# Ophirex, Inc.

> Ophirex, Inc. is a Corte Madera, California public benefit biotech company building the first genuinely new approach to snakebite in more than a century. Its lead candidate, varespladib, is a small-molecule inhibitor of sPLA2 - an enzyme found in roughly 95% of snake venoms - formulated for easy oral or injectable use so treatment can begin in minutes, in the field, rather than hours later at a distant hospital. Founded by expedition physician Matthew Lewin, the company targets a neglected killer that claims roughly 100,000 lives a year, aiming at both human and veterinary markets across the developing world and defense applications.

- **Founded:** 2015
- **Headquarters:** Corte Madera, California, United States
- **Founders:** Matthew R. Lewin (Founder, President & Chief Scientific Officer)
- **Team size:** ~28 employees
- **Products:** Varespladib (human use), Varespladib (veterinary use)
- **Notable:** Advanced varespladib, a shelved Eli Lilly/Shionogi molecule, into a novel use as a broad-spectrum snakebite treatment, Completed a $37 million Series B financing in January 2023 led by AXA IM Prime Impact Fund, Received FDA Fast Track designation for varespladib for snakebite

## Products & services

- **Varespladib (human use)** — An oral and injectable small-molecule inhibitor of secretory phospholipase A2 (sPLA2), a toxic enzyme present in roughly 95% of snake venoms. Designed as a broad-spectrum, temperature-stable, easy-to-administer treatment that can be given soon after a bite. Has an established safety profile from earlier development by Eli Lilly and Shionogi. FDA Fast Track designation.
- **Varespladib (veterinary use)** — A development track applying the same sPLA2-inhibitor approach to treat snakebite in animals, notably dogs bitten in the field.

## Achievements

- Advanced varespladib, a shelved Eli Lilly/Shionogi molecule, into a novel use as a broad-spectrum snakebite treatment
- Completed a $37 million Series B financing in January 2023 led by AXA IM Prime Impact Fund
- Received FDA Fast Track designation for varespladib for snakebite
- Published first-in-human Phase 2 (BRAVO) snakebite data in BMJ Global Health in October 2024
- Secured a $13.8M US Army development contract and a $2.6M Wellcome Trust grant
- Structured as a public benefit corporation to prioritize global access alongside returns

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — Published Phase 2 BRAVO trial data in BMJ Global Health - the first use of varespladib to treat venomous snakebite victims. The trial missed its primary endpoints but showed positive signals in patients treated within five hours of the bite.
- **2023-01** — Completed $37 million Series B financing led by AXA IM Prime Impact Fund; expanded board to include Moderna co-founder Derrick Rossi and Curt LaBelle of Global Health Funds.
- **2022** — Awarded a $13.8 million US Army contract to develop varespladib for special forces field use.

## Links

- Website: https://ophirex.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ophirex

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/ophirex-inc
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-11