Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals' roots go back to Andrew Myers' laboratory at Harvard, where the chemist--who chairs the department of chemistry and chemical biology--developed a synthetic process for creating tetracycline antibiotics. By altering the chemical composition of the molecules, Myers was able to change their therapeutic potential--creating an engine for novel drug discovery work.
The implications attracted the attention of Mediphase Venture Partners, which decided to create a platform company with the intellectual property it licensed from Harvard. The venture capital group teamed up with Fidelity Biosciences, Flagship Ventures, Skyline Ventures and CMEA Ventures on a $25 million Series A in 2006. And just days ago the Watertown, MA-based company gained $15 million in the second tranche of that round. Article