Orphagen Pharmaceuticals, an early-stage biotech company with a track record of discovering and developing small molecules drugs to novel targets, is initiating a fundraising and partnering campaign to support a Phase 1 clinical trial for its lead oncology program and advance other first-in-class pipeline programs.
The incoming Chief Business Officer or VP of Business Development will work closely with the Founder/CEO and an experienced research and development team to follow through on these opportunities. By virtue of its technology, I.P., and know how, Orphagen is poised for growth.
Orphagen is a pioneer in creating first-in-class discovery programs for previously unexplored members of the nuclear receptor (NR) target family. Orphagen has built its assets with non-dilutive funding, a combination of federal grants ($10.5 M) and approximately $30 M in partnership revenue. Further grant funding is committed and/or appears imminent. Orphagen seeks to raise $3 M in private seed funding 2024-5 and a Series A round in 2026.
The ideal candidate will have experience in corporate development, through company financing or strategic partnerships, along with a passion for company-building, business development, and equity fundraising. The successful candidate will be ready to start in the very near future, can accept equity in lieu of cash up until raising of a seed round, and has available bandwidth to manage a range of opportunities.
Orphagen’s first-in-class proprietary clinical candidate, OR-449, holds promise for treatment of adrenocortical cancer, a rare and aggressive tumor with high unmet need. IND filing is planned for 3Q25, pending successful fundraising. A second internal program has identified a separate small molecule class that inhibits inflammatory T cell migration to the gut as a novel therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Prior successes include an industry partnership that developed the first clinical antagonists to the nuclear receptor ROR-gamma for autoimmune disease.
Initial compensation for this position will be in terms of equity rather than cash.
Orphagen is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, or any other non-merit factor.
