PsiThera

Founding and History

PsiThera originated as Psivant Therapeutics, a Roivant-founded discovery group focused on physics-led small-molecule design. In 2022, the unit was spun out as a standalone company. In December 2025, PsiThera was formally unveiled with a $47.5 million Series A financing and the appointment of biotech executive Eric Shaff as President and Chief Executive Officer. The Series A is led by Samsara Biocapital and Lightstone Ventures, with participation from Roivant, YK Bioventures, Eurofarma Ventures and others.

Therapy Areas and Focus

PsiThera focuses on immunology and inflammation, specifically on developing oral drugs against validated immune targets currently addressed mainly by injectable biologics. Initial programs are concentrated in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily, including:

• Soluble TNF (sTNF)
• Membrane OX40 ligand (mOX40L)
• TL1A

The aim is to deliver oral small molecules with biologic-like target engagement for chronic immune-mediated diseases.

Technology Platform and Modalities

PsiThera’s core discovery engine is the QUAISAR platform, which combines:

• Molecular dynamics and quantum chemistry-based simulations
• Machine learning and statistical modeling
• In-house high-performance computing
• Integrated structural biophysics (HDX-MS, NMR, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM)

The platform is used to model biologically relevant protein motion, identify transient or “cryptic” binding pockets, and design oral small molecules for difficult, conformationally dynamic targets. The company is focused on oral small-molecule modalities.

Key Personnel

• Eric Shaff – President and Chief Executive Officer
• Woody Sherman, PhD – Founder and Chief Innovation Officer
• Camil Sayegh, PhD – Chief Scientific Officer
• Jean-Christophe Harmange, PharmD, PhD – Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery
• Kal Lapan, PhD – Vice President, Head of Operations

The board of directors includes representatives from Samsara Biocapital, Lightstone Ventures, Roivant and independent scientific and investment leaders.

Strategic Partnerships

PsiThera’s investor base includes Samsara Biocapital, Lightstone Ventures, Roivant, YK Bioventures and Eurofarma Ventures. The company maintains scientific collaborations through its Scientific Advisory Board and Open Science Fellows program, linking the organization to academic experts in quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, immunology and computational chemistry. PsiThera also retains strategic ties to Roivant as its original founding shareholder.

FAQ Section

What is PsiThera’s core science and biotech platform?
PsiThera’s core platform, QUAISAR, integrates physics-based molecular simulations with machine learning and experimental structural data to characterize dynamic protein states. The goal is to discover and optimize oral small molecules against biologically and genetically validated targets that have been difficult to drug using traditional, largely static structure-based methods.

What diseases and therapeutic areas does PsiThera focus on?
PsiThera targets immune and inflammatory (I&I) diseases where treatment is dominated by injectable biologics, such as conditions treated with anti-TNF and related agents. While specific indications have not yet been disclosed in detail, the TNF superfamily focus suggests applications across chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

What programs and products are in PsiThera’s pipeline?
PsiThera is advancing a preclinical pipeline of oral small-molecule programs against TNF superfamily targets, including sTNF, mOX40L and TL1A. All disclosed programs are currently in preclinical research and optimization rather than clinical Phases I–III, with the company highlighting rapid progression from hit discovery to lead optimization as an early performance metric for the platform.

What is the latest company news and recent PsiThera events?
Recent milestones include the company’s public launch, completion of a $47.5 million Series A financing, and the appointment of Eric Shaff as President and CEO. The financing is intended to support further build-out of the QUAISAR platform and advance multiple TNF superfamily programs through preclinical development.

What clinical trial data and results has PsiThera announced?
PsiThera has not yet reported human clinical trial results. The company remains in the preclinical stage, with efforts focused on target selection, hit identification, lead optimization and building a development-ready pipeline.

What are PsiThera’s regulatory interactions and upcoming milestones?
Near-term priorities include progression of lead TNF superfamily programs toward IND-enabling studies and eventual first-in-human trials. Regulatory interactions are expected to increase as programs mature, but specific timelines for IND filings or Phase I initiation have not been publicly detailed.

Who comprises PsiThera’s leadership team and what is their track record?
PsiThera’s leadership combines computational chemistry and biophysics expertise with experienced biotech and pharmaceutical operators. CEO Eric Shaff previously led Seres Therapeutics and oversaw the approval of an oral microbiome therapy, while founder Woody Sherman has a long-standing background in physics-based drug design. The broader team includes senior leaders in immunology, structural biology, medicinal chemistry and engineering, supported by investors and advisors with experience advancing therapies from discovery into the clinic.