What Volastra Therapeutics does

Volastra Therapeutics is a New York-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2019 that develops oncology therapeutics targeting chromosomal instability (CIN), a hallmark of cancer in which chromosome segregation errors during mitosis drive tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, and therapy resistance. The company's core technology is the proprietary CINtech research strategy (also branded as the CINsight Engine), which integrates proprietary imaging, cell line screening techniques, and computational modeling to identify CIN-specific drug targets and match them with predictive biomarkers for patient selection. Its pipeline is anchored by two differentiated oral small-molecule inhibitors of KIF18A — a mitotic kinesin essential for division of chromosomally unstable cancer cells but not normal cells — comprising the internally discovered VLS-1488 and sovilnesib (formerly AMG650, in-licensed from Amgen), both in Phase I/II trials with FDA Fast Track designation for platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

The company pursues two complementary mechanistic approaches: synthetic lethality (directly killing CIN-high cancer cells) and immune activation (re-awakening immune sensing of CIN), supported by partnerships with Bristol Myers Squibb (up to $1.1B in milestones for CIN synthetic-lethal target discovery), Microsoft (image-based AI models for CIN measurement), Function Oncology (CRISPR-based functional genomics), Tailor Bio (CIN genomic signatures for patient selection), and Dewpoint Therapeutics (biomolecular condensates). Because Volastra has no approved products, its business model is licensing/royalties and milestone-based, with clinical-trial enrollment at major US cancer centers (MD Anderson, Yale, Dana-Farber) as the current patient access mechanism; future commercial revenue is expected to come from drug commercialization and partnership milestones/royalties. The company is venture-backed by Polaris Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Eli Lilly, Vida Ventures, DROIA, Catalio, B Capital and others, with approximately $175M raised in total.

Name

Volastra Therapeutics

Legal name

Volastra Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://volastratx.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Volastra Therapeutics is a New York-based, clinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2019 that develops oncology therapeutics targeting chromosomal instability, with two differentiated oral KIF18A inhibitors (VLS-1488 and sovilnesib) in Phase I/II trials for advanced solid tumors, primarily platinum-resistant ovarian cancer.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Clinical-stage Oncology Therapeutics

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Target Identification & Validation Platforms (omics-driven, chemoproteomics, genetic validation) (HLAAAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Immuno-Oncology & Immune Monitoring Biomarkers (TMB, MSI, MRD, immune profiling) (HLAAAMAK)

Keywords

• Oncology drug development
• Chromosomal instability therapeutics
• Kinesin inhibitor pipeline
• Biopharmaceutical clinical research
• Cancer clinical trials

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical Development and Commercialization: Volastra is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oncology therapeutics targeting chromosomal instability. It has two KIF18A inhibitors in Phase I trials: VLS-1488 (internally discovered) and sovilnesib (in-licensed from Amgen). The company has not yet commercialized any products and does not yet generate product revenue. Revenue is expected to come from future drug commercialization and potential milestone/royalty payments from partnerships.
2. Bristol Myers Squibb Collaboration (up to $1.1B): Volastra receives $30M upfront payment and is eligible for up to $1.1B in development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments plus royalties from Bristol Myers Squibb in exchange for leveraging the CINtech platform to discover and develop CIN-related synthetic lethal drug candidates. Bristol Myers Squibb takes over development, regulatory, and commercialization after candidate selection.
3. Amgen Licensing Agreement: Volastra received exclusive worldwide license (ex-China) to develop and commercialize sovilnesib from Amgen in exchange for an upfront mix of cash and equity plus downstream milestone and royalty payments to Amgen. This brought a clinical-stage asset into Volastra's pipeline.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Volastra Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing oral small molecule KIF18A inhibitors for the treatment of cancers characterized by chromosomal instability (CIN). Its pipeline is anchored by two differentiated clinical-stage assets — VLS-1488 (internally discovered) and sovilnesib (in-licensed from Amgen) — both in Phase I/II trials for platinum-resistant ovarian cancer and other CIN-high solid tumors. Drug discovery and patient selection are powered by the company's proprietary CINsight/CINtech platform combining imaging, cell line models, and computational analytics.

Product overview

Volastra Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a portfolio of oncology therapeutics targeting chromosomal instability (CIN). The company's core offerings include two differentiated clinical-stage KIF18A inhibitors: VLS-1488 (internally discovered) and sovilnesib (licensed from Amgen), both in Phase I/II trials for ovarian and solid tumors. Supporting the pipeline is the proprietary CINsight Engine discovery platform. The company also has undisclosed discovery programs (Program 3 and Program 4) targeting additional CIN-related vulnerabilities. All programs leverage the company's CINtech research strategy combining proprietary imaging, screening, and computational analytics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VLS-1488 A differentiated oral small molecule KIF18A inhibitor internally discovered by Volastra and currently in Phase I/II clinical trials (NCT05902988) for advanced solid tumors with high chromosomal instability. VLS-1488 has received FDA Fast Track designation in platinum-resistant high-grade serous ovarian cancer and has been administered to more than 120 patients across dose levels with a favorable safety profile and tumor reduction observed in 7 of 17 evaluable ovarian cancer patients.
• Sovilnesib (formerly AMG650) A differentiated oral small molecule KIF18A inhibitor licensed from Amgen in February 2023 (exclusive worldwide rights ex-China) and currently in a Phase Ib clinical trial (NCT06084416) for platinum-resistant or refractory high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Sovilnesib has completed a Phase 1 clinical trial and received FDA Fast Track designation in platinum-resistant HGSOC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 of 17 evaluable ovarian cancer patients showed tumor reduction; 3 partial responses per RECIST in Phase I trial of VLS-1488
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, core and minor.

• Function OncologysupportingTechnology or Integration · 26 March 2024Collaboration integrating Function Oncology's CRISPR platform to decipher patient-specific drug target vulnerabilities and apply functional genomics to Volastra's clinical programs, enabling identification of target dependencies in individual cancers.
• Tailor BiosupportingTechnology or Integration · 1 March 2024Partnership using Tailor's proprietary CIN genomic signatures to identify patients most likely to respond to KIF18A inhibitors, with the goal of expanding applicability to a broader array of tumor types beyond those with universally high CIN.
• AmgencoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 February 2023Volastra licensed sovilnesib (formerly AMG650), an oral first-in-class KIF18A inhibitor, from Amgen for exclusive worldwide development and commercialization rights outside China. Amgen received an upfront mix of cash and equity plus downstream milestone and royalty payments. Sovilnesib is currently in Phase Ib for platinum-resistant HGSOC.
• Bristol Myers SquibbcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2022Multi-year drug discovery collaboration leveraging Volastra's CINtech platform to identify CIN-related synthetic lethal targets. Volastra receives $30M upfront, up to $1.1B in development, regulatory, and commercial milestones, plus royalties on net global sales. BMS takes over development after candidate selection. Focused on undisclosed targets using chromosomal instability synthetic lethality approaches.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or Integration · 6 April 2021Collaboration with Microsoft Research since 2020 to develop image-based AI models that quantify CIN in patient samples, supporting target discovery and biomarker development for patient selection. The collaboration integrates Microsoft Azure AI with Volastra's insights into tumor biology to develop machine learning tools detecting drivers of tumor growth and metastatic risk.
• Dewpoint TherapeuticsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2021R&D partnership to discover novel modulators of biomolecular condensates to prevent cancer progression and metastasis in CIN-high cells. Focused on early drug discovery with options for future joint development and commercialization.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Repare Therapeutics: Clinical-stage precision oncology company leveraging synthetic lethality screening and biomarker-driven patient selection. Directly comparable to Volastra's CINtech platform approach of exploiting cancer-specific vulnerabilities with a targeted small-molecule pipeline.
• Tango Therapeutics: Clinical-stage synthetic lethality-focused oncology company with a CRISPR-based target discovery platform and multiple small-molecule programs. Comparable in business model (platform-plus-pipeline), clinical stage, and synthetic-lethality drug development strategy.
• Black Diamond Therapeutics: Clinical-stage precision oncology company developing small-molecule therapies against novel allosteric oncogenic mutations. Comparable as a small, biomarker-driven oncology biotech advancing multiple targeted programs through early clinical trials.
• Nuvalent: Clinical-stage oncology company developing selective small-molecule kinase inhibitors with structure-based design. Comparable in developing differentiated, computer-aided small molecules for defined oncogene-driven patient populations.
• Erasca: Clinical-stage precision oncology biotech focused on the RAS/MAPK pathway with multiple small-molecule programs. Comparable clinical-stage oncology company with a target-driven, biomarker-enriched development model.
• Foghorn Therapeutics: Clinical-stage oncology company targeting chromatin regulatory biology with a platform-plus-pipeline approach. Comparable in deploying a proprietary biological insight (chromatin regulation) to drive oncology drug discovery and development.

Emerging players

• Recursion Pharmaceuticals: AI-driven drug discovery company combining high-throughput biology with machine learning. Comparable in applying AI/computation to generate novel therapeutic targets, although Recursion operates more broadly across therapeutic areas and indications.
• Schrödinger: Computational chemistry/drug design platform with proprietary programs and partnerships. Comparable in using computational modeling to enable small-molecule discovery; Schrödinger also pursues internal oncology programs that overlap with Volastra's target classes.

Broad incumbents

• Exelixis: Established commercial oncology company with multiple approved kinase-targeting small molecules (cabozantinib). Comparable as a mature oncology small-molecule specialist with broader portfolio and infrastructure than Volastra.
• Bristol Myers Squibb: Large global oncology pharmaceutical company and Volastra's strategic partner (up to $1.1B collaboration). Comparable as a major oncology player operating across targeted therapy, IO, and cell therapy with overlapping interest in CIN-related vulnerabilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/volastra-therapeutics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors13 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Volastra Therapeutics