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Draft:Formation Bio

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Formation Bio
TypePrivate
IndustryDrug development
Founded2016 (2016)
FounderBenjamine Liu; Linhao Zhang
HeadquartersNew York, NY
Websiteformation.bio

Summary

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Formation Bio is a biotechnology company that acquires and develops clinical-stage drug candidates, using artificial intelligence in its research and operations.[1][2] The company, headquartered in New York City, was founded in 2016 as TrialSpark.[3]

History

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Benjamine Liu and Linhao Zhang founded the company in 2016.[1][2] Liu had studied machine learning applications for identifying neurodegenerative-disease drug candidates as a computational biologist at the University of Oxford, and has said the company grew out of the difficulty he encountered advancing a candidate through clinical development.[4] Operating initially as TrialSpark, the company built software to run clinical trials before rebranding as Formation Bio and focusing on acquiring and in-licensing clinical-stage drug candidates itself.[3]

In 2019, Liu and Zhang partnered with former Novartis chief executive Joseph Jimenez to found Aditum Bio, a venture firm that acquired and developed drug candidates through separate companies, with Formation Bio as a minority investor.[4]

The company was named to CNBC's Disruptor 50 list and Fierce Biotech's Fierce 15 in 2025, and received Endpoints News's Endpoints 11 award in 2024.[1][5][6]

Business model

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Formation Bio in-licenses drug candidates from pharmaceutical companies and biotechnology firms and develops them using an AI model.[4][6][7] After a drug achieves published results in Phase 2 or 3 trials, the company outlicenses or partners the asset for further development and commercialization with pharmaceutical partners.[1][4] The company’s pipeline includes two clinical-stage programs, BLKR201 for inflammation and sprifermin for knee osteoarthritis, along with a preclinical autoimmune-disease candidate, KMR301.[8]

Partnerships

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Formation Bio, OpenAI and Sanofi announced a collaboration in May 2024 to build AI models for drug development.[9] The partnership's product, an AI tool for clinical trial patient recruitment called Muse, launched in November 2024.[1][5]

Funding

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Formation Bio has raised more than $600 million from investors including Sequoia Capital, Michael Moritz, Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.[1][5] It raised a $372 million Series D round in June 2024.[7][10] In June 2025, the company licensed gusacitinib, an oral JAK/SYK inhibitor then in Phase 3 trials, to Sanofi in a deal worth up to €545 million.[11]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Castillo, Michelle (2025-06-10). "37. Formation Bio". CNBC. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  2. 1 2 Anderson, Stuart (August 10, 2022). "Immigrant Ben Liu And TrialSpark Revolutionizing Clinical Trials". Forbes.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 Waldron, James (2024-06-26). "AI-focused Formation bags $372M series D to license more drugs". www.fiercebiotech.com. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Feldman, Amy (April 16, 2026). "This Sam Altman-Backed $1.8 Billion Startup Bets AI Can Get Drugs Through Clinical Trials Faster". Forbes.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 1 2 3 Masson, Gabrielle (2025-09-22). "Fierce Biotech's 2025 Fierce 15". www.fiercebiotech.com. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  6. 1 2 "Endpoints 11 winner Formation Bio: A Silicon Valley-fueled unicorn aiming to be the next Roivant — or more". Endpoints News. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  7. 1 2 Wiggers, Kyle (2024-06-26). "Formation Bio raises $372M to boost drug development with AI". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  8. ↑ Pecci, Alexandra (August 12, 2026). "Formation Bio taps Biogen, Pfizer alum to tackle R&D's 'boring middle'". BioPharma Dive. Retrieved 2026-09-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ↑ "Sanofi partners with OpenAI, Formation Bio on AI-driven drug development". Reuters. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  10. ↑ Kasianov, Roman (2024-06-26). "Formation Bio Secures $372 Million Series D Funding for AI-Driven Drug Development". www.biopharmatrend.com. Retrieved 2026-09-24.
  11. ↑ Waldron, James (2025-06-23). "Sanofi signs $626M deal to explore Formation's JAK/SYK inhibitor". www.fiercebiotech.com. Retrieved 2026-09-24.