Funding to advance first-in-class pan-ROCK inhibitor through Phase 2a testing in PAH and ILD-PH patients

Topline data from ROC-101 Phase 1 study demonstrate favorable safety and tolerability, and no associated hypotension

Leadership team comprises executives from CinCor Pharma, acquired by AstraZeneca in 2023 for up to $1.8 billion

NATICK, Mass., Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — AllRock Bio Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on advancing therapies for cardiopulmonary and fibrotic diseases, today announced a $50 million Series A round co-led by Versant Ventures and Westlake BioPartners. Proceeds will advance AllRock’s lead molecule, ROC-101, which the company exclusively licensed from Sanofi, into Phase 2 clinical development.

ROC-101 is a first-in-class, oral pan-rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease (ILD-PH). Both are life-threatening conditions with five-year survival rates of 57% and 38%, respectively, and very limited disease-modifying treatments exist for these patients. ROC-101 has the potential to address a significant unmet need by targeting inflammatory, proliferative, and fibrotic disease-associated remodeling mediated by both ROCK2 and ROCK1.

“Today’s launch highlights the value of our pan-ROCK inhibitor approach, which addresses the fundamental drivers, not just the symptoms, of cardiopulmonary diseases, beginning with PAH and ILD-PH,” said Catherine Pearce, DHSc, MBA, AllRock CEO and co-founder. “In identifying this asset, we listened to KOLs and clinicians who emphasized the importance of developing a therapy that blocks the non-redundant roles of both ROCK1 and ROCK2.”

ROC-101’s mechanism of action is complementary to existing approved and investigational therapies in the pulmonary hypertension space. AllRock’s Phase 2a ROCSTAR clinical trial will evaluate ROC-101 in combination with standard of care in PAH and ILD-PH patients and is expected to start in late 2025.

“We are pleased to work with this team again in the formation of AllRock following our past successful collaboration on CinCor and bringing baxdrostat to the clinic,” said David Allison, PhD, Managing Director at Westlake BioPartners. “We are confident that this team is poised to advance a truly meaningful therapeutic option to patients living with debilitating disease.”

“The strong safety profile that ROC-101 has demonstrated in Phase 1 validates the transformative potential of pan-ROCK inhibition,” said Alicia Levey, PhD, Venture Partner at Versant Ventures and AllRock board member. “We look forward to AllRock’s near-term readouts for ROC-101 as well as progress from its expanding pipeline.”

The company’s leadership comprises industry veterans from biotech and pharma with a track record of success in building and leading parent and portfolio companies:

Catherine Pearce, DHSc, MBA, CEO and Co-Founder, brings 25+ years of experience across pharma and biotech company formation, most notably for creating and leading the clinical-stage function of CinCor Pharma from its formation to its acquisition by AstraZeneca for up to $1.8 billion. She also co-founded CinRx Pharma and JucaBio.

Justin Thompson, CBO and Co-Founder, has 20+ years of experience in business development and strategic investments within life sciences. He led business development efforts at CinCor Pharma and co-founded JucaBio.

Bill Marshall, MD, CMO, is a clinician-scientist with 35+ years of academic, clinical, and drug development experience, highlighted by his role as VP, Medical, at CinCor. He began his pharma career in Translational Pharmacology at Merck and served in leadership roles at Allovir and Alexion and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at the UMass Chan Medical School.

Kate Steiner, B Med Sci, MBBS, VP Medical, is a clinician-scientist with 25+ years of academic, clinical, and drug development experience, most recently as Medical Director at Keros Therapeutics, leading the Phase 2 trial of an activin receptor type II B ligand trap to treat pulmonary artery hypertension. She is also a part-time Pulmonary Critical Care Attending at Tufts Medical Center.

The company’s latest Phase 1 data will be presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress, held September 27-October 1 in Amsterdam, in a poster entitled, “Results from a phase 1, randomized, double-blind, single and multiple ascending oral dose study characterizing the PK, safety, and target engagement of the Rho kinase 1 and 2 inhibitor ROC-101 in healthy volunteers.”

AllRock was founded by JucaBio, a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company built on the hub-and-spoke model that acquires high-quality, differentiated assets and builds agile NewCos that execute focused drug development.

About PAH
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, impacting both the lungs and the right side of the heart. In PAH, the small pulmonary vessels undergo progressive narrowing, leading to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure. This heightened pressure impedes blood flow through the lungs, necessitating increased effort from the right ventricle to maintain adequate circulation, ultimately placing significant strain on the heart. Despite 16 approved drugs—including four vasodilator classes—there continues to exist an unmet need for disease-modifying treatments in the current landscape.

About ILD-PH
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD-PH) is a distinct form of PH where the blood pressure in the lungs increases in the setting of ILD. ILD encompasses a broad group of diseases, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, that impair the structure of the lungs, making it progressively harder to breathe. ILD-PH is associated with increased mortality and morbidity with worsening symptoms over time, and very limited treatment options are available.

About AllRock Bio
AllRock Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on advancing therapies for cardiopulmonary and fibrotic diseases. The company’s lead candidate, ROC-101, is a first-in-class, oral pan-ROCK inhibitor being developed to address the urgent unmet need in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and other life-threatening fibrotic diseases. With a seasoned leadership team and a commitment to addressing unmet need, AllRock is dedicated to bringing a new class of disease-modifying therapies to patients. For more information, please visit www.allrockbio.com. Follow us on Linkedin.

About Versant Ventures 
Versant Ventures is a leading healthcare venture capital firm committed to helping exceptional entrepreneurs build the next generation of great companies. The firm’s emphasis is on biotechnology companies that are discovering and developing novel therapeutics. With $5.3 billion under management and offices in the U.S., Canada and Europe, Versant has built a team with deep investment, operating and R&D expertise that enables a hands-on approach to company building. Since the firm’s founding in 1999, more than 95 Versant companies have achieved successful acquisitions or IPOs. For more information, please visit www.versantventures.com.

About Westlake BioPartners
Westlake BioPartners is a Los Angeles area-based venture capital firm focused on incubating and building early-stage life sciences companies with entrepreneurs who have the potential to bring transformative therapies to patients. With $1.3 billion under management, the Westlake model is built on the founding team’s unique experience in successfully identifying and developing breakthrough therapies and building organizations, based on their extensive R&D, investing and company-building experience. For more information, please visit www.westlakebio.com.

Media contact:
media@allrockbio.com 

SOURCE AllRock Bio

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