Siren Biotechnology

Siren Biotechnology is transforming the way we treat cancer.

By merging the precision of gene therapy with the power of immunotherapy, this company is creating an adeno-associated virus (AAV) immune-gene therapy. This off-the-shelf treatment is designed to make the next generation of cancer therapy accessible, scalable, and effective across multiple cancers.

Siren is led by scientists and biotech-industry veterans, with experience at Stanford, Duke, Mount Sinai, Roche, and leading gene-therapy companies.

The company has raised twenty-eight million dollars including capital from venture-capital firms Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Innovation Endeavors.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, claiming more than ten million lives a year.

Gliomas, the most common malignant brain tumors, impact more than 20,000 people each year in the U.S. alone. And high-grade glioma, the most aggressive and prevalent form of glioma, has a median survival rate of just twelve to eighteen months.

Traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation are limited in their effectiveness. And they often harm healthy tissues and fail to improve patient-survival rates.

The last FDA-approved treatment for adults with high-grade glioma was more than twenty years ago. For patients facing the most dire cancers, innovation has largely stagnated, leaving them with few effective options.

That’s why Siren has created a new option. As mentioned, it’s developed a gene-therapy tool called an adeno-associated virus (AAV).

AAV is a safe virus that’s been used for decades to deliver gene therapies to patients. Already, it’s been used to treat genetic blindness, muscular disorders, and a pediatric form of Parkinson’s disease. It excels at delivering precise instructions to specific areas of the body, making it an ideal tool for targeting cancer safely and effectively.

Siren is using AAV to deliver precision-engineered cytokines, natural proteins that help the body recognize and eliminate cancer cells.

While most cancer treatments rely on chemotherapy, radiation, or surgery — methods that often damage healthy cells and come with serious side effects — Siren’s approach is different.

It’s more precise, longer-lasting, and safe. The company is starting by targeting brain cancers, which include some of the most aggressive and devastating cancers due to their low survival rates and streamlined regulatory path.

Siren’s solution has demonstrated powerful efficacy in treating human high-grade glioma in rats. In pre-clinical studies with more than 550 animals tested, its therapy demonstrated curative potential, completely eliminating tumors and significantly improving survival rates — a major step toward human trials.

Siren’s solution is designed to work across multiple cancer types. And it’s protected by an extensive intellectual-property portfolio.

The company is on track to begin human clinical trials in 2026.

Team Background

Nicole Paulk - Founder & CEO

Dr. Paulk is an award-winning biotech executive who’s served on the scientific advisory board for renowned companies Sarpeta, Astellas, and Dyno Tx.

In addition to her role with Siren, she is an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco teaching Neurologic Oncology. She’s also on the board at GRO Biosciences and Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Previously, she was an instructor in the Pediatrics Department at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, where she also completed her postdoctoral research fellowship. Before that, she was a research assistant and graduate student at Oregon Health & Science University.

Dr. Paulk began her career as a research assistant at Central Washington University’s Department of Chemistry, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Medical Microbiology. She earned a Ph.D. in AAV Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine from Oregon Health & Science University.

Nathalie Clement - Senior Vice President

Nathalie has been in the gene-therapy field for more than twenty-five years and is a drug-manufacturing expert.

Prior to joining Siren, she was Director of Process and Development with Resilience, a pharmaceutical-manufacturing company focused on gene therapy and vaccines. Before that, she spent thirteen years as Associate Director of the Powell Gene Therapy Center at the University of Florida.

She began her career as a post-doctoral fellow and later Director of Vector Core — i.e., gene therapy — at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

Nathalie holds a Bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from Universite Libre de Bruxelles.

Edward Schnipper - Lead of Clinical Development

Dr. Schnipper is an expert in clinical-trial design for cancer therapies.

Previously, he was President and CEO of Cellgate, a biotech company, and before that was Chief Medical Officer of Novacea, another biotech firm.

He has played a critical role in securing FDA approval for multiple drugs.

Co-Investors

Founders Fund

Founded by Peter Thiel and Ken Howery, investor in Palantir, SpaceX, airbnb, Spotify, ZocDoc, Facebook, Stripe, Oculus, Lyft and Oscar