Yamo Pharmaceuticals
Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing L1-79, an oral selective tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor aimed at core social-interaction deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder, currently advancing to Phase 3 with FDA Fast Track Designation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Yamo Pharmaceuticals does
Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2015 and headquartered in New York, NY. The company is developing L1-79, an investigational oral, twice-daily selective tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor designed to address core social-interaction deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) — an indication for which there are currently zero FDA-approved therapies. L1-79 modulates catecholamine pathways governing mood, attention, motor skills, and social behavior, and also addresses the hyperactive CNS state often observed in autism by engaging systems that regulate brain function and gut mechanisms implicated in some forms of the disorder. The molecule is described as the only drug in the world developed solely to treat the core symptoms of autism, distinguishing it from therapies that address only peripheral behaviors.
The company completed a multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover Phase 2 study (Y202) in 58 adolescents and young adults with ASD in June 2024, reporting a 7.94-point improvement on the Vineland-3 Socialization Standard Score versus placebo (p=0.0115) — described as the most substantial reported to date with any ASD medication — with statistically significant gains on CGI-S and CGI-3P measures. L1-79 has received FDA Fast Track Designation, and the company is now preparing for Phase 3 development. Yamo is led by an experienced management team including CEO Chuck Bramlage (formerly of Pearl Therapeutics, Covidien, Valeant, Merck, GSK), CMO Dr. Tom Megerian, SVP Regulatory Dr. Tracy Fischer, and CAO Eugene Prahin, supported by a Scientific Advisory Board of prominent autism researchers from Duke, Harvard, Columbia, Emory, and other leading institutions.
Yamo operates as a pre-revenue company with no commercialized product. Its business model is traditional biopharmaceutical: upon FDA approval, the company intends to generate revenue through prescription sales of L1-79, distributed via specialty pharmacies and standard pharmaceutical supply chains targeting healthcare providers and ASD specialists. Marketing and stakeholder engagement are conducted primarily through peer-reviewed publications, scientific conference presentations (INSAR, CNS), and corporate communications, rather than consumer-facing channels. The company has a single disclosed funding event — a capital investment from The Autism Impact Fund in November 2021 — and has 1-10 employees, reflecting its lean, development-stage operational footprint.
Yamo Pharmaceuticals firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Yamo Pharmaceuticals
- Legal name
- Yamo Pharmaceuticals
- Website
- https://yamopharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing L1-79, an oral selective tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor aimed at core social-interaction deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder, currently advancing to Phase 3 with FDA Fast Track Designation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Yamo Pharmaceuticals industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Therapeutics
- NAICS
- Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)
- SIC
- Pharmaceutical Preparations (2834)
- akta.pro primary industry
- DTx/SaMD Evidence, Outcomes & Real-World Data (RWE) Platforms (HLACANAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) – Clinical Decision & Diagnostic Software (HLACANAD)
Keywords
Where Yamo Pharmaceuticals is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Yamo Pharmaceuticals business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Pharmaceutical Product Revenue: Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a pre-revenue biopharmaceutical company developing L1-79 for Autism Spectrum Disorder. Once FDA approved, the company will generate revenue through prescription pharmaceutical sales of its oral, twice-daily treatment targeting core ASD symptoms. Revenue model will be traditional pharmaceutical product sales with potential for specialty pharmacy distribution.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Yamo Pharmaceuticals product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Yamo Pharmaceuticals develops L1-79, an investigational oral twice-daily selective tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor designed to address core social-interaction deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder. The company is advancing this single-asset candidate through Phase 3 clinical development with FDA Fast Track Designation, targeting adolescents and young adults diagnosed with ASD.
Product overview
Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a single-product pharmaceutical company developing L1-79 as its lead and only product candidate. L1-79 is an investigational oral drug for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) — the only therapy in the world solely focused on treating core autism symptoms rather than peripheral behaviors. The company operates with a pipeline model advancing L1-79 through clinical stages (Phase 2 complete, Phase 3 anticipated). No platform architecture, modules, or additional products are offered.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- L1-79
Quantifiable outcome
- 7.94-point Vineland-3 Socialization Standard Score improvement vs. placebo (p=0.0115) in Phase 2 study
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Yamo Pharmaceuticals
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Yamo Pharmaceuticals technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Yamo Pharmaceuticals partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Yamo Pharmaceuticals competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Specialty CNS pharmaceutical company with an ADHD and neurology portfolio. Comparable to Yamo as a late-stage clinical-to-commercial CNS developer with similar GTM motion into specialty prescribers, though Jazz has a broader marketed product base.
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals: CNS specialty pharma focused on neurological and psychiatric disorders (pimavanserin franchise). Highly comparable business model — clinical-stage-to-commercial CNS developer with a similar specialty-pharmacy/specialist-prescriber launch approach and small-cap CNS positioning.
- Axsome Therapeutics: Clinical-stage-to-commercial CNS biotech (Auvelity, Sunosi). Closely analogous to Yamo in scale and trajectory: small team, single-disease focus, pivotal-trial-driven valuation, and a CNS regulatory pathway with Fast Track/priority review experience.
- Sage Therapeutics: Clinical-stage CNS biotech with FDA-approved Zurzuvae (postpartum depression) and a pipeline focused on neurological/psychiatric indications. Comparable as a CNS-pure-play clinical developer facing similar subjective-endpoint and CNS launch challenges.
- Supernus Pharmaceuticals: Specialty CNS pharma with ADHD and neurology franchises. Comparable commercial motion (specialty physician sales, specialty pharmacy distribution) and life-cycle trajectory from clinical CNS developer to CNS specialty commercial player.
- Neumora Therapeutics: Clinical-stage CNS biotech with a pipeline of neuroscience candidates developed through partnerships with large pharma. Comparable as a CNS-focused clinical developer with similar regulatory, endpoint, and commercialization risk profile.
Emerging players
- PaxMedica: Small clinical-stage company developing ASD therapies (suramin program). Most directly comparable peer in terms of size, stage, and ASD focus, though pursuing a different mechanism. Useful for ASD-specific clinical and regulatory benchmarking.
- Curemark: Small clinical-stage company developing CM-AT for autism. Comparable as a niche, autism-focused therapeutics developer, providing a reference point for clinical execution and capital-raising trajectory in the ASD category.
Broad incumbents
- Karuna Therapeutics: Developed xanomeline/trospium for CNS indications (schizophrenia) and acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2024 for $14B. Relevant precedent for the value-accretion curve a CNS biotech can achieve from Phase 3 readiness through commercial scale-out via large-pharma acquisition.
- Intra-Cellular Therapies: CNS specialty pharma (Caplyta for schizophrenia and bipolar depression) acquired by AbbVie for $8.7B in 2024. Comparable trajectory — small-cap CNS developer that scaled through late-stage clinical development into a CNS specialty commercial franchise, then large-pharma exit.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Yamo Pharmaceuticals social profiles
Digital presenceYamo Pharmaceuticals financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Yamo Pharmaceuticals leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Yamo Pharmaceuticals funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Yamo Pharmaceuticals M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Yamo Pharmaceuticals
What does Yamo Pharmaceuticals do?
Yamo Pharmaceuticals develops L1-79, an investigational oral twice-daily selective tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor designed to address core social-interaction deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder. The company is advancing this single-asset candidate through Phase 3 clinical development with FDA Fast Track Designation, targeting adolescents and young adults diagnosed with ASD.
Is Yamo Pharmaceuticals a public or private company?
Yamo Pharmaceuticals is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Yamo Pharmaceuticals founded?
Yamo Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Yamo Pharmaceuticals based?
Yamo Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Yamo Pharmaceuticals make money?
One revenue line is on record: pharmaceutical Product Revenue.
Who are Yamo Pharmaceuticals's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Acadia Pharmaceuticals, Axsome Therapeutics, Sage Therapeutics, Supernus Pharmaceuticals and Neumora Therapeutics. Emerging players are PaxMedica and Curemark. Broad incumbents are Karuna Therapeutics and Intra-Cellular Therapies.
Does Yamo Pharmaceuticals have an API?
No public API is recorded for Yamo Pharmaceuticals.
What industry is Yamo Pharmaceuticals in?
Yamo Pharmaceuticals's product category is Autism Spectrum Disorder Therapeutics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLACANAM, DTx/SaMD Evidence, Outcomes & Real-World Data (RWE) Platforms, with a secondary code of HLACANAD, Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) – Clinical Decision & Diagnostic Software. Its NAICS code is 541714 and its SIC code is 2834.