What Latigo Biotherapeutics does

Latigo Biotherapeutics is a private, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2020 and headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. It develops oral, non-opioid pain medicines that selectively inhibit the Nav1.8 voltage-gated sodium channel expressed in peripheral nociceptors, aiming to stop pain signal transmission at its source while avoiding central nervous system effects and addiction risks associated with opioids. The company's lead program, LTG-001, targets acute pain and received FDA Fast Track Designation in March 2025 following positive Phase 1 results in 72 healthy subjects that demonstrated rapid absorption (Tmax ~1.5 hours), tolerability, and predictable pharmacokinetics. A second clinical program, LTG-305, is in Phase 1 development for chronic pain, and the broader pipeline includes additional Nav1.8 inhibitors and discovery-stage assets. Latigo's chemistry is differentiated by a novel extracellular cleft binding site on the second voltage-sensing domain and a state-independent mechanism of action, with over 600-fold selectivity against other human Nav isoforms; the company supports this work with in-house patch clamp infrastructure and human-tissue-grounded target selection.

The company has raised approximately $285 million across a $135 million Series A (February 2024, led by Westlake Village BioPartners, 5AM Ventures, and Foresite Capital) and a $150 million Series B (March 2025, led by Blue Owl Capital with Sanofi Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority, UPMC Enterprises, and existing investors participating). It is led by CEO Nima Farzan, with a senior team drawn from Amgen, Pfizer, Gilead, Novartis, Cytokinetics, and Deciphera, and a board chaired by former Horizon Therapeutics CEO Timothy Walbert. As a clinical-stage developer with no commercialized products, Latigo currently has no revenue and its go-to-market will follow regulatory approval, at which point it would compete in the markets that today consume roughly 40 million annual opioid prescriptions for acute pain and address the approximately 57 million U.S. patients living with chronic pain.

Name

Latigo Biotherapeutics

Legal name

Latigo Biotherapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://latigobio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Latigo Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral, non-opioid Nav1.8 inhibitor therapies for acute and chronic pain, with lead program LTG-001 in Phase 1 and FDA Fast Track Designation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-opioid Pain Therapeutics

NAICS

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

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Pain Management & Anesthesiology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Translational Medicine & Biomarkers (HLAIALAF)

Keywords

• Non-opioid pain therapeutics
• Nav1.8 inhibitor drugs
• Clinical-stage biopharmaceuticals
• Acute pain treatment
• Chronic pain management

Headquarters

HQ city

Thousand Oaks

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

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Latigo Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral, selective Nav1.8 inhibitors as non-opioid medicines for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. Its lead clinical candidates, LTG-001 (acute pain, FDA Fast Track Designation) and LTG-305 (chronic pain), block pain transmission in peripheral sensory neurons, avoiding central nervous system effects and addiction risks associated with opioids. The pipeline is supported by human-genetics-grounded target selection, AI/ML-enabled structure-based drug design, and in-house electrophysiology infrastructure.

Product overview

Latigo Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of non-opioid pain medicines that target pain at its source. The company's lead program is LTG-001, an oral selective Nav1.8 inhibitor for acute pain that received FDA Fast Track Designation in March 2025, with positive Phase 1 results demonstrating rapid absorption. The second clinical program, LTG-305, is an oral selective Nav1.8 inhibitor for chronic pain currently in Phase 1 trials. The pipeline includes a suite of Nav1.8 inhibitors and discovery-stage programs targeting genetically identified novel pain targets with small molecule approaches. The company leverages state-of-the-art computer-assisted, structure-based, and knowledge-based design techniques to optimize compound potency and selectivity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LTG-001 Oral, selective Nav1.8 inhibitor being developed as a non-opioid therapy for acute pain. It blocks peripheral sensory neurons responsible for pain signal transmission while avoiding central nervous system effects. In Phase 1 trials, it demonstrated favorable safety, tolerability, and rapid absorption with a Tmax of approximately 1.5 hours in 72 healthy subjects.
• LTG-305 Oral, selective Nav1.8 inhibitor and potential best-in-class non-opioid therapeutic candidate for the treatment of chronic pain. Designed to target the underlying mechanisms of pain at its source while avoiding central nervous system side effects. Currently in Phase 1 clinical trials.
• LTGO-33 Discovery-stage selective small molecule inhibitor of NaV1.8 with a unique state-independent mechanism of action. Binds to the extracellular cleft of the second voltage-sensing domain, a novel interaction site previously undescribed in NaV1.8 small-molecule pharmacology. Exhibits over 600-fold selectivity against human NaV1.1-NaV1.7 and NaV1.9 isoforms.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tmax of ~1.5 hours indicating potential for rapid onset of pain relief
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Vertex's suzetrigine (VX-548) is the first Nav1.8 inhibitor to receive FDA approval for acute pain, making Vertex the most direct comparable to Latigo. Both companies target the same peripheral pain-transmission mechanism and pursue oral, selective Nav1.8 inhibition, but Vertex is multiple years ahead commercially.
• SiteOne Therapeutics: SiteOne is a private clinical-stage company developing selective Nav1.8 inhibitors for non-opioid pain treatment. It targets the same voltage-gated sodium channel mechanism as Latigo and represents a head-to-head emerging competitor in the same therapeutic class.
• Tonix Pharmaceuticals: Tonix is a clinical-stage biopharma developing non-opioid pain therapeutics, including TNX-102 SL for fibromyalgia and other central nervous system pain conditions. It shares Latigo's clinical-stage, non-opioid pain positioning and similar investor profile.
• Pacira BioSciences: Pacira commercializes non-opioid pain products (Exparel, Zynrelef) and is a key reference point for non-opioid pain commercialization strategy. While Pacira's products are locally acting/extended-release rather than Nav1.8-based, both companies address the same unmet need for non-opioid alternatives.
• Scilex Holding: Scilex is a specialty pain company focused on non-opioid therapies (ZTlido lidocaine patch, ELYXYB for migraine). It shares Latigo's positioning as a non-opioid pain-focused company, though at a more advanced commercial stage.
• Collegium Pharmaceutical: Collegium is a specialty pharma focused on pain therapeutics, including abuse-deterrent opioids and non-opioid pain options. It represents a commercial-stage comparator for companies pursuing differentiated pain therapies in the same prescriber channels.

Broad incumbents

• Eli Lilly: Lilly is a broad-incumbent pharma with active Nav1.8 inhibitor research and an existing pain portfolio including migraine therapeutics (galcanezumab). It represents a large-pharma competitor with substantially greater commercial reach and R&D resources than Latigo.
• Pfizer: Pfizer has a long-standing pain franchise history (Lyrica, Neurontin through legacy Parke Davis) and continues to invest in non-opioid pain therapeutics. As a broad-incumbent, Pfizer could be a credible strategic acquirer of Latigo or a competitor with deeper commercial muscle.
• AbbVie: AbbVie operates one of the broadest pain and neuroscience franchises globally and has been active in M&A (e.g., $8.7B Cerevel acquisition). Its commercial reach, payer relationships, and capacity to acquire or partner with Nav1.8-focused biotechs make it a key comparand.
• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals: Regeneron is a large-cap biopharma with active neuroscience and pain research programs and a track record of disciplined M&A. It serves as a broad-incumbent reference for Nav1.8/non-opioid pain strategy and a potential strategic acquirer of clinical-stage pain biotechs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/latigobio

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors14 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Latigo Biotherapeutics