- Oral PDE4 inhibitors have demonstrated efficacy in Phase 2 studies of ulcerative colitis
- cAMPfield’s lead candidate is prifemilast, a potentially best-in-class PDE4 inhibitor for the treatment of IBD, in-licensed from Newsoara Biopharma Co., Ltd. (Newsoara)
- Founded by Mountainfield Venture Partners in partnership with executives who played key roles in the development and/or commercialization of Humira®, Entyvio®, Otezla® and Zeposia®
- Series A led by Frazier Life Sciences and included Deep Track Capital, Forbion, Abingworth, Venrock, Longitude Capital, Novo Holdings and RA Capital
- cAMPfield initiating global Phase 2 trials in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
SAN DIEGO, June 18, 2026 — cAMPfield Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company formed to develop well-tolerated and highly effective oral medicines for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, has launched with a $180 million Series A financing to advance prifemilast (HY1999/HPP737), a once-daily oral PDE4 inhibitor, for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The Series A financing was supported by top tier investors led by Frazier Life Sciences, and included Deep Track Capital, Forbion, Abingworth, Venrock, Longitude Capital, Novo Holdings, and RA Capital.
Recent proof-of-concept data support the therapeutic potential of PDE4 inhibition in ulcerative colitis and underscore this mechanism’s potential to address persistent unmet needs in IBD. To advance a next-generation PDE4 inhibitor with the potential to deliver improved efficacy and tolerability, Mountainfield Venture Partners founded cAMPfield Therapeutics based on an exclusive license to global rights outside of Greater China from Newsoara to prifemilast (originally developed and licensed to Newsoara by vTv Therapeutics Inc.).
Prifemilast is an investigational, once-daily PDE4B-selective inhibitor that has an extensive development history in the United States and China, with more than 700 clinical trial participants dosed to date, including more than 250 participants with 52 weeks of exposure. Prifemilast has shown more selective inhibition of PDE4B, the subtype most strongly associated with beneficial anti-inflammatory activity, vs PDE4D, a subtype believed to contribute to dose-limiting adverse effects. Prifemilast has been well-tolerated, with treatment discontinuation rates comparable to those observed for participants on placebo. It has also demonstrated robust efficacy in a Phase 3 trial for plaque psoriasis, an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with overlapping inflammatory pathways, cytokine networks, and genetic risk factors with IBD. Taken together, the extensive clinical experience with prifemilast supports its potential to deliver the combination of efficacy, tolerability, and convenience needed to establish a new standard of care in IBD. Building on these encouraging clinical data, cAMPfield is initiating a global Phase 2b trial with prifemilast in moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis and a global Phase 2 trial in Crohn's disease.
“Despite the availability of more than a dozen approved therapies for IBD, most patients fail to achieve deep and durable remission, while others discontinue or switch treatments because of limitations in safety or long-term effectiveness,” said Bill Gerhart, CEO of cAMPfield Therapeutics. “Supported by the clinical validation of PDE4 inhibition, the best-in-class potential of prifemilast, and our team’s deep experience in IBD drug development, we aim to establish prifemilast as the treatment of choice for patients and physicians seeking robust disease control with a convenient once-daily, well-tolerated oral therapy.”
cAMPfield was founded by Mountainfield Venture Partners, a biopharmaceutical company creation firm, in partnership with industry leaders who have played key roles in the development and commercialization of important therapies for IBD and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The company’s founders include Asit Parikh, formerly Head of Gastroenterology at Takeda Pharmaceuticals and development leader of Entyvio; Keith Usiskin, formerly VP and Head of Gastroenterology at Celgene / Bristol Myers Squibb and development leader of Otezla and Zeposia for IBD; and Mark Stenhouse, formerly COO of Prometheus Biosciences (developer of tulisokibart) and VP of U.S. Sales and Marketing at AbbVie with responsibility for Humira commercialization.
The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Bill Gerhart, a Senior Advisor at Mountainfield Venture Partners. Prior to cAMPfield, Gerhart served as Chief Executive Officer of Kinevant, Respivant, Patara Pharma, Elevation Pharmaceuticals, and Mpex Pharmaceuticals, where he helped build and lead companies developing innovative therapies for inflammatory, respiratory, rare, and infectious diseases. Throughout his career, he has advanced multiple clinical-stage programs and led successful strategic transactions resulting in approved and commercialized therapies for patients with serious diseases.
About Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease that affects more than 2.4 million people in the United States and remains an area of substantial unmet need. Although numerous therapies are available, remission remains elusive for many, and treatment discontinuation, loss of response, and safety concerns continue to drive frequent therapy switching. While injectable biologics have grown in use, many patients and clinicians prefer the convenience and familiarity of oral therapies. However, currently approved oral therapies for IBD are limited by poor tolerability, safety concerns and/or modest efficacy.
About Phosphodiesterase 4 Inhibitors
Inhibiting phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) increases intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), which in turn reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines, increases anti-inflammatory cytokines, and modulates fibrotic pathways. PDE4 inhibitors are a validated class of medicines for treating immune-mediated inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, with regulatory approvals thus far in plaque psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Behcet’s disease, COPD and pulmonary fibrosis. PDE4 inhibitors have also demonstrated clinically meaningful efficacy in Phase 2 studies of ulcerative colitis, but none have yet been advanced to Phase 3 studies or regulatory approvals. While effective, the clinical use of earlier generation PDE4 inhibitors has been limited by poor tolerability that results from the inhibition of multiple isoforms, or subtypes, of PDE4.
About cAMPfield Therapeutics
cAMPfield Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing well-tolerated and highly effective oral medicines for immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease. cAMPfield was founded by Mountainfield Venture Partners in partnership with executives who played key roles in the development and/or commercialization of Entyvio, Humira, Otezla and Zeposia. cAMPfield holds exclusive global development and commercialization rights to prifemilast outside Greater China through a license agreement with Newsoara. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, visit www.campfieldtx.com.
About Newsoara Biopharma Co., Ltd.
Newsoara Biopharma Co., Ltd. (Newsoara) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company founded in 2018 with headquarters in Shanghai, China. Newsoara focuses on discovering and developing innovative, targeted therapies to treat autoimmune diseases, cancer, and metabolic disorders.
About vTv Therapeutics Inc.
vTv Therapeutics Inc. (vTv) is a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing oral, small molecule drug candidates intended to help treat people living with diabetes and other chronic diseases. vTv’s clinical pipeline is led by cadisegliatin, currently in a US Phase 3 trial, a potential first-in-class oral glucokinase activator being investigated for the treatment of type 1 diabetes.
About Mountainfield Venture Partners
Mountainfield Venture Partners is a biopharmaceutical company creation firm that builds new companies around development-stage drug candidates with the potential to transform patient care. Mountainfield forms its companies around in-licensed drug candidates, world-class leadership teams, and syndicated capital raises from top-tier life science institutional investors. For more information, visit www.mountainfieldvp.com.
