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Ovid Therapeutics
Jeremy Levin founded Ovid Therapeutics in 2014, applying his experience from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Teva to a rare-disease neurology platform.
Ovid Therapeutics
Jeremy Levin founded Ovid Therapeutics in 2014, applying his experience from Bristol-Myers Squibb and Teva to a rare-disease neurology platform. The company is structured as a publicly traded biopharmaceutical firm, not a private family office, and raises capital through equity markets rather than a closed LP base. Ovid's strategy centers on developing small-molecule therapies for rare epilepsies and other neurological conditions. Its lead asset, soticlestat, targets cholesterol 24-hydroxylase (CH24H) and has been studied in Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome in collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals (per the firm's public filings). The pipeline also includes OV329, a GABA aminotransferase inhibitor in development for treatment-resistant seizures. Co-investment structures include the collaboration with Takeda, which acquired ex-U.S. rights to soticlestat in 2021 in a deal valued at up to $856 million (per FierceBiotech, 2021). Geographic focus spans U.S.-based clinical trial sites with European and Japanese development via the Takeda partnership. Ovid operates from New York City with a lean executive team led by Levin. In early 2024, the firm disclosed a strategic restructuring that extended its cash runway into 2026, narrowing focus to the OV329 program and research-stage assets while pausing broader discovery work (per the firm, January 2024). Adjacent vehicles include Ovid's subsidiary operations through which it holds and develops intellectual property around GABAergic and CH24H pathways. The company does not disclose a separate philanthropic foundation connected directly to its balance sheet. Ovid's structural differentiator is its public-company design paired with a single-family-office-like concentration discipline. Instead of a diversified venture portfolio, Ovid applies public-equity funding to a narrow, mechanism-focused pipeline, enabling retail and institutional investors to access clinical-stage rare-disease risk more typically held in specialist private vehicles. This blurs the line between asset management and biotech operations in a way few other firms replicate.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
New York
Corporate office
New York, NY, United States
Principals
Jeremy Levin
Chairman and CEO
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Ovid Therapeutics?
Jeremy Levin, the Chairman and CEO, leads capital allocation and strategic direction. He previously served as CEO of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and held senior roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb. Decisions are made through the public-company governance structure with board oversight, not a private investment committee.
How does Ovid Therapeutics source its pipeline assets?
Ovid combines internal discovery with in-licensing and collaboration deals. The lead asset soticlestat originated from internal research on the CH24H mechanism before the Takeda partnership. The firm evaluates academic research, biotech spinouts, and mid-stage assets that align with its GABAergic and rare-epilepsy focus.
Is Ovid Therapeutics structured as a family office or an operating biotech?
Ovid is a publicly traded clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, not a family office. It raises capital through NASDAQ-listed equity rather than private LP commitments and reports quarterly financials. The operating structure means investors hold common stock, not fund interests.
What is the Takeda collaboration worth to Ovid?
In 2021, Takeda acquired ex-U.S. rights to soticlestat in a deal valued at up to $856 million, including $196 million upfront (per FierceBiotech, 2021). The agreement includes milestone payments tied to development and commercialization progress, with Ovid retaining U.S. rights and receiving royalties on ex-U.S. sales.
What investment stages does Ovid Therapeutics target?
Ovid focuses on clinical-stage assets from Phase 1 through Phase 3 trials. The pipeline does not include pre-clinical platform investments or discovery-stage incubations since the 2024 restructuring narrowed priorities to the OV329 clinical program and selected research-stage compounds.
Does Ovid Therapeutics maintain philanthropic structures?
Ovid does not disclose a separate philanthropic foundation tied to its corporate balance sheet. Patient-advocacy engagement occurs through clinical trial partnerships with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome organizations, but no formal philanthropic vehicle is publicly documented.
What is Ovid's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
Ovid is not a co-investment vehicle for outside GPs. The Takeda collaboration represents a licensing partnership, not a pooled investment structure. As a public company, Ovid funds programs through equity raises and milestone payments rather than co-investor capital calls.
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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