First-Time FounderActively RaisingAbout
MelliCell is developing an oral pill for autism, obesity, and neurodegeneration by targeting a shared genetic switch at the root of all three diseases. Three birds, one stone. Using an exclusive discovery engine, MelliCell discovered that this switch reverses obesity without muscle and bone loss similar to a keto diet. It also rescues intellectual disability and controls genes like amyloid precursor that causes Alzheimer's. MelliCell designed a novel, oral once-daily pill for this target and has already shown that it works safely in animals. MelliCell has also won federal awards, paid agreements with big pharma, and was named Boston's 2025 Startup of the Year by Startup Grind. The company is on the cusp of >20x growth in 2027 with a single clinical trial for initial safety and efficacy of all three indications.
Traction & Metrics
Fundraising
$7.2M
Previous Round
Products
MCL5008
An oral pill for obesity and complications that selectively reduces fat cell size while preserving lean muscle mass. MCL5008 is mechanistically distinct from GLP-1 agonists, combining weight loss and muscle preservation into a single treatment. The drug acts as a fuel switch that increases lipid utilization and energy expenditure. Demonstrated 32% fat loss with no loss of lean mass in preclinical studies, and synergizes with GLP-1 agonists for 50% fat loss with only 4% lean mass loss. Also improves lipid, endocrine, and metabolic profiles including liver steatosis, blood triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, leptin, insulin, and glucose.
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M3 Adipose Engineering Technology
An exclusive discovery engine platform that faithfully mimics native adipocyte biology, allowing unprecedented control of adipocyte maturation, function, and scale. The M3 technology enables drug discovery by transforming fat cells from obesity state to healthy state, identifying novel targets through network analysis for developing fat-targeted therapeutics.
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MCL5006
Brain enriched, oral small molecule that safely rescues intellectual disability in animal models of Fragile X syndrome and reduces biomarkers that cause Alzheimer's.
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