Quince Therapeutics Rebranded as IRuyla Therapeutics
The San Francisco-based firm has overhauled its leadership and strategy following a major corporate merger.
Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Healthcare
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Following a recent merger with Orphai Therapeutics, the company known as Quince Therapeutics has rebranded as IRuyla Therapeutics. The shift comes after the company overhauled its executive leadership team.
Why it matters
This pivot follows the failure of a previous lead drug candidate in clinical trials, marking a new direction for the San Francisco firm. The company is now repositioning its research focus toward pulmonary conditions.
The company reported a balance sheet of $116 million as of June 30, 2026, following a $115 million private securities sale. It is unknown how these funds will be allocated across the newly announced clinical trial pipeline.
The players
Brigette Roberts
The newly appointed CEO leading the restructured San Francisco biotech firm.
Dirk Thye
The former CEO and medical chief who resigned during the company's leadership overhaul.
Brendan Hannah
The former COO and business chief who resigned during the leadership transition.
IRuyla Therapeutics
A San Francisco-based biopharmaceutical company formerly known as Quince Therapeutics.
Orphai Therapeutics
The biotechnology firm that merged with Quince Therapeutics in May 2026.
The details
IRuyla Therapeutics, which now trades under the ticker IRLA, emerged from an all-stock merger with Orphai Therapeutics completed in May 2026. Brigette Roberts has been appointed as the new CEO, succeeding Dirk Thye, while Brendan Hannah has also resigned from his executive roles. The company intends to launch a phase 2 study in sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension by the end of 2026, with further data readouts expected in early 2027 and 2028.
Timeline
January 2026: The company's former lead candidate for ataxia-telangiectasia failed phase 3 trials.
May 2026: The merger with Orphai Therapeutics was completed.
June 30, 2026: The company reported a balance sheet of $116 million.
October 9, 2026: The company officially relaunched as IRuyla Therapeutics.
Across the Bay
The firm is recalibrating its drug development pipeline to target pulmonary hypertension, following a path established by the sector's long-standing research into immune and inflammatory conditions like the 1999 FDA approval of Rapamycin for organ transplant rejection. This pivot marks a departure from the company's previous clinical focus, which failed during phase 3 trials earlier this year.
Investors and those following the local biotech economy should look for the company's phase 2 study launch by the end of 2026. This transition shifts the firm's focus toward treatments for pulmonary hypertension, a condition affecting an estimated 200,000 patients.
The takeaway
The firm is moving away from its previous clinical failures toward a new pipeline focusing on rare pulmonary conditions. Observers should monitor the company's phase 2 study launch in sarcoidosis-associated pulmonary hypertension scheduled for the end of 2026.
Further reading
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