Biotech Prominences of 2024: Did They Glow Bright or Dim in 2025?
In December 2023, nine biotech companies were highlighted as "ones to watch" for 2024. Fast forward to 2025, and these companies have shown a mix of progress and varying degrees of advancement.
Notable Clinical Progress
One of the standout performers is Cellarity. The biotech company announced the start of a phase 1 trial for CLY-124, an oral globin-switching therapy for sickle cell disease, in June 2025. Additionally, Cellarity expanded its partnerships in metabolic disease.
Kriya Therapeutics has also made significant strides, transitioning key programs into the clinic, including KRIYA-825 for geographic atrophy, and sharing new data at major conferences in 2025.
OrsoBio's lead candidate, TLC-6740, advanced through phase 1 trials, showing positive safety and metabolic signals in humans. The company also closed a $67 million series B round in September 2024.
Strategic Collaborations and Platform Refinement
Quotient Therapeutics secured a strategic collaboration under Flagship Pioneering and Pfizer's joint initiative, applying its somatic genomics platform to cardiovascular and renal diseases.
ElevateBio continues to enhance its gene-editing capabilities, with large financing rounds and collaborations (e.g., with Amazon Web Services). The company is advancing preclinical work on a Huntington’s candidate within its partnership model.
Potential Regulatory Milestones Ahead
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals (LXRX) showed positive clinical data on sotagliflozin (for heart failure and type 1 diabetes), positioning it for possible FDA submission.
Context Therapeutics (CNTX), focused on oncology, announced promising preclinical data and is progressing Phase 1/2 trials. The company has potential upcoming catalysts in 2025.
These updates indicate that many of the 2024 “ones to watch” have delivered tangible scientific or strategic progress. They remain on trajectories towards advancing therapies or platform capabilities, with several entering or expanding clinical trials and partnerships.
While specific company performance or financial outcomes beyond scientific progress may not be extensively covered in the available sources, it is clear that these biotech companies continue to build pipelines, move forward in clinical development, and secure funding or collaborations to support future growth. This suggests a generally positive performance 18 months after being spotlighted as “ones to watch” in 2024.
- Cellarity, one of the 2024 biotech companies to watch, has made outstanding progress, starting a phase 1 trial for CLY-124 in June 2025 and expanding partnerships in metabolic disease.
- Kriya Therapeutics had significant strides in 2025, transitioning key programs into the clinic, such as KRIYA-825 for geographic atrophy, and sharing new data at major conferences.
- OrsoBio showcased advancement in both scientific and financial aspects, as its lead candidate, TLC-6740, progressed through phase 1 trials, and the company closed a $67 million series B round in September 2024.
- Quotient Therapeutics secured a strategic collaboration for cardiovascular and renal diseases, applying its somatic genomics platform under a joint initiative by Flagship Pioneering and Pfizer.
- ElevateBio, another biotech company among the 2024 ones to watch, continues to advance in gene-editing capabilities, with large financing rounds and collaborations, including one with Amazon Web Services, to support preclinical work on a Huntington’s candidate.
