Immune Boost Capital backs Orthrus Therapeutics to advance antigen-specific immune tolerance for rheumatoid arthritis

Immune Boost Capital, the venture arm of the Arthritis National Research Foundation, announced an investment in Orthrus Therapeutics, a biotech focused on precision therapies for autoimmune disease, especially rheumatoid arthritis.

Orthrus, spun out of Boston Children’s Hospital, is developing an antigen-specific immune tolerance platform that uses VHH-conjugates to selectively suppress disease-driving T cells while expanding regulatory T cells, aiming to restore immune balance without broad immunosuppression.

The platform also targets pathogenic B cells to reduce disease-causing antibodies while preserving the overall antibody repertoire, which the company says could provide durable disease control with lower infection risk and fewer side effects compared with existing therapies.

As part of the deal, IBC’s founding principal Dr. Sai Nandi will join Orthrus’s board as an observer and serve on its Scientific Advisory Board, and the new funding will support further development and expansion of the technology platform.