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Alumis
Alumis was founded in 2021 by F-Prime Capital and Baker Brothers Advisors, the biotech-focused investment funds that structured the company around an...
Alumis
Alumis was founded in 2021 by F-Prime Capital and Baker Brothers Advisors, the biotech-focused investment funds that structured the company around an in-licensed oral TYK2 inhibitor from Chengdu-based Haihe Biopharma. The founding thesis was clear: develop a next-generation molecule capable of matching injectable biologic efficacy with a simple pill. Martin Babler, previously CEO of Principia Biopharma through its $3.3 billion sale to Sanofi, was brought in early to lead the venture. The firm's core asset, ESK-001, is an allosteric TYK2 inhibitor targeting the pseudokinase domain — the same biological mechanism that validated Bristol Myers Squibb's Sotyktu, but with a design goal of superior selectivity and potency. Alumis is running Phase 3 trials in moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, with Phase 2 trials active for systemic lupus erythematosus and non-infectious uveitis. The pipeline also includes A-005, a brain-penetrant TYK2 inhibitor for neuroinflammatory conditions, including multiple sclerosis. The company positions itself at the intersection of immunology and neurology, with TYK2 as its central mechanistic bet. The geographic footprint spans US clinical operations and a China-based licensing partnership with Haihe. The company went public on Nasdaq in June 2024 under ticker ALMS, raising $250 million at a $1.1 billion valuation in an offering led by existing backers. F-Prime, Baker Brothers, and Matrix Capital Management anchored the IPO. In November 2024, Alumis presented positive Phase 2 data for ESK-001 in plaque psoriasis, showing a dose-dependent PASI 75 response that beat placebo at all doses — a readout that reinforced the pipeline's clinical trajectory. The team operates from South San Francisco, with headcount concentrated in clinical development, regulatory affairs, and translational science. Alumis is structurally distinct from most single-asset biotech companies: it is built around a platform thesis — TYK2 inhibition — rather than a single disease. The multi-indication approach, spanning dermatology, rheumatology, neurology, and ophthalmology, spreads development risk across several large markets. The F-Prime and Baker Brothers sponsorship provides continuity of capital, while the Haihe partnership gives the firm an exclusive development and commercialization path on a molecule that originated outside traditional US pharma labs.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2021
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
South San Francisco
Corporate office
South San Francisco, CA, United States
Principals
Martin Babler
Chief Executive Officer
David Goldstein
Chief Scientific Officer
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
What is Alumis's core therapeutic thesis?
Alumis is built around TYK2 inhibition as a platform mechanism, not a single-disease play. Its lead asset, ESK-001, is an oral allosteric TYK2 inhibitor that targets the same pseudokinase domain as Bristol Myers Squibb's approved Sotyktu but is designed for greater selectivity. The company is running late-stage trials in psoriasis while also pursuing indications in lupus, uveitis, and, via its brain-penetrant molecule A-005, neuroinflammatory diseases including multiple sclerosis.
Who runs investment and strategic decisions at Alumis?
Martin Babler serves as CEO, having previously led Principia Biopharma through its acquisition by Sanofi. Strategic direction is heavily influenced by the company's founding backers, F-Prime Capital and Baker Brothers Advisors, both of which maintain board representation and anchored the 2024 IPO. The investor syndicate, which includes Matrix Capital Management, operates with a long-duration biotech mandate rather than a crossover-hedge-fund timeline.
How is Alumis financed, and is it publicly traded?
Alumis raised $250 million in an upsized Nasdaq IPO in June 2024 (per the firm's S-1 filing and pricing statements, 2024), trading under ticker ALMS. Pre-IPO funding came from F-Prime Capital, Baker Brothers, and a syndicate of biotech crossover investors. The company has not disclosed additional follow-on financing as of early 2025.
Where did Alumis's lead drug come from?
ESK-001 was in-licensed from Haihe Biopharma, a Chengdu-based oncology and immunology company. Alumis holds exclusive global development and commercialization rights outside certain Asian territories. The molecule originated in Haihe's discovery program and was advanced through preclinical proof-of-concept before Alumis's founding team structured the license.
What differentiates ESK-001 from existing TYK2 inhibitors?
ESK-001 is designed as a next-generation allosteric TYK2 inhibitor with an emphasis on high selectivity for the pseudokinase domain — the same binding site that validated the class — but with pharmacokinetics intended to support once-daily oral dosing and a potentially wider therapeutic window. Publicly available Phase 2 data presented in November 2024 showed dose-dependent efficacy in plaque psoriasis without the known JAK-class safety signals that have constrained earlier-generation molecules.
Does Alumis have clinical programs beyond psoriasis?
Yes. Beyond the Phase 3 psoriasis program, Alumis is running Phase 2 trials in systemic lupus erythematosus and non-infectious uveitis. Its second asset, A-005, is a brain-penetrant TYK2 inhibitor in clinical development for multiple sclerosis. The company has stated intent to expand into additional neuroinflammatory and autoimmune indications as clinical data matures.
What is Alumis's relationship with F-Prime Capital and Baker Brothers?
F-Prime Capital and Baker Brothers Advisors co-founded Alumis in 2021 and structured the initial asset license from Haihe Biopharma. Both firms maintain board seats and were anchor investors in the 2024 IPO. The relationship functions as a traditional biotech incubator model: the funds identified the therapeutic thesis, recruited the management team led by Martin Babler, and provided venture capital through clinical proof-of-concept and into the public markets.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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