Bayer Acquires BlueRock Therapeutics to Advance Allogeneic Cell Therapies Powered by Proprietary iPSC Platform

Today, Bayer and BlueRock Therapeutics jointly announced that Bayer will acquire BlueRock, a company focused on developing stem cell therapies in neurology, cardiology, and immunology using its induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platform, to further advance the development of genetically engineered cell therapies.

BlueRock’s iPSC technology platform is based on the invention of Professor Shinya Yamanaka, a Nobel laureate from Kyoto University in Japan. This technology enables researchers to reprogram healthy skin cells, blood cells, or other cell types from an individual into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which can then be differentiated into hepatocytes, neurons, or any other cell types required for regeneration. This personalized approach to disease treatment ensures that the body’s immune system does not recognize the regenerated cells as foreign, thereby not only mitigating the risk of immune rejection but also avoiding the ethical controversies associated with the use of embryonic stem cells. Through genetic engineering, these iPSCs can also be adapted for use in other individuals. Such “off-the-shelf” therapies represent one of the primary directions in current cell therapy research and development.

▲Schematic diagram of BlueRock’s “off-the-shelf” induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) platform (Image source: BlueRock official website)

Through this acquisition, Bayer will gain ownership of BlueRock’s CELL+GENE platform, including extensive intellectual property and the corresponding technology platforms, which encompass proprietary iPSC technology, gene engineering technology, and cell differentiation technology. BlueRock’s cell therapies are currently focused on the fields of neurology, cardiology, and immunology. Furthermore, BlueRock brings additional therapeutic opportunities beyond its current R&D pipeline.

BlueRock Therapeutics’ lead Parkinson’s disease program is expected to enter the clinical stage by the end of 2019. Among neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease has the fastest-growing prevalence, disability rate, and mortality. The primary symptom of Parkinson’s disease is the gradual loss of motor function. Stem cell therapy can reactivate the human brain and reverse degenerative processes, holding promise for restoring motor function in more than 7 million Parkinson’s patients worldwide.

References:

[1] Bayer acquires BlueRock Therapeutics to build leading position in cell therapy, Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://media.bayer.com/baynews/baynews.nsf/id/Bayer-acquires-BlueRock-Therapeutics-to-build-leading-position-in-cell-therapy

[2] Bayer Buys Out BlueRock, Betting at Least $240M More on Cell Therapy Work Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://xconomy.com/boston/2019/08/08/bayer-buys-out-bluerock-betting-at-least-240m-more-on-stem-cell-work/

[3] BlueRock Therapeutics official website Retrieved August 8, 2019, from https://bluerocktx.com/platform/

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