Basking Biosciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing the first reversible thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. Its lead candidate, BB-031, is a first-in-class RNA aptamer that inhibits von Willebrand Factor to break up clots quickly, paired with a companion reversal agent, BB-025, that can switch the drug's activity off in minutes if bleeding occurs. Spun out of research begun at Duke University and founded in 2019, the company is based in the Research Triangle of North Carolina and is advancing BB-031 through a Phase 2 RAISE trial.
Julia C. Owens is a biopharmaceutical executive who in October 2025 became CEO of Basking Biosciences, a clinical-stage company building the first reversible thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke. With a UCSF Ph.D. and more than 25 years in the industry, she co-founded and ran Millendo Therapeutics for nearly a decade through its NASDAQ debut, later led Ananke Therapeutics, advises GV (Google Ventures) on women's health, chairs Sena Therapeutics, and co-founded the Biotech CEO Sisterhood to put more women in the corner office.