At a Glance
- Company: Slate Medicines
- Location: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Deal value: $130M Series A
- Focus area: SLTE-1009 anti-PACAP mAb vs CGRP for migraine prevention
- Next steps: Phase 1 mid-2026; expand headache pipeline
What happened?
Slate Medicines emerged from stealth on 24 February 2026 with a $130 million Series A to develop optimised migraine preventives, licensing lead asset SLTE-1009 from China’s DartsBio Pharmaceutical. The round, co-led by RA Capital, Forbion and Foresite Capital, funds phase 1 trials of the subcutaneous anti-PACAP monoclonal antibody starting mid-2026.
Why does it matter?
Over 1 billion suffer migraines globally; CGRP antagonists transformed prevention but leave millions unresponsive. PACAP offers an orthogonal, clinically validated pathway independent of CGRP, with SLTE-1009’s half-life extension enabling convenient home dosing vs IV rivals like bocunebart.
Who’s behind it?
Slate Medicines, founded via RA Capital’s incubator, is led by CEO Gregory Oakes (ex-Landos/AbbVie acquisition) with CMO Dr Roger Cady (migraine expert). Backers include RA Capital, Forbion, Foresite Capital plus undisclosed biotech investor.
How was it achieved?
SLTE-1009 (DS009) blocks pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide to prevent headache initiation, engineered for subcutaneous self-administration. Preclinical differentiation supports phase 1 in migraine prevention and other headache disorders.
What’s next?
Phase 1 safety/dosing mid-2026; undisclosed pipeline advances. Funds build clinical/regulatory path targeting CGRP-inadequate responders.
What are people saying?
CEO Oakes: “SLTE-1009 offers… convenient at-home subcutaneous dosing.” CMO Cady: “PACAP blockade… novel, orthogonal approach to preventing migraines.”