APLS vs XERS

Apellis Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the development of therapeutic compounds through the inhibition of the complement system for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Its lead product candidate is pegcetacoplan that is in Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration and paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) diseases; cold agglutinin disease; C3 glomerulopathy; and other glomerular diseases, such as IgA nephropathy, primary membranous nephropathy, and lupus nephritis. The company also develops APL-9, which is in single ascending dose Phase I randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled clinical trials for the prevention of immune system activation coincident with adeno-associated virus for intravenous administration, as well as is in Phase I/II clinical trial for acute respiratory distress syndrome. It has a collaboration and license agreement with Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) to co-develop pegcetacoplan; and a research collaboration with Beam Therapeutics Inc. focused on the use of Beam's base editing technology to discover new treatments for complement-driven diseases. The company was incorporated in 2009 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Xeris Biopharma Holdings Inc.

Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, develops and commercializes ready-to-use injectable and infusible drug formulations. Its proprietary XeriSol and XeriJect formulation technology platforms allow for the subcutaneous and intramuscular delivery of highly-concentrated, ready-to-use formulations of peptides, small molecules, and proteins using commercially available syringes, auto-injectors, multi-dose pens, and infusion pumps. The company's lead product candidate is Gvoke HypoPen for the treatment of severe hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition in people with diabetes. Its product candidates also comprise ready-to-use glucagon that has completed Phase II clinical trials for the treatment of post-bariatric hypoglycemia, exercise-induced hypoglycemia in diabetes, bi-hormonal artificial pancreas closed-loop systems, congenital hyperinsulinism, and hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure; and hypoglycemia associated with intermittent and chronic conditions. In addition, it develops ready-to-use diazepam formulation, which is in Phase Ib clinical trial for the treatment of Dravet syndrome and acute repetitive seizures in patients with epilepsy; and Pramlintide-Insulin co-formulation that is Phase II clinical trials for treating type 1 and 2 diabetes. Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. serves patients, caregivers, and health practitioners. The company was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.