What if antibody precision is not enough?

Lytica is a Cambridge-based biotech company developing novel peptide conjugates for next-generation ADCs.

The secret to unlocking more effective ADCs is in the payload

Traditional antibody-drug conjugates combine two technologies into one: targeted antibodies and cytotoxic payloads.

At Lytica, we’re challenging that definition by building unique conjugates that imbue antibodies with new therapeutic properties.

Modular Platform

Our stapled peptide platform enables rapid exploration of ADC combinations

Accelerate drug development

Peptide-based conjugates are fast to develop because they are modular, making them easy to put together, break apart, and scramble.

Increase ADC technology compatibility

The modularity of peptides and the stabilizing properties of peptide stapling makes Lytica’s payloads highly compatible with existing antibody and linker technologies.

Unlock previously undruggable targets

Our conjugates allow us to drug new targets, opening up a new landscape of potential target combinations.

Our team

We’re leveraging our expertise in stapled peptides to push ADC technology forward

Leadership

Rida Mourtada, PhD

Chief Executive Officer & Cofounder

Rida is a biotech entrepreneur with over a decade of research experience in the preclinical development of peptide therapeutics. He has co-invented several platform technologies including Lytica's Stapled Peptide Antibody Conjugate Engineering (SPACE) platform. Rida received his doctorate from the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology at MIT and completed his Hon. BSc. and MSc. degrees at the University of Toronto.

James LaTorre, CFA

Chairman & Cofounder

Prior to co-founding Lytica, Jim was on the Board of Trustees at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and co-founded the firm Northern Cross, which over the course of nearly three decades, grew to manage over $60 billion of investor assets in international equities. Jim was founding CEO of Lytica during its first five years until April 2024. He graduated first in his class from Boston College where he earned a Master of Science in Finance.

Loren Walensky, MD, PhD

Scientific Cofounder

Loren is Principal Investigator and Attending Physician in the Department of Pediatric Oncology at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Professor Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program.

Team

John Bajacan
Scientist, Chemistry
Isabelle Hanna
Senior Research Associate, Biology
Daniel Cohen, PhD
Associate Principal Scientist, Protein Chemistry
Killian O'Brien, PhD
Senior Scientist, Biology
Lip Nam Loh, PhD
Associate Principal Scientist, Biology
Jessica Beltrán
Director of Operations
Cesar Fulcar
Operations Coordinator
Jules Hutchison
Co-op Research Associate
Lily Wong
Co-op Research Associate

Board of Directors

James LaTorre, CFA

Chairman

Rida Mourtada, PhD

CEO

Daniel Macaya, PhD

Director

Daniel is a seasoned biotech entrepreneur with a decade of experience. As the Senior Director of Corporate Development at RA Ventures, he cofounded Conveyor Therapeutics, a seed-stage ADC company pioneering immunology treatments. Prior, he co-founded Seeker Biologics, a company dedicated to autoimmune multi-specific biologics, leading it to a successful Series A funding round. Daniel earned a PhD in Medical Engineering from the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, alongside a BS in Materials Science from Cornell University.

Jean-François Ducrest

Director

Jean-François is an early investor and Board Member of Lytica. He co-founded Northern Cross which grew to manage over $60 billion of investor assets. His early career was on the sell side both as an analyst and as a broker spanning multiple sectors and covering European and domestic institutions. He is also the Chair of the Audit Committee of JC DECAUX, the world leader in Outdoor Advertising and the Chair of the US Sciences Po Foundation.

Scientific Advisory Board

Robert Orlowski, MD, PhD

Florence Maude Thomas Cancer Research Professor and Director of the Myeloma Section, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Kenneth Anderson, MD, PhD

Kraft Family Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Director of the Jerome Lipper Multiple Myeloma Center and Lebow Institute for Myeloma Therapeutics, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute‍

Robert Lutz, PhD

CSO, Iksuda Therapeutics Former VP of Translational R&D, Immunogen

Marco Gottardis, PhD

Former VP of Oncology Innovation, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Steve Projan, PhD, FAAM

Former Head of the Infectious Diseases & Vaccines Innovative Medicines unit (iMED) at MedImmune Former VP and Global Head of Infectious Diseases at the Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research

Joel Freundlich, PhD

Professor, Pharmacology, Physiology & Neuroscience New Jersey Medical School Rutgers University

James Balkovec, PhD

Principal at ChemTract Consulting Co-inventor of Caspofungin, the first glucan synthase inhibitor (GSi) for the treatment of serious fungal infections

Edward Ha, PhD (Emeritus)

Head of ADC Innovation, Iksuda Therapeutics

Careers

Help us develop
ADCs of the future

Join our team
Partners

We partner with pharma leaders to amplify ADC therapeutic value using smart payloads

Partner with us
News

Discover more

Lytica Therapeutics Appoints Dr. Rida Mourtada as President and CEO
April 8, 2024

Lytica Therapeutics is pleased to announce the appointment of Rida Mourtada, Ph.D., as its new President and CEO. Dr. Mourtada, a founding member of Lytica, has been instrumental in the company's development to date. He takes over from James LaTorre, who will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

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James LaTorre expressed his confidence and enthusiasm for this new chapter, "I am thrilled to see Rida take on the role of CEO. He has been integral from day one in building the company with me. I am delighted to continue working with Rida in my ongoing role as Chairman, and look forward to seeing Lytica continue to grow and achieve new heights."

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Under the leadership of Dr. Mourtada, Lytica Therapeutics has evolved into a pioneering ADC (Antibody-Drug Conjugate) company, through the development of a groundbreaking platform. Over the past five years, the company has made significant strides in innovation and growth, driven by a commitment to deliver life-changing cancer treatments to patients in need. Reflecting on the journey and looking ahead, Dr. Mourtada shared, "I’m proud to take on the leadership mantle at Lytica, continuing our growth and bringing new treatments to patients."

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Read more
Lytica Therapeutics is accepted into the Blue Knight program, a joint initiative by Johnson & Johnson Innovation and BARDA
May 2, 2022
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Rida Mourtada, Lytica's Chief Scientific Officer, discusses the importance of push mechanisms in revitalizing the antibiotic pipeline at the Milken Global Conference
October 19, 2021
Read more
Contact

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Lytica Therapeutics Inc.

840 Memorial Drive
Cambridge, MA 02139

Tel: 617-475-7374

Email: info@lyticatx.com

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