# Helicore Biopharma

> Helicore Biopharma is a South San Francisco clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company building first-in-class GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) antagonists for obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Its lead candidate, HCR-188, is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds circulating GIP ligand rather than the GIP receptor, a mechanism designed to improve the quality of weight loss - favoring fat loss over lean mass when paired with GLP-1 - and to restore leptin sensitivity. Incubated by Versant Ventures, the company emerged from stealth in January 2025 with a $65 million Series A and is advancing a pipeline of long-acting antibody-peptide conjugates aimed at quarterly dosing.

- **Founded:** 2025
- **Headquarters:** South San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Versant Ventures (Founding investor / company incubator (via Ridgeline discovery engine)), Gerrit Klaerner (Founding President & CEO (at stealth emergence))
- **Team size:** Approximately 8 employees
- **Products:** HCR-188, HCR-488, HCR-688, HCR-588
- **Notable:** Emerged from stealth in January 2025 with a $65M Series A co-led by Versant Ventures and OrbiMed., Advanced HCR-188 into a first-in-human Phase 1 trial (NCT06845943), dosing its first participant by March 2025., Completed a Phase 1 single-ascending-dose study across five cohorts (50-800 mg) with a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo and no serious adverse events or discontinuations.

## Products & services

- **HCR-188** — Lead first-in-class humanized monoclonal antibody that binds circulating GIP ligand (produced by K cells in the small intestine) rather than the GIP receptor. Completed a Phase 1 single-ascending-dose study (50-800 mg, 5 cohorts, ~40 subjects) with a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo and no serious adverse events.
- **HCR-488** — Antibody-peptide conjugate combining GIP ligand binding with a biased GLP-1 agonist, designed for long-acting dosing.
- **HCR-688** — Conjugate combining GIP ligand binding with a selective amylin agonist peptide.
- **HCR-588** — Triple-mechanism candidate combining GIP depletion, GLP-1 receptor agonism, and amylin receptor agonism in a single molecule.

## Achievements

- Emerged from stealth in January 2025 with a $65M Series A co-led by Versant Ventures and OrbiMed.
- Advanced HCR-188 into a first-in-human Phase 1 trial (NCT06845943), dosing its first participant by March 2025.
- Completed a Phase 1 single-ascending-dose study across five cohorts (50-800 mg) with a safety profile indistinguishable from placebo and no serious adverse events or discontinuations.
- Built a differentiated pipeline of long-acting antibody-peptide conjugates (HCR-488, HCR-688, HCR-588) targeting quarterly dosing.

## Latest updates

- **2025-01** — Helicore Biopharma emerged from stealth with $65M Series A financing to advance first-in-class GIP antagonists for obesity.
- **2025-03** — Announced first participant dosed in the Phase 1 trial of HCR-188 (NCT06845943), a single/multiple ascending dose study in overweight and obese volunteers.
- **2025-12** — Top-line Phase 1 safety data expected in the second half of 2025; SAD study reported a placebo-like safety profile.

## Links

- Website: https://helicore.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/helicore-biopharma

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/helicore-biopharma
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Last updated: 2026-06-15