Versant & MPM Back Synthetic Lethality Newco With $68M

Synthetic lethality, a term borrowed by cancer researchers from classical genetics to describe when a cancer mutation and a drug combine to trigger a tumor cell’s death, underpins the creation of biotech newco Repare Therapeutics Inc. Raising $68 million in a series A round, co-led by venture capitalists Versant Ventures and MPM Capital, Repare intends to advance its platform and pipeline of novel medicines that target genetically defined weaknesses of cancers. Other investors in the syndicate included FTQ, Celgene Corp.’s Celgene Switzerland LLC affiliate and BDC Ventures.

“The fields of synthetic lethality and DNA repair have a rich, 20‐year history and are poised to deliver impactful new...