to accrue water molecules.

Washington is rapidly growing into a veritable biopharma hotbed, alongside companies such as Seattle-based Sana Biotechnology, which raised $587.5 million in its IPO and continues to grow in the gene and cell therapy space.

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