# Nura Bio

> Nura Bio is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company in South San Francisco developing brain-penetrant, small-molecule neuroprotective medicines. Its work centers on SARM1, an injury-activated NAD hydrolase that triggers axon degeneration, an early and common event across many neurological diseases. The lead candidate, NB-4746, is an oral, brain-penetrant SARM1 inhibitor that completed Phase 1 in healthy volunteers and shows protection in preclinical models of ALS, MS, traumatic brain injury and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. The company has raised more than $140 million in Series A financing led by The Column Group.

- **Founded:** 2018
- **Headquarters:** South San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Marc Freeman (Scientific Co-Founder), Steven McKnight (Scientific Co-Founder), Shilpa Sambashivan (Co-Founder, CEO (former Chief Scientific Officer)), The Column Group (Founding Investor / Company Conceiver)
- **Team size:** ~31 employees
- **Products:** NB-4746, SARM1 inhibitor platform, Neuroimmune regulation program, Discovery engine
- **Notable:** Raised more than $140 million in total Series A financing., Advanced NB-4746, a first-in-class oral brain-penetrant SARM1 inhibitor, through a completed Phase 1 trial., Demonstrated neuroprotection in preclinical models of ALS, MS, TBI and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

## Products & services

- **NB-4746** — Lead candidate: a first-in-class, oral, brain-penetrant small-molecule SARM1 inhibitor. Completed Phase 1 in healthy volunteers with good tolerability and no serious adverse events; protected axons in preclinical models of ALS, MS, traumatic brain injury and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. Phase 1b/2 in patients planned.
- **SARM1 inhibitor platform** — Structure-based drug discovery program targeting SARM1, the injury-activated NAD hydrolase that acts as a central switch for Wallerian (axonal) degeneration.
- **Neuroimmune regulation program** — Preclinical research aimed at restoring neuron-glia communication and immune surveillance to protect neurons after injury, complementing the axon-intrinsic approach.
- **Discovery engine** — Integrated platform combining structural biology, primary neuronal cell models, imaging, genetic screening, disease models and axonal-loss biomarker platforms.

## Achievements

- Raised more than $140 million in total Series A financing.
- Advanced NB-4746, a first-in-class oral brain-penetrant SARM1 inhibitor, through a completed Phase 1 trial.
- Demonstrated neuroprotection in preclinical models of ALS, MS, TBI and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.
- Published mechanistic SARM1 inhibition research in Neuron and Cell Reports.
- Transitioned from stealth to a clinical-stage company and promoted founding scientist Shilpa Sambashivan to CEO in 2024.

## Latest updates

- **2024-09** — Closed Series A expansion with $68M in new funds (total $140M+); appointed Shilpa Sambashivan, Ph.D., as CEO and Director; Sanofi Ventures joined as new investor.
- **2023-08** — Initiated Phase 1 clinical trial of oral, brain-penetrant SARM1 inhibitor NB-4746; later completed with good tolerability.
- **2022-09** — Reported preclinical data validating a conserved mechanism of inhibition of NAD hydrolases in Neuron.

## Links

- Website: https://nurabio.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nurabio
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nurabio_

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nura-bio
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-06-13