Nested Therapeutics is a Cambridge, Massachusetts clinical-stage biotech building small-molecule precision oncology drugs that go after cancer driver mutations long written off as undruggable. Founded in 2021 and launched publicly in 2022 with $125M, the company pairs structural biology, computational biophysics and chemistry to find hidden, druggable pockets in cancer's most stubborn targets. Its lead program, NST-628, is a brain-penetrant pan-RAF/MEK molecular glue for RAS/MAPK-driven solid tumors, now in Phase 1 with early clinical activity reported at AACR 2026.
Robert Ross is a medical oncologist turned biotech executive and the founding CEO of Clasp Therapeutics, a Baltimore-based clinical-stage immuno-oncology company building bispecific T cell engagers that target mutated cancer driver peptides presented by HLA with what the company calls absolute specificity. Launched in March 2024 with a $150 million Series A from Third Rock Ventures, Novo Holdings and Catalio Capital, Clasp is commercializing science from Johns Hopkins legends Bert Vogelstein and Drew Pardoll. Ross previously ran Surface Oncology through its acquisition by Coherus, led oncology at bluebird bio, and trained as a physician at Columbia, Harvard, Stanford and UCSF.