Stem-Cell Specialist iPierian Differentiates Its Programs, Spins Out True North Therapeutics
This article was originally published in The Pink Sheet Daily
Executive Summary
Insider investors committed $30 million to support two separate companies, each aiming to file an IND within 18 months. South San Francisco-based iPierian will concentrate on a candidate with potential in Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies, while the newly spun-out True North will focus on a compound targeting the complement system.
You may also be interested in...
iZumi & Pierian Join Forces to Advance EMerging iPS Cell Platform
Every so often an undeniably important technology emerges resulting in the consolidation of IP and the alignment of thought leaders around a few main players. The new battleground is stem cells. And though the two heavy hitters in the promising induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell space, Ipierian and Fate Therapeutics, are perhaps less aggressive in publicly asserting their dominance, they've positioned themselves as leading competitors in the still-nascent but rapidly advancing area of cellular reprogramming.
Craig Venter Wants To Extend Your Life (And Own Your Data)
The onetime Celera CEO says his new attempt to centralize biological information into a massive database could lead to breakthroughs that extend the human life span. Behind that bold goal is a more mundane data-licensing strategy that, although not splashy, could still improve medicine.
Deals of the Week Takes Stock In M&A
Do high biotech share prices portend stock-heavy deal-making in lieu of all-cash transactions? Also, Biogen shares the risk with Eisai in an Alzheimer’s deal, while newly public Genocea and cell therapy specialist NeoStem both teamed with Harvard researchers.