Arsenal Biosciences
Programmable cell therapy company developing next-generation T cell therapies using integrated discovery, development, and manufacturing platforms for cancer treatment.
Notes
Arsenal Biosciences is a programmable cell therapy company focused on developing next-generation engineered T cell therapies for solid tumor cancers. The company's proprietary CRISPR-based platform enables systematic programming of T cells with enhanced tumor-targeting, persistence, and safety features.
Arsenal's approach combines synthetic biology, CRISPR gene editing, and machine learning to create programmable T cells that can navigate the hostile tumor microenvironment and achieve durable responses in solid tumors, which have been historically challenging for cell therapy approaches.
The company raised $325 million in Series D funding in July 2025, led by Third Rock Ventures. Arsenal is advancing multiple programs targeting solid tumors with high unmet medical needs.
Team
- Ken Horne - Chief Executive Officer
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kenhorne
- Alexis Borisy - Co-founder & Executive Chairman
- Third Rock Ventures Partner
- Jonathan Weissman, Ph.D. - Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
- MIT/Whitehead Institute Professor
- Wendell Lim, Ph.D. - Co-founder & Scientific Advisor
- UCSF Professor
Additional Research Findings
- Raised $325 million in Series D (July 2025)
- Led by Third Rock Ventures
- CRISPR-based programmable cell therapy platform
- Focus on solid tumor cancers
- South San Francisco headquarters
- Founded by leading scientists in synthetic biology
- Machine learning integration for T cell programming
- Founded 2019
Sources
Investors
| Name | Location | Type | Stages | Portfolio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Third Rock Ventures | Boston, Massachusetts, USA | biotech-focused | seedseries-a+2 | 4 |