CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Goldfinch Bio, a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on discovering and developing precision medicines for the treatment of kidney diseases, today announced that it has been named by Fierce Biotech as one of 2020’s Fierce 15 biotechnology companies, designating it as one of the most promising private biotechnology companies in the industry.

The 2020 Fierce 15 comes at a time when the world is focused on a pandemic, but even as coronavirus remains a threat, patients with cancer, rare diseases and other disorders still need treatment, FierceBiotech Senior Editor Ben Adams said, “This year, we’ve chosen from a diverse range of those fighting COVID, as well as those fighting longer term plagues against our biology.”

Goldfinch Bio is a clinical stage biotechnology company which is driving innovation in kidney genetics and biology to pioneer a new treatment paradigm for people diagnosed with kidney diseases. Goldfinch Bio’s approach is rooted in its proprietary precision medicine kidney platform, which incorporates the Company’s Kidney Genome Atlas (KGA), human kidney organoid and podocyte models, and small molecule chemistry. Goldfinch Bio’s lead precision medicine candidate is GFB-887, a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor targeting Transient Receptor Potential Canonical Channel 5 (TRPC5), which is currently in an ongoing Phase 2 clinical trial for the treatment of patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and diabetic nephropathy (DN)¹. The Company is also developing GFB-024, a peripherally-restricted cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) inverse agonist monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of rare and metabolic kidney diseases and expects to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application in 2021.

“We are thrilled to be distinguished by Fierce Biotech among the industry’s leading innovators, reflecting the potential of our precision medicine platform to revolutionize the treatment paradigm for people living with severe and debilitating kidney diseases,” said Anthony Johnson, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Goldfinch Bio. “Kidney disease is a major global epidemic that affects approximately 10%, or 760 million people worldwide.² There has been a disproportionately low level of investment and innovation in the kidney disease space compared to other therapeutic areas, despite the significant financial and emotional burden to those diagnosed and to the healthcare system at large. We are committed to delivering novel medicines to defined patient subsets, with the goal of preserving kidney function, eliminating the need for dialysis, and improve patients’ quality of life.”

The Fierce 15 celebrates the spirit of being “fierce” – championing innovation and creativity, even in the face of intense competition. This is Fierce Biotech’s 18^th annual Fierce 15 selection.

An internationally recognized daily report reaching a network of over 285,000 biotech and pharma industry professionals, Fierce Biotech provides subscribers with an authoritative analysis of the day’s top stories. Every year Fierce Biotech evaluates hundreds of private companies from around the world for its annual Fierce 15 list, which is based on a variety of factors such as the strength of its technology, partnerships, venture backers and a competitive market position.

About Fierce Biotech

Fierce Biotech is the biotech industry’s daily monitor, an email newsletter and web resource providing the latest biotech news, articles, and resources related to clinical trials, drug discovery, FDA approval, FDA regulation, patent news, pharma news, biotech company news and more. More than 150,000 top biotech professionals rely on Fierce Biotech for an insider briefing on the day’s top stories. Signup is free at www.fiercebiotech.com/signup.

About Goldfinch Bio

Goldfinch Bio, Inc. is a clinical stage biotechnology company that leverages a genomics-based, precision medicine approach to discovering and developing kidney disease treatments. Its Kidney Genome Atlas (KGA™) is a proprietary biology platform that drives candidate discovery, biomarker development and patient selection. The Company’s lead candidate, GFB-887, is a TRPC5 ion channel inhibitor, in Phase 2 development for the treatment of kidney diseases. Goldfinch Bio is also developing GFB-024, a peripherally-restricted cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) inverse agonist monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of rare and metabolic kidney diseases and expects to submit an investigational new drug (IND) application in 2021. Goldfinch Bio, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was launched in 2016 by Third Rock Ventures and has an established strategic collaboration with Gilead Sciences, Inc. For more information about Goldfinch Bio, visit www.goldfinchbio.com.

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¹ Patients diagnosed with treatment resistant minimal change disease, which is considered a subset of FSGS, will also be allowed into the Phase 2 clinical.

²Kittiskulnam, et al,. Semin Nephrol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2017 Jul 1. Published in final edited form as: Semin Nephrol. 2016 Jul; 36(4): 305–318. doi: 10.1016/j.semnephrol.2016.05.007 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4967875/