PureTech

PureTech
Industry Healthcare
Founder Daphne Zohar, Robert Langer, John Zabriskie, David Elmaleh, and Ben Shapiro
Headquarters Boston, Massachusetts
Website PureTech website

PureTech is a cross-disciplinary biotech company located in Boston, Massachusetts. The company has a pipeline of products in CNS, GI and immune indications, in emerging areas like the microbiome and digital medicine. PureTech identifies health care problems and works with employees, therapeutic area experts, and external partners to develop potential solutions.[1]

Company overview

PureTech was founded by Daphne Zohar, John Zabriskie, and Robert Langer. Mark Ratner described PureTech in Nature Biotechnology as a firm that searches for "opportunity in forming companies around early-stage assets".[2][3] Inc. Magazine described it as "an 'institutional founder,' which means it conceptualizes, incubates and founds companies".[4]

Senior Partners at the firm include John LaMattina, former president of Pfizer Global Research and Development, MIT’s Robert Horvitz, Harvard’s Raju Kucherlapati, Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab, former Sanofi CEO Christopher Viehbacher, and co-founder Bennett Shapiro, former executive vice president of worldwide licensing and external research at Merck.[3][5][1] David R. Elmaleh is another advisor and cofounder.[3][6]

Recent news

In May 2015 PureTech announced an IPO on the London Stock Exchange with the aim of raising $160 million to fund product development.[7]

Pipeline

PureTech currently has 20 clinical studies across its pipeline, and has three pivotal stage and five post-human proof of concept products [8] they include:

  • Vedanta Biosciences: developing microbiome-derived therapies for the treatment of infectious diseases, allergies and autoimmune disorders;[9][10][11]
  • Gelesis: a clinical stage company developing a weight loss pill that swells in the stomach and curbs appetite before passing harmlessly through the digestive system;[12][13][14]
  • Akili Interactive Labs: a clinical stage company “developing a platform for remotely diagnosing and treating cognitive disorders”[15][16][17] like ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease;
  • The SYNC Project: developing a platform that will scientifically measure how music effects the human body in an effort to treat conditions such as depression, fatigue, insomnia and autism;[18][19][20]
  • Entrega: developing a novel kind of pill that allows for the oral delivery of injectable drugs like insulin;[21]
  • Tal Medical: a clinical stage company developing a medical device “which uses a low-strength magnetic field” to reboot electrical circuits in the brain and “alleviate the symptoms of depression;”[22][23]
  • Follica: a clinical stage company which harnesses advances in epithelial stem cell biology to develop treatments for male and female pattern baldness;[24][25][26] and
  • Karuna: a clinical stage company developing a mechanism-of-action therapeutic for treating schizophrenia.[27]

References

  1. 1 2 Damian Garde (February 27, 2015). "Viehbacher wades into the startup world, joining PureTech in his first post-Sanofi move". FierceBiotech. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ Marc Songini (June 22, 2010). "Robert Langer's reach touches New England biotech scene". Mass High Tech. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Mark Ratner (December 2006). "Profile: Daphne Zohar". Nature Biotechnology. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  4. ↑ Karl Stark and Bill Stewart (September 6, 2012). "Choosing the Right VC is More Important Than Any Hire You'll Ever Make". Inc. Magazine. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ Galen Moore (November 10, 2009). "Pfizer R&D vet LaMattina joins PureTech Ventures". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ Steven A. Edwards (2008). The Nanotech Pioneers. John Wiley & Sons. p. 168. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  7. ↑ Ben Hirschler (26 May 2015). "U.S. health group PureTech seeks $160 million in London listing". Reuters. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Jeremy Singer-Vine (July 10, 2008). "Big Pharmas Join to Speed Discoveries". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved July 23, 2013.
  9. ↑ Don Seiffert (January 13, 2015). "Janssen to invest up to $241M in Vedanta to develop drug for inflammatory bowel disease". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  10. ↑ "J&J Opens Boston Innovation Center, Strikes Additional Early-Stage Deals". Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News. June 27, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  11. ↑ Ryan McBride (June 14, 2012). "Bugs living in humans breed biotech startups". Fierce Biotech. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  12. ↑ Karen Weintraub (June 30, 2014). "New allies in war on weight". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  13. ↑ Carolyn Y. Johnson (March 7, 2011). "Ingenuity vs. obesity: Companies testing drugs, devices aimed at helping patients control waistlines". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  14. ↑ Ryan McBride (June 10, 2012). "Obesity field gets boost with $6.2M round for Gelesis". Fierce Biotech. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  15. ↑ Stacey Lawrence (January 9, 2015). "PureTech bumps its early life science funds up to $107M". FierceMedicalDevices. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  16. ↑ Damian Garde (August 1, 2012). "ADHD-treating video game to chart FDA approval path". Fierce Medical Devices. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  17. ↑ Scott Kirsner (March 7, 2012). "Boston-based Akili Interactive Labs developing therapeutic video games to enhance your cognitive functions". Boston Globe. Retrieved July 22, 2013.
  18. ↑ Elizabeth Segran (March 11, 2015). "The Sync Project's ambitious quest to use music as medicine". Fast Company. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  19. ↑ Nidhi Subbaraman (March 11, 2015). "Music as medicine? The Sync Project will use big data to study the healing power of melody". BetaBoston. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  20. ↑ Rebecca Strong (March 11, 2015). "PureTech Launches Music-for-Health Startup, The Sync Project". BostInno. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
  21. ↑ Scott Kirsner (November 1, 2014). "Google X project has Hub partner". The Boston Globe. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  22. ↑ Ben Fidler (January 10, 2014). "Tal Medical gets NIMH backing for fast-acting depression therapy". Xconomy. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  23. ↑ "PureTech Ventures Launches Tal Medical To Develop Magnetic-Field Treatment for Depression". Xconomy. June 13, 2011. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  24. ↑ Ben Fidler (June 3, 2013). "Hair-raising Follica study could point to baldness therapy". Xconomy. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
  25. ↑ "PureTech Ventures". CrunchBase. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Mersana lands $21M in VC". Boston Business Journal. November 9, 2005. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  27. ↑ Ryan McBride (January 20, 2011). "Ex-Pfizer exec Ed Harrigan takes top job at secretive Karuna Pharmaceuticals". Xconomy. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
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