Plano-based biotech company Secretome Therapeutics has closed a $30 million Series A financing round led by Boston-based RA Capital Management, providing the capital needed to advance its lead therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy into later-stage clinical trials.

The single-investor round represents a significant vote of confidence in Secretome’s science and clinical development strategy. The company’s lead candidate, STM-01, is derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor cells and is being developed to treat heart muscle damage associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other rare forms of cardiomyopathy secondary to neuromuscular disease.

Vinny Jindal, Secretome’s co-founder, president, and CEO, described the financing as an inflection point and a validation of the company’s approach. Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a progressive genetic disorder that primarily affects boys, has had few therapeutic options, and the cardiac complications of the disease are a leading cause of mortality in patients.

Secretome relocated its headquarters from Baltimore, Maryland to North Texas, where it now operates from 7250 Dallas Parkway in Plano and maintains a laboratory presence at BioLabs in Pegasus Park in Dallas. The company employs 20 people and said it plans to use the Series A proceeds to advance STM-01 toward Phase 2 and Phase 3 clinical development.

The financing follows a $20.4 million round closed in December 2024, which enabled Secretome to initiate clinical trials for STM-01. In connection with the Series A, David Lubner — a seasoned biotech executive with more than 25 years of industry experience and former CFO of Ra Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by UCB in 2020 — has joined Secretome’s board of directors.

The deal underscores North Texas’ growing biotechnology sector. The region has attracted an increasing number of life sciences companies in recent years, drawn by lower operating costs compared to coastal hubs, a central U.S. location, and expanding research infrastructure at institutions including UT Southwestern and the Pegasus Park innovation campus.

Source: Dallas Innovates | Business of Dallas