Vivace bags $35 million to advance clinical trial

California-based Vivace Therapeutics has announced the closing of a $35 million Series D financing.

Vivace is a small molecule discovery and development company developing first-in-class cancer therapies targeting the Hippo pathway. The proceeds will support the continued clinical development of the company's first-in-class and best-in-class transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD) autopalmitoylation inhibitor, VT3989, with an initial focus on mesothelioma.

The round was led by RA Capital Management, an existing investor, and included investment from other existing investors Canaan Partners and Cenova Capital. In conjunction with the financing, Jake Simson, a partner at RA Capital Management, has joined the company's board of directors.