Rapport Therapeutics Business Summary

Rapport Therapeutics, Inc. (RAPP) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that generates value through the discovery and development of precision small-molecule medicines for central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The company currently operates as a pre-revenue entity, with its business model centered on advancing its proprietary RAP technology platform, which targets receptor-associated proteins (RAPs) to achieve neuroanatomical specificity and improve the therapeutic index of CNS treatments. Its primary business segments are categorized by clinical application: Epilepsy (led by the Phase 3-ready RAP-219 for focal onset seizures and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures), Psychiatry (targeting bipolar mania), and Pain/Hearing disorders (focusing on non-opioid treatments for chronic pain and vestibular conditions). Rapport competes directly with CNS-focused firms such as Xenon Pharmaceuticals, SK Life Science, Biohaven, and Praxis Precision Medicines, positioning itself as a specialized leader in precision neuroscience that seeks to replace broad-spectrum neurology drugs with site-specific molecular interventions. The company’s leadership team is composed of industry veterans with significant pedigrees in neuroscience and successful biotech exits. Chief Executive Officer Abraham N. Ceesay previously served as President of Cerevel Therapeutics, while Founder and Chief Scientific Officer David Bredt, M.D., Ph.D., was the former Global Head of Neuroscience Discovery at Janssen. The executive suite also includes Chief Financial Officer Troy Ignelzi, Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Gault, and Chief Medical Officer Jeffrey Sevigny, M.D., who joined from Eli Lilly’s Prevail Therapeutics. Rapport was co-founded by Chairman Steve Paul, M.D., a prolific entrepreneur behind Karuna Therapeutics and Sage Therapeutics. The company is backed by a blue-chip investor syndicate including Third Rock Ventures, ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, and Johnson & Johnson Innovation (JJDC), and its board features notable figures such as former Alnylam CEO John Maraganore, Ph.D., and Sofinnova Managing Partner James Healy, M.D., Ph.D.