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Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Apellis Pharmaceuticals, founded by Cedric Francois in 2009, develops complement inhibitor drugs for geographic atrophy and PNH.
Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Apellis Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2009 by Cedric Francois and Jed Fisher, based on research into complement inhibition. The company emerged from academic work at the University of Pennsylvania and operates from Waltham, Massachusetts. Its wealth origin stems from venture capital and public market investors, not a single family fortune. The firm focuses on complement-mediated diseases, targeting disorders such as geographic atrophy (a form of age-related macular degeneration) and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria. Its lead drug, pegcetacoplan (marketed as Empaveli and Syfovre), gained FDA approval for treating PNH in 2021 and geographic atrophy in 2023. Apellis runs Phase III trials in additional indications, including cold agglutinin disease and C3 glomerulopathy, and has partnerships with Sobi (Swedish Orphan Biovitrum) for ex-US commercialization. Geographically, its operations span North America and Europe through Sobi's network. As of 2025, Apellis reported around 600 employees according to public filings. The firm maintains a standalone corporate structure, not affiliated with a family office or holding company. No additional offices beyond the Waltham headquarters are disclosed. In 2024, Apellis announced data from a Phase III study in C3 glomerulopathy that met its primary endpoint (per the firm, 2024), a dated operational event that shapes its pipeline. Apellis is structurally distinct as a pure-play biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on complement science, rather than a diversified healthcare fund or family office. Its mandate is single-therapy platform development, with all capital deployed into R&D and clinical trials for complement inhibitors. The firm's governance follows a public-company board structure, with Francois as CEO and a board overseeing strategic decisions.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2009
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Waltham
Corporate office
Waltham, MA, United States
Principals
Jed Fisher
Chief Scientific Officer (co-founder)
Cedric Francois
CEO and co-founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Apellis?
Cedric Francois serves as CEO and retains strategic oversight of capital allocation, but Apellis is not an investment firm — it operates as a biopharmaceutical company. Any investment activity relates to internal R&D spend, not external portfolio management.
How does Apellis source proprietary deal flow?
Apellis sources its drug pipeline through internal research and development focused on complement biology, rather than through external deal sourcing typical of asset managers. It also enters partnerships, such as with Sobi for ex-US rights to pegcetacoplan (per public records).
Is Apellis structured as a family office or an asset manager?
Apellis is a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company (NASDAQ: APLS), not a family office or asset manager. It does not manage third-party capital or operate as an investment vehicle.
What investment stages does Apellis target?
Apellis does not target investment stages. As a drug developer, it advances its own therapeutic candidates through preclinical and clinical stages to commercialization. It does not invest in external companies.
Which sectors does Apellis explicitly avoid?
Apellis focuses exclusively on complement-mediated disease therapeutics. It avoids all other therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology beyond complement, and infectious disease, per its public pipeline (per the firm's R&D materials).
Does Apellis participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
Apellis does not participate in fund commitments or direct deals in the investment sense. It is a biotech firm, not a capital allocator, and its financial strategy is limited to internal R&D spending and corporate partnerships.
How is Apellis related to its spinout or partnerships?
Apellis has a partnership with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum (Sobi) for ex-US commercialization of pegcetacoplan. This is a licensing partnership, not a spinout. Apellis retains all US rights and manufacturing (per public filings).
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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