Rage Bio secures AU$29 million in Series A funding. Appoints Siro Perez as Chief Executive Officer & Edwin Tucker as Chief Medical and Development Officer.

Melbourne, Australia – RAGE Biotech Pty Ltd (‘Rage Bio’), a company developing precision splice-switching oligonucleotide (SSO) therapeutics to fight chronic inflammatory disease, has raised $A29 million in its Series A funding round.

Rage Bio has also announced two key executive appointments, naming Dr Siro Perez as Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Edwin Tucker as Chief Medical and Development Officer.

The funding round was led by IP Group Australia and Hostplus, with continued participation from existing investors including Monash Ventures. The capital will support the advancement of Rage Bio’s lead program into first-in-human clinical trials.

Rage Bio was founded as a spinout between IP Group Australia and leading Australian universities and medical research institutes, leveraging pioneering expertise in splice-switching oligonucleotide therapeutics and RAGE biology. Originating from Monash University's Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the company’s lead program, RB042, is an inhaled SSO therapy that offers a precision medicine strategy for the treatment of COPD and other inflammatory lung disease that affects millions of patients globally.

CEO Dr. Siro Perez, who played an instrumental role in setting up the company at IP Group, says RB042 has shown promise in pre-clinical tests.

Dr. Perez commented, “I have deep conviction in the promise of RB042 to overcome chronic disease where the unmet need is immense and current therapies are limited to symptom management.

“RB042 offers the potential for a disease-modifying therapy in COPD, a market with millions of patients worldwide and few effective options. We are committed to advancing this program and our broader pipeline to deliver life-saving impacts for patients.”

With a 20-year background, Dr. Perez most recently led the Life Sciences team at IP Group Australia. He has co-founded multiple biotech startups and worked at global pharmaceutical, venture capital and hedge funds, developing and investing in innovative therapeutics and diagnostics.

Dr Perez holds a PhD in Molecular Biology, a Masters in Finance from London Business School, and has held scientific and leadership roles across Europe and Australia, including at Novartis Pharma AG, The Boston Consulting Group, Hadean Ventures, and SAC Capital.

He succeeds founding CEO Dr. Chris Wraight who remains with the company as Chief Scientific Officer.

Chief Medical and Development Officer Dr. Edwin Tucker is a distinguished physician and clinical development leader with over 30 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. Dr. Tucker was most recently CMO at Nasdaq-listed Jasper Therapeutics, where he led clinical trials in inflammation, including asthma, and advanced novel antibody therapies into the clinic.

Dr. Tucker is a member of the Royal College of Physicians (UK) and holds degrees in Pharmacology and Medicine from the University of Leeds as well as an MBA from the University of Connecticut.

“I am excited to join Rage Bio at this pivotal moment,” said Dr. Tucker. “The company’s innovative approach holds great promise for patients, and I look forward to working with the team to realise its clinical potential.”

Rage Bio has welcomed Dr. Mike Molinari, Managing Director at IP Group Australia, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Molinari commented, “Rage Bio is a testament to the power of partnership between leading universities and investors in innovation like IP Group Australia and Hostplus. The company’s progress reflects the strength of its science and the dedication of its team. I am delighted to join the Board and support the next phase of growth as RB042 enters the clinic and the broader pipeline advances.”

Reflecting on his role as founding CEO, now Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Chris Wraight said, “Launching Rage Bio and advancing our lead program RB042 has been a remarkable journey. Our platform is built on deep scientific expertise and a commitment to innovation. As we move into the clinic, I am excited to focus on our scientific strategy and pipeline expansion, ensuring we deliver on the promise of precision SSO therapeutics for multiple indications.”

Scientific founders and company leadership expressed strong support for the company’s progress and future direction. Professor Merlin Thomas, Scientific Founder, stated, “Activation of RAGE is a critical driver of human disease. RAGE recognizes damage and stokes inflammation to further increase tissue injury. We have developed a novel way to block RAGE by harnessing a natural RAGE inhibitor made by the lungs. This discovery will enable transformative therapies across a range of potential indications.”

Professor Robyn Ward AM, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Enterprise) and Senior Vice-President at Monash University, said, “Rage Bio’s achievement demonstrates how collaboration, partnership and a commitment to innovation are central to the quest to turn breakthrough science into outcomes that improve lives.”

Dr Ingmar Wahlqvist, Senior Director, New Ventures and Investments at Monash University, said, “This milestone reflects the strength of Monash’s innovation ecosystem and our commitment to supporting exceptional researchers and founders. By backing exceptional founders and science with targeted investment, we’re building ventures that advance medicine and deliver tangible impact for patients worldwide.”

About Rage BioRAGE Biotech Pty Ltd (‘Rage Bio’) is an Australian pharmaceutical start-up developing novel SSO therapeutics targeting the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE), a genetically validated driver of inflammation in chronic lung diseases and other conditions. Founded as a company creation effort between IP Group Australia and Monash University, The University of Western Australia, Murdoch University, and the Baker and Perron Institutes, Rage Bio leverages proprietary technology and a world-class team to address unmet medical needs in inflammatory disorders.http://www.ragebio.com

RB042 is Rage Bio’s lead asset, targeting COPD, with additional indications in alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD), neutrophilic asthma, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) under evaluation. The company’s pipeline includes programs for other non-respiratory indications across kidney, liver, and CNS disease, reflecting the broad therapeutic potential of RAGE modulation and the versatility of its SSO platform.

Media Contact: media@ragebio.com