BlueRock Therapeutics Collaborates with Bit.bio to Advance Cell Therapy Research (3 August 2023)
Bayer Subsidiary BlueRock Therapeutics Collaborates with Bit.bio to Advance Innovation in Cell TherapyThe focus of this collaboration is on treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases through the use of regulatory T cells (Tregs) generated from induced pluripotent stem cells. The partnership will leverage bit.bio's AI-driven discovery platform to rapidly achieve cell programming, with the potential for large-scale, high-purity production of specific cell types.BlueRock will be responsible for the development and commercialization of the product, and bit.bio will receive global sales milestone payments and royalties for all therapies generated from the collaboration.Company Profile:BlueRock, jointly funded by Bayer and Versant Ventures, is referred to by investors as a "new generation of regenerative medicine company." Its goal is to develop advanced induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) therapies to cure a variety of diseases.Bit.bio is a UK-based synthetic biology company that provides human cells for scientific research, drug discovery, and cell therapies. It has launched nine ioCells research products to the market and is currently building its clinical pipeline.Technical Advantages:BlueRock Therapeutics has obtained the exclusive patent authorization of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) technology from Professor Shinya Yamanaka.This technology is called "a great technology that changes the world." Researchers can reprogram a person's skin cells, blood cells, or other cells to convert them into iPSCs, which can then be differentiated into stem cells, nerve cells, or any other cells needed for regeneration.This personalized disease treatment method can not only avoid the risk of immune rejection but also circumvent ethical controversies associated with the use of embryonic stem cells.Bit.bio's precision cell reprogramming technology opti-ox can continuously produce infinite batches of any human cell at scale through the direct reprogramming of stem cells.Total Amount/Market Value:$ 225M(BlueRock)；$ 145M(bit.bio)
Jeffrey S. Schwaber,
CEO（BlueRock）
Schwaber has 37 years of experience in the securities industry and is widely regarded as one of the most successful distribution leaders in the investment management and alternative investment industries. Before joining Bluerock, Schwaber served as President and Head of Distribution at Griffin Capital Securities, playing a key role in Griffin's rapid rise in the industry and its ability to attract approximately $7 billion in equity capital within just four and a half years.Mr. Schwaber is also acclaimed for his role in founding Behringer Harvard and his success as the head of capital markets and distribution, where he managed approximately $6 billion in equity investments.
Mark Kotter,
Founder & CEO（bit.bio）
Dr. Kotter is a stem cell scientist and neurosurgeon at the University of Cambridge, specializing in spinal surgery. Kotter holds a master's/doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge, with a research focus on regenerative medicine and spinal cord injury.Dr. Kotter's research work forms the scientific basis for two spin-off companies: bit.bio (Founder and CEO), a synthetic biology company focusing on cell reprogramming, providing human cells for research, drug discovery, and cell therapy. And Meatable (Co-founder), a company dedicated to cultured meat.Ginkgo Bioworks Collaborates with Merck to Optimize Biopharmaceutical Production Efficiency (7 August 2023)
Biotech Company Ginkgo Bioworks recently announced a new collaboration with Merck aimed at improving biopharmaceutical production.Ginkgo will leverage its expertise and capabilities in cell engineering, ultra-high throughput multiplex screening, protein characterization, and process optimization to enhance production efficiency and increase yield. According to the terms of the collaboration, Ginkgo is eligible to receive up to $490 million in upfront research fees, research milestone payments, option license fees, and commercial milestone payments.This is the second collaboration between Ginkgo and Merck. In October 2022, the two companies announced a partnership in the field of biocatalysis aimed at improving Merck's active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing.Company Profile:Ginkgo Bioworks is a unicorn company in the field of synthetic biology. With its proprietary cell programming platform, it provides synthetic biology solutions for different customers and needs.Merck & Co Inc, headquartered in New Jersey, USA, is a global leader in the pharmaceutical industry. This research-based multinational company is dedicated to the research, development, and sale of innovative pharmaceutical products.Technical Advantages:Ginkgo's cell programming platform is enabling biotechnology applications across different markets, ranging from food to agriculture, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals.Merck is a technology company focused on three major fields: healthcare, life sciences, and electronic technology, with over 60,000 employees worldwide. From gene-editing technologies and discovering unique methods to treat challenging diseases, to enabling the intelligence of devices — Merck is everywhere.Total Amount/Market Value:$ 3.28B (Nasdaq：DNA)；$ 277.73B (Nasdaq：MRK)
Jason Kelly,
Founder & CEO （Ginkgo Bioworks）
Jason Kelly is the co-founder and CEO of Ginkgo Bioworks.Since Ginkgo was founded in 2008, he has served as a member of the board of directors. He has also been a director of CM Life Sciences II Inc., a special purpose acquisition company focused on the life sciences sector, since its initial public offering in February 2021. Dr. Kelly holds a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering from MIT and a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and Biology.
Belén Garijo,
Chair of The Executive Board & CEO（Merck）
Belén Garijo has been serving as the Chair of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Merck since May 2021. Under her leadership, Merck has established a strategic vision to become a global leader in science and technology in the 21st century and set a group sales target of €25 billion by 2025.Before joining Merck, she had extensive experience in the healthcare field, leading companies through strategic transformations to become global leaders in oncology and immunology. Prior to joining Merck, Belén Garijo served as the Senior Vice President of Global Operations Europe at Sanofi-Aventis, where she led the integration efforts following the acquisition of Genzyme.Amyris Announces Bankruptcy Restructuring (August 7, 2023)
Recently, Amyris announced its operational and financial restructuring plan. This restructuring aims to strengthen Amyris's financial position, reduce costs, optimize business direction, and leverage its advantages in technology research and development. It will also promote the business growth, commercialization, and application of its eco-friendly ingredients produced through bio-fermentation.To implement this restructuring, Amyris and some of its subsidiaries in China have voluntarily filed for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. However, its international entities are not part of this action. Meanwhile, to further advance the restructuring objectives and enhance asset value, Amyris intends to exit its consumer brands.During the sales process, Amyris will continue to support the operations of these brands, including retail partnerships and online sales platforms. To support its ongoing operations during this period, Amyris has secured a $190 million funding commitment from entities associated with Foris Ventures.Company Profile:Amyris was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in California, USA. It is a leading synthetic biotechnology company. Through fermentation and the company's proprietary Lab-to-Market™ operational platform, Amyris can apply developed molecules to various downstream fields such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and food. On September 28, 2010, Amyris became the first publicly listed company in the field of biosynthesis.Technical Advantages:Amyris has built an automated strain modification platform, µPharmTM, which can be used for the production, screening, and activity testing of terpenoids and their structural derivatives. It is one of the largest engineered platforms in the industry to date.Total Fund/Market Value:$ 14.78M (Nasdaq：AMRSQ)
Han Kieftenbeld,
Interim CEO & CFO
Mr. Kieftenbeld has over 30 years of international business leadership, finance, and operational experience in science-driven food, health, nutrition, personal care, and industrial sectors.He has extensive experience in talent development, capital markets, complex manufacturing and supply networks, partnerships, and M&A transactions. He has held senior positions in several renowned companies, including Chief Financial Officer of Innophos Holdings, Inc., Global Chief Financial Officer of AB Mauri, and key roles at Ingredion Incorporated and National Starch.He holds multiple international degrees, including a Master of Business Administration (MBA) jointly awarded by New York University Stern School of Business, London School of Economics and Political Science, and HEC Paris.Petco Launches First Vegan Dog Food Product Line (August 21, 2023)
Petco, a pet food retailer, has recently launched its first vegan dog food and snack series. The company collaborated with Wild Earth, a vegetarian dog food company, to introduce maintenance and performance formulas, including flavors such as vegan grilled chicken skewers, classic roast, and golden roast; as well as pet snacks in flavors like peanut butter, banana and cinnamon, strawberry and beet.These products will be available at key flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as on Petco's website. Although there have been other vegan dog foods available before, including V-Dog, Halo, V-Planet, and Gather, this is the first time a major U.S. pet food retailer has launched a vegan dog food series.Company Profile:Petco, founded in 1965, is one of the largest chain pet retailers in the United States.Technical Advantages:Petco has over 1,000 offline chain stores, and its online e-commerce platform, Petco.com, is also rapidly developing. Petco's product range includes pet food, pet clothing, pet grooming supplies, pet leashes, and pet durable goods, with proprietary brands such as You&Me. Petco also offers services like pet grooming, veterinary care, pet adoption, and small pet trading in its stores.Total Amount/Market Value:$ 1.19B (Nasdaq：WOOF)
Ronald Coughlin, Jr,
CEO & Chairman
Ronald Coughlin Jr. has served as the Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Petco since June 2018, and as Chairman of the Board since January 2021. Prior to joining Petco, he served as President of the Personal Systems Group at HP, overseeing a $33 billion global business.Prior to this, he worked at PepsiCo for 13 years, holding various executive positions. Mr. Coughlin holds a bachelor’s degree in international marketing from Lehigh University and a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.Genesis Therapeutics Completes $200 Million Oversubscribed Series B Financing (August 21, 2023)
Genesis Therapeutics Focuses on Designing Breakthrough Medicines for Critically Ill Patients Using Groundbreaking AI Technology. Recently, the Company Announced the Completion of a $200 Million Oversubscribed Series B Financing. The Funds Will Be Used to Advance Genesis’ Existing Wholly-Owned AI Programs into Clinical Development.Genesis will also invest in developing more advanced generative AI prediction methods, which form the foundation of Genesis' platform GEMS (Genesis Exploration of Molecular Space).In addition, the Series B financing will also enable Genesis to potentially launch new product lines, leveraging the GEMS platform to make progress in previously difficult or undruggable areas, providing therapeutic options for patients with limited treatment access.Company Profile:Genesis Therapeutics was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California, USA. The company is a biotechnology firm dedicated to leveraging AI technology to drive the discovery and development of novel small-molecule drugs for treating patients with severe and debilitating diseases. It also actively collaborates with biopharmaceutical companies worldwide to jointly introduce new therapies.Technical Advantages:Genesis spun off from Vijay Pande's lab at Stanford University. The company’s two main technologies are PotentialNet, a neural network launched by the lab in 2018 that can optimize the binding of small molecules to protein targets, and a deep learning technology capable of predicting the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and toxicity of drug candidates with "unprecedented accuracy."Total Amount/Market Value:$ 256.1M
Evan Feinberg，
CEO & Co-Founder
Evan holds a degree in physics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in biophysics from Stanford University, where he worked in Vijay Pande's lab.During his time at Stanford University, he invented PotentialNet and provided consulting services on deep learning to large pharmaceutical companies. Evan was also an early software engineer for the MoleculeNet and DeepChem open-source projects.Cellares Secures $255 Million in Series C Funding to Drive the Launch of Commercial-Scale IDMO Smart Factory (August 24, 2023)
Cellares, the first Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO), recently announced that it has raised $255 million. This round of financing was led by Koch Disruptive Technologies, with other investors including Bristol Myers Squibb, DFJ Growth, Willett Advisors, and more. Cellares plans to use this funding to advance the development of its commercial-scale IDMO smart factory to revolutionize the cell therapy industry.Cellares' facility can produce 40,000 cell therapy batches annually, with a production efficiency 10 times higher than traditional CDMO facilities. Additionally, Cellares' technology is highly flexible, capable of supporting approximately 90% of cell therapy modalities. Its Cell Shuttle platform, compact automation, and end-to-end automation technologies help reduce labor and facility scale by 90%, playing a crucial role in boosting productivity.Company Profile:Cellares is an Integrated Development and Manufacturing Organization (IDMO) headquartered in South San Francisco, California, dedicated to clinical and industrial-scale cell therapy manufacturing.Technical Advantages:Cellares' core technology is an automated, closed-end, end-to-end manufacturing system called the Cell Shuttle. The system is flexible and scalable, with a failure rate three times lower than existing cell therapy production processes, and can simultaneously produce doses for 10+ patients in parallel. In most cases, this will reduce manufacturing costs by up to 70% per patient.Total Fund/Market Value:$ 355M
Fabian Gerlinghaus,
Co-founder & CEO
Fabian Gerlinghaus is the co-founder and CEO of Cellares, with more than 10 years of experience in innovation and leadership. Prior to co-founding Cellares, he served as the Chief Innovation Officer at Synthego, making significant contributions to the company’s RNA synthesis technology and helping it grow from a team of five to over 230 employees. He holds a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Technical University of Munich, as well as an honorary degree in technology management from the Munich Center for Digital Technology and Management.Pilot Bio Completes Hundreds of Millions of Dollars in D-Round Financing, Strengthening Team Building and Industrial Layout (August 11, 2023)
Recently, Synbio Pilot, a synthetic biology company, announced the successful completion of a D-round financing worth hundreds of millions of yuan. Existing shareholders, including Lilly Asia Ventures and Sherpa Healthcare Partners, continued their support. After this round of financing, Synbio Pilot will further strengthen its independent innovation research and development efforts, optimize industrial layout, enhance team growth, and comprehensively improve the competitiveness of its market products.Company Profile:Pilot Bio was founded in 2015, and its business areas cover four major sectors: pharmaceuticals and health, animal nutrition, animal health, and plant protection.Technical Advantages:Pilot Bio has been focusing on the innovation and application of synthetic biology technology. It is a production enterprise integrating the R&D, production, and sales of enzyme products. Its products are not only produced through mild processes with high raw material conversion rates but also feature environmental friendliness, helping to reduce wastewater and carbon dioxide emissions.
Xie Xin Kai,
Founder & CEO
Dr. Xie Xin graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, under the supervision of Professor Yi Tang, and completed his postdoctoral studies at the University of California, Berkeley, under Professor Jay Keasling.Dr. Xie Xinfa, as the first inventor of the biotechnological synthesis of the lipid-lowering drug Simvastatin, received the 2012 U.S. Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. This national-level award is given to scientists or inventors in academia or industry who have achieved innovative results in green chemistry that significantly improve human health and the environment.Before returning to China, Dr. Xie Xin served at Codexis, a globally leading synthetic biology company, where he participated in multiple projects with multinational pharmaceutical and energy enterprises, making significant contributions.The content of the article is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Investors who take actions based on this information bear their own risks. The article maintains a neutral stance on the statements and viewpoints presented, and does not provide any explicit or implicit guarantees regarding the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of the content.
The articles published in this official account are mainly for sharing. If there is any infringement, please contact us and we will handle it.Scan the QR code to follow usReply in the background "Target Audience", let's chat with the小伙伴们 in the biopharmaceutical industry~"Forward, like, check, and arrange?
