Plano-based Secretome Therapeutics, a biotech company advancing therapies derived from neonatal cardiac progenitor cells (nCPC), has announced the closing of $30 million in Series A financing from RA Capital Management, a multi-stage investment manager focused on public and private healthcare, life sciences, and planetary health companies. Boston-based RA Capital was the sole investor in the round.

Vinny Jindal, co-founder, president, and CEO of Secretome, said in a statement that RA Capital’s investment “represents an inflection point for Secretome, and a validation of our science, team, and clinical development strategy.”

The Series A financing will support company operations and the continued development of Secretome’s pipeline or innovative treatments, including STM-01, an nCPC-derived therapy in development for Duchenne muscular dystrophy-associated cardiomyopathy and other rare forms of cardiomyopathy secondary to neuromuscular disease.

Secretome said it plans to use the proceeds to advance STM-01 toward critical Phase 2 and Phase 3 development in treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which has had few therapeutic options.

In December 2024, Secretome closed a $20.4 million financing round that enabled it to initiate clinical trials for STM-01 and further advance its innovative pipeline.

Board transitions

In connection with the financing, David Lubner has joined Secretome’s board of directors. Lubner is a seasoned biotechnology leader with more than 25 years of experience as a senior executive and board member in the life sciences industry. He previously served as CFO of Ra Pharmaceuticals until its acquisition by UCB in 2020. Prior to Ra Pharmaceuticals, Lubner was chief financial officer of Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, PharMetrics, and ProScript.

Lubner currently serves on the boards of Crescent Bio and Dyne Therapeutics, as well as several private companies. He previously served on the boards of Arcellx, Inc. until its acquisition by Gilead in April 2026, and Nightstar Therapeutics until its acquisition by Biogen, and POINT Biopharma through its acquisition by Eli Lilly. He also served on the boards of Cargo Therapeutics and Vor Biopharma until August 2025.

Additionally, Matthew Hammond, Ph.D., MBA, a partner at RA Capital Management, will serve in the role of board observer.

“Secretome is emerging as a leading immunology and inflammation (I&I) company in the area of cardiac disease, and a leader in the development of progenitor cell-based therapeutics,” Matthew Hammond, PhD, MBA, partner at RA Capital, said in a statement, “We believe in STM-01 will be a disease-modifying and best-in-class cellular therapy for patients with DMD, and the first of a broader pipeline of nCPC-based therapies from Secretome.”

Secretome also announced that Dr. Charles Edwards has resigned from the board. The company thanked Edwards for his contributions, guidance, and service “during an important period of Secretome’s growth.”

Jindal said Secretome is “grateful for the deep financial, operational, and strategic expertise that David Lubner brings to our board as Secretome enters its next major stage of growth.”

“On behalf of the company,” Jindal added, “I also want to thank Dr. Charles Edwards for his long-standing support of our mission and team, and the many contributions he has made to Secretome.”

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