xCystence Bio has closed a syndicated pre-seed round backed by the Monash Ventures Pre-Seed Fund, Breakthrough Victoria, Uniseed and BioCurate.
The company, launched in 2023 with grant funding from Brandon BioCatalyst's CUREator incubator, is developing targeted protein degraders that remove AURKA, a protein that contributes to cyst formation in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). The funding supports optimisation of the lead programmes and progress towards the clinic.
xCystence Bio builds on research from the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.