# Fortitude Biomedicines

> Fortitude Biomedicines is a Waltham, Massachusetts biotech that launched in early 2026 with $13M in seed financing to develop next-generation antibody-based therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Its proprietary GLUE-DAC platform bolts molecular glue degraders onto antibody-drug conjugates, aiming to use catalytic targeted protein degradation to widen the therapeutic window of ADCs and overcome the resistance that has dogged the field. Its lead program, FORT-202, is a first-in-class T-cell targeting bispecific antibody for axial spondyloarthritis expected to reach the clinic in the first half of 2027.

- **Founded:** 2025
- **Headquarters:** Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
- **Founders:** Jesse Chen (Co-Founder, President & CEO), Jin Wang (Co-Founder & Scientific Founder (Baylor College of Medicine))
- **Team size:** ~12 employees
- **Products:** GLUE-DAC platform, FORT-202
- **Notable:** Launched publicly in January 2026 with a $13M seed financing., Built the proprietary GLUE-DAC platform fusing molecular glue degraders with antibody-drug conjugates., Announced lead program FORT-202 for axial spondyloarthritis in April 2026 with reported promising preclinical activity.

## Products & services

- **GLUE-DAC platform** — Proprietary antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform that uses molecular glue degraders as therapeutic payloads. By harnessing the catalytic nature of molecular glues to degrade target proteins, it aims to expand the therapeutic window of ADCs, overcome resistance mechanisms, and reach previously undruggable targets.
- **FORT-202** — The company's lead program: a first-in-class T-cell targeting bispecific antibody aimed at disease-driven T-cell signaling pathways for the treatment of axial spondyloarthritis (AxSpA). In IND-enabling studies with a planned clinic entry in the first half of 2027.

## Achievements

- Launched publicly in January 2026 with a $13M seed financing.
- Built the proprietary GLUE-DAC platform fusing molecular glue degraders with antibody-drug conjugates.
- Announced lead program FORT-202 for axial spondyloarthritis in April 2026 with reported promising preclinical activity.
- Assembled a leadership team of biotech veterans within its first year.

## Latest updates

- **2026-01** — Fortitude Biomedicines launched with $13M seed financing to advance antibody-based therapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer.
- **2026-04** — Announced lead program FORT-202, a T-cell targeting bispecific antibody for axial spondyloarthritis; appointed Dr. Rahul Patel as SVP, Clinical Development.

## Links

- Website: https://fortitudebio.com
- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/fortitudebio

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/fortitude-biomedicines
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-08-05