What Azora Therapeutics does

Azora Therapeutics is a pre-clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2017 and headquartered in California, developing novel therapeutics for serious inflammatory diseases. Its lead and only disclosed asset is AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist being developed as an oral treatment for ulcerative colitis. The compound's defining technical feature is a colon-targeted delivery mechanism designed to act locally in the affected colon tissue, addressing a chronic inflammatory bowel disease with significant unmet need. The company operated as a lean private entity with 1–10 employees under founders Matt Davidson (CEO) and Julie Saiki (COO), with no commercial revenue and no marketed products.

The company's business model is pre-commercial biotech R&D: it has historically funded operations through exempt private securities offerings rather than product sales, with approximately $7.73 million raised in 2021 and ~$581K in 2023 via SEC Form D filings. Customer-facing activity is limited to identifying the eventual patient population — ulcerative colitis sufferers — and defining a single horizontal use case. Proof-of-concept clinical testing is planned for 2027, with Phase 1 trials targeted for mid-2027, meaning the first regulatory and commercial inflection points are still forward-looking.

On June 11, 2026, Azora was acquired by Adial Pharmaceuticals for $32 million, with former Azora shareholders retaining approximately 51% of the combined company on a fully-diluted basis. A concurrent private placement of up to $64 million ($32M upfront plus $32M tied to Phase 1 initiation) was led by Coastlands Capital with Kern Capital, Boxer Capital, Stonepine Capital, and AuGC BioFund. Post-acquisition, AT177 will be advanced through Adial's clinical and commercial infrastructure, with revenue mechanics expected to follow a pharmaceutical product sales model contingent on regulatory approval.

Name

Azora Therapeutics

Legal name

Azora Therapeutics, Inc.

Website

https://azoratherapeutics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Azora Therapeutics is a pre-clinical biopharmaceutical company developing AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist for ulcerative colitis. Founded in 2017 in California, it was acquired by Adial Pharmaceuticals in June 2026 for $32 million.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Inflammatory Bowel Disease Therapeutics

NAICS

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

SIC

Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)

akta.pro primary industry

Gastroenterology Specialty Pharmaceuticals (HLAIACAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gastroenterology & Hepatology Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAAAI)

Keywords

• Inflammatory disease therapeutics
• Biopharmaceutical drug development
• Colon-targeted drug delivery
• Aryl hydrocarbon receptor agonist
• Ulcerative colitis treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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

Revenue model

1. Pharmaceutical product sales: Pre-commercial stage. The company was developing drug candidate AT177 for ulcerative colitis. Following acquisition by Adial Pharmaceuticals in 2026, the combined company will commercialize AT177 upon regulatory approval.

Core offering

Azora Therapeutics is a pre-commercial biotechnology company developing AT177, a proprietary colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist intended as an oral therapy for ulcerative colitis. The asset is the company's sole clinical-stage drug candidate and was acquired by Adial Pharmaceuticals in 2026 for advancement through clinical development toward commercialization.

Product overview

Azora Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for inflammatory diseases. Their primary product is AT177, a colon-targeted aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist. Following the acquisition by Adial Pharmaceuticals in 2026, AT177 is being advanced through clinical development for ulcerative colitis with proof-of-concept clinical testing planned for 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AT177

Quantifiable outcome

• Proof-of-concept clinical testing planned for 2027; Phase 1 clinical trials targeted for mid-2027

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Adial PharmaceuticalsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Adial Pharmaceuticals acquired Azora Therapeutics for $32 million, bringing AT177, an oral treatment for ulcerative colitis, into its pipeline. The acquisition creates a combined company with Azora equity holders owning approximately 51% of the combined entity on a fully-diluted basis.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Pfizer: Owns etrasimod (via Arena acquisition) for UC and operates a broader inflammation/immunology franchise. Competes directly with AT177's commercial positioning.
• AbbVie: Major incumbent in UC with HUMIRA (adalimumab), SKYRIZI (risankizumab), and RINVOQ (upadacitinib). Represents the dominant commercial and competitive reference point for any new UC entrant.
• Bristol Myers Squibb: Markets ZEPOSIA (ozanimod), an oral S1P receptor modulator approved for UC. Closest broad incumbent competitor in the oral UC therapy category.
• Eli Lilly: Markets OMVOY (mirikizumab), an IL-23 antagonist approved for UC, and acquired Morphic Therapeutic. Major incumbent shaping the competitive landscape for new UC entrants.
• Takeda Pharmaceutical: Markets ENTYVIO (vedolizumab), a leading gut-selective biologic for UC. Represents an entrenched competitor with deep gastroenterology commercial infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Gossamer Bio: Clinical-stage inflammation/immunology company that developed GB004, an investigational therapy for ulcerative colitis. Direct peer given similar stage and UC therapeutic focus; serves as a cautionary comparable given its mid-stage clinical setbacks.
• Landos Biopharma: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing omilancor, an oral gut-restricted LANCL2 agonist for UC. Direct peer given shared focus on orally administered, locally-acting mechanisms for inflammatory bowel disease. Acquired by AbbVie in 2024.
• Morphic Therapeutic: Clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing oral integrin inhibitors for inflammatory bowel disease, including UC. Direct peer given small-molecule oral approach to UC. Acquired by Eli Lilly in 2024 for approximately $3.2B.
• Prometheus Biosciences: Clinical-stage biotechnology company developing PRA023 for UC and other immune-mediated diseases. Direct peer given late-stage UC focus with novel mechanism. Acquired by Merck in 2023 for approximately $10.8B, illustrating upside in this therapeutic area.
• Arena Pharmaceuticals: Developed etrasimod, an oral S1P receptor modulator approved for UC. Closely comparable given oral, targeted approach to UC inflammation; acquired by Pfizer in 2022 for approximately $6.7B.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors

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 Azora Therapeutics