Emerson Collective is an organization dedicated to removing barriers to opportunity so people can live to their full potential. Established and led by Laurene Powell Jobs, we center our work on education, immigration reform, the environment, and other social justice initiatives. We use a wide range of tools and strategies—partnering with entrepreneurs and experts, parents and policymakers, advocates and administrators—to develop and execute innovative solutions that will spur change and promote equality.

Emerson Collective

Red Tree Venture Capital operates as a venture capital firm. The firm attempts to invest in initial companies in the life sciences industry.

Red Tree Venture Capital

Third Rock Ventures invests in transformational life science companies that show high growth potential and are well-positioned to make a difference in the marketplace. Third Rock Ventures believes in the companies we start and makes significant initial investments, which are frequently supplemented by strategic collaborations, to help our firms progress in life-changing medicines, technologies, and diagnostics.

Third Rock Ventures

RTW Investments makes investments in forward-thinking healthcare companies. It invests across the entire company lifecycle, including company creation, early-stage venture capital, alternative financing, and public company investments.  The company is headquartered in New York with offices in London and Shanghai.

RTW Investments

T. Rowe Price is an investment management firm dedicated to funding technology startups. The firm serves individuals, financial intermediaries, and institutions and offers a full range of investment strategies across a broad spectrum: debt, equities, and private equities.

T. Rowe Price

Perceptive Advisors is a privately owned hedge fund sponsor. The firm invests in the public equity markets across the globe. It employs a long/short equity strategy as a hedging technique while investing. The firm typically invests in the biotechnology and life sciences sectors to make its investments. Perceptive Advisors is based in New York, New York.

Perceptive Advisors

Ally Bridge Group is a healthcare-focused investment group committed to venture and growth capital, buyout, and hedge fund investing. Ally Bridge Group focuses on both private and public equity investments, with a particular emphasis on pioneering life sciences companies and technologies. The firm is dedicated to bridging the gap between groundbreaking healthcare innovations and global markets. By leveraging its expertise and extensive network, Ally Bridge Group supports the growth and development of its portfolio companies. Its investment strategy is centered on transformative technologies and solutions that address major unmet medical needs.

Ally Bridge Group

Nextech Invest is a venture capital and private equity firm specializing in early, mid-stage, late-stage, and emerging growth investments. The firm also invests in incorporation, spin-outs, reverse-take-over, and PIPE transactions. It only considers investments where evidence in preclinical animal models that a drug is efficacious is available or a device prototype fulfills the requirements. The firm seeks to invest in the field of information technology, biotechnology, and healthcare with a focus on oncology companies developing cancer drugs and diagnostics. It prefers to invest in life science and enabling technologies with a focus on interdisciplinary technical and scientific projects, therapies, diagnostics, medical technologies, and services. The firm seeks to invest in companies based in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, North America, and Europe including Switzerland, Germany, and neighboring regions. It also considers co-investments in the rest of Europe. The firm seeks to invest between CHF 1 million ($0.93 million) and CHF 5 million ($4.7 million) per financing round. It seeks a Board position in the portfolio companies. The firm seeks to exit its investments within three years via trade sale.

Nextech Invest

Wellington Management focuses on investment management. The company applies its full resources to meet the needs of the institutional clients they serve. Their investment approaches span equity, fixed income, currency, commodity, and alternative markets. They also offer asset allocation, multi-manager, and speciality approaches.

Wellington Management

Cormorant Asset Management is an employee-owned hedge fund sponsor that provides its services to pooled investment vehicles. The firm also focuses on both public and private market innovative companies in the biotechnology and life sciences marketplace.

Cormorant Asset Management

Samsara Biocapital provides investment advisory services to help entrepreneurs turn their own ideas and visions into successful companies. Samsara BioCapital, as a results-driven organization, is always looking for ambitious and visionary partners with the drive and flexibility to take their company to the next level. Samsara BioCapital promotes biotech innovation and collaborates with inspiring companies as they develop important and innovative new therapies.

Samsara BioCapital

Janus Henderson Investors focuses on investing performance and services. The firm connects institutional, retail, and high-net-worth clients with investment specialists who specialize in a variety of asset classes, such as equities, fixed income, real estate, and alternatives.

Janus Henderson Investors

Piper Heartland Healthcare Capital is a buyout fund managed by Piper Sandler. The fund targets to invest in healthcare sector.

Piper Heartland Healthcare Capital

CARGO Therapeutics

CARGO Therapeutics develops CAR T-cell therapy to overcome cancer treatment resistance and address access barriers so that more patients can benefit from potentially curative therapies. The company is on a mission to outwit cancer by developing chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies. Despite commercially available autologous CARs advancements, these treatments are curative for less than half of all cancer patients. Furthermore, far too many patients are unable to access these potentially curative therapies due to other obstacles such as manufacturing, supply constraints, long turnaround times, and reimbursement barriers. CARGO's team is intensely focused on pursuing novel solutions to improve cancer treatment outcomes and experiences.

<div>Cargo Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing the next generation of transformational CAR T-cell therapies for cancer treatment. Its mission is to outsmart cancer by impacting patients worldwide through innovative cell therapy approaches. Cargo Therapeutics aims to become a fully integrated leader in this field. It addresses the limitations of approved cell therapies by engineering CAR T-cells with genetic &ldquo;cargo&rdquo; designed to enhance their ability to recognize and kill cancer cells​​​​.</div>

Novel therapies to reboot cells and organs

Cell & Gene Therapy

Cargo Therapeutics

CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. Announces ASH 2024 Abstract on CRG-023, a Tri-Specific CAR T, Highlighting Innovative Construct Design and Durable Anti-B-Cell Lymphoma Activity

<div>
 
 Cargo Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing the next generation of transformational CAR T-cell therapies for cancer treatment. Its mission is to outsmart cancer by impacting patients worldwide through innovative cell therapy approaches. Cargo Therapeutics aims to become a fully integrated leader in this field. It addresses the limitations of approved cell therapies by engineering CAR T-cells with genetic &ldquo;cargo&rdquo; designed to enhance their ability to recognize and kill cancer cells​​​​.
 
 
 As of May 2024, Cargo&rsquo;s cancer-focused CAR-T pipeline consisted of two candidates: 1) lead candidate CRG-022&mdash;a novel CAR T candidate targeting CD22 (a tumor antigen prevalent in B-cell malignancies), which was in a Phase II clinical trial for patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma (R/R LBCL) and 2) CRG-023&mdash;a tri-specific CAR-T candidate to address B-cell malignancies, which was in the investigational new drug (IND)-enabling stage. The company was also evaluating CRG-022 in patients with LBCL who had not received a CAR-T treatment before (CAR-T na&iuml;ve) and in pediatric B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (​​B-ALL) patients. Both alternative investigations for CRG-022 were in Phase I of clinical testing. 
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 Following its Nasdaq debut in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23849">
 November 2023
 </a>
 , Cargo Therapeutics raised USD 110 million in a private placement in 
 <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/29810">
 May 2024
 </a>
 to support its research and clinical progress.
 
</div>

<div>
 
 Tenaya Therapeutics is a developer of therapeutics for heart disease. The company develops its therapeutics using precision medicine, gene therapy, and cellular regeneration. Tenaya produces therapeutics that also use proprietary in-vivo and in-vitro models. Additionally, the company has developed in-house adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid engineering capabilities and has screened over one billion variants from more than 30 diverse, proprietary AAV libraries. The company is publicly listed on the Nasdaq and trades under the ticker symbol TNYA.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 In October 2023 Tenaya Therapeutics (Tenaya) received FDA clearance for the company&rsquo;s investigational new drug application (TN-401) to initiate clinical testing. TN-401 is Tenaya&rsquo;s adeno-associated virus serotype 9-based investigational gene therapy drug candidate for the treatment of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy caused by mutations in the plakophilin-2 gene. 
 
 
 As of May 2024, the company&rsquo;s clinical pipeline included two candidates in Phase I clinical trials, a gene therapeutic for the treatment of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, and a small molecule inhibitor for the treatment of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Additionally, Tenaya had one gene therapy candidate and two genetic medicine candidates in preclinical testing phases, along with five genetic medicine candidates in the discovery stage. 
 
 
 
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Tenaya Therapeutics

<div>
 
 Sarepta Therapeutics is a gene therapy provider for conditions such as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 
 (LGMD), and Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease. The company&rsquo;s therapeutics incorporate technology related to gene therapy, RNA technologies, and gene editing. The company leverages a proprietary phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) platform for the development of its RNA-based therapeutics. As of August 2023, the company had four FDA-approved treatments for DMD: ELEVIDYS, EXONDYS 51, VYONDYS 53, and AMONDYS 45. Sarepta Therapeutics is also listed on the Nasdaq, trading under the symbol SRPT.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 As of May 2024, the company had several RNA, gene, and gene editing therapeutics in various clinical stages. Sarepta had two RNA therapeutics, both for the treatment of DMD, one in clinical testing, and the other in pre-clinical testing. Additionally, the company had six gene therapeutics, one for the treatment of DMD (both in clinical testing), four for the treatment of LGMD (three in clinical testing, one in preclinical testing) and one for multiple targets (in preclinical testing). Also, Sarepta had two gene editing-based therapeutics in development for the treatment of DMD, both in preclinical testing phases. 
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 Over the years since its founding, Sarepta has partnered with several industry and academic partners. The list includes Dyno Therapeutics, Genethon, Genevant Sciences, Hansa Biopharma, Roche, Columbia University, Harvard University, Translational Laboratory of Murdoch University, University of Florida College of Medicine, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children&rsquo;s Hospital, University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the University of Western Australia.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 In October 2021, Sarepta and healthcare giant Roche announced they would collaborate on carrying out a clinical study of Sarepta&rsquo;s therapeutic candidate SRP-9001 for the treatment of DMD.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Sarepta and pharmaceutical company Catalent announced that in January 2023, the companies were signing a commercial supply agreement. Through the agreement,&nbsp; Catalent would manufacture Sarepta&rsquo;s gene therapeutic for the treatment of DMD; delandistrogene moxeparvovec (SRP-9001).
 
 
 
</div>

Sarepta Therapeutics

<div>
 
 Mesoblast is a cell therapy manufacturer that provides therapeutics for oncology, cardiovascular, orthopedic, hematology, immunity, and inflammation-related conditions. The company is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and trades under the ticker symbol &ldquo;MSB.&rdquo; Mesoblast develops therapeutics using its proprietary mesenchymal lineage cell technology platform, which is used to produce cryopreserved, off-the-shelf, and cellular-based solutions. The company also incorporates 3D bioreactor technology and automation into its production process to produce higher yields.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 As of May 2024, the company had five candidates that are in various stages of clinical testing. Mesoblast&rsquo;s steroid-refractory candidate for Acute Graft Versus Host Disease is currently in late-stage Phase III clinical testing and is the closest candidate to commercialization. The company&rsquo;s drug candidates for acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic low back pain, and chronic heart failure and reduced ejection fraction are also in Phase III clinical testing while its candidate for inflammatory bowel disease is in Phase II of clinical testing.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 The company has secured several agreements with international companies with regard to development and commercialization of Mesoblast&rsquo;s candidates, including Gr&uuml;nenthal GmBH, JCR Pharmaceuticals, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group, TiGenix NV, and the Lonza Group.&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 Additionally, in April 2020, Mesoblast partnered with The US NIH&rsquo;s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to conduct testing of its allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) product candidate, &ldquo;remestemcel-L.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 
 
 
</div>

Mesoblast

<div>
 
 Ocugen is a gene therapy manufacturer that develops vaccine, cell, and gene-based therapeutics for infectious, eye, and orthopedic diseases. Its cell therapy includes a three dimensional tissue-engineered cartilage disk through the growth of chondrocytes &ndash; the cells responsible for maintaining cartilage health. Its gene therapy solution consists of creating a copy of the patient&rsquo;s gene in order to replace mutated/damaged genes. The company is publicly listed on the Nasdaq, and trades under the symbol &lsquo;OCGN&rsquo;.&nbsp;
 
 
 As of May 2024, the company had five therapeutic solutions being clinically tested. The company was developing four gene therapies for the treatment of retinitis pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis, geographic atrophy, and orphan disease. Its treatment candidate for retinitis pigmentosa was in Phase III of clinical study, while its other gene therapies were in Phase I/II. 
 Ocugen was also developing a biological material, in the IND stage, for diabetic macular edema, diabetic retinopathy, and wet age-related macular degeneration. The company's cell therapy for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee was in Phase III of clinical study. Finally, the company was also developing three vaccines, all in IND stages, for prevention of diseases caused by the flu, Covid-19, and a combination of the flu and Covid-19.
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 Ocugen partnered with biopharmaceutical manufacturer Jubilant HollisterStier of Spokane in June 2021 to manufacture its Covid-19 therapeutic COVAXIN. Through the partnership, Jubilant would be the potential commercial manufacturer of Ocugen&rsquo;s vaccine for the US and Canadian markets.
 
 
 
 
 
</div>

Ocugen

<div>
 
 MeiraGTx is a developer of gene therapies that aim to treat ocular diseases and problems, neurodegenerative disorders, and salivary gland and autoimmune disorders. MeriaGTx is also developing riboswitch-inducible expression programs for the treatment of inherited obesity and Wilson disease, along with producing small-molecule riboswitch inducers. The company is listed on the Nasdaq and trades under the symbol MGTX.&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 
 As of May 2024, the company had four gene-based therapeutic candidates in Phase II of their clinical trials for the treatment of (1) xerostomia, Parkinson's Disease, and RPE65-Associated retinal dystrophy and (2) achromatopsia. The company also had one therapeutic being developed to treat Sjogren&rsquo;s Syndrome that was in Phase I/II of its clinical trials. Additionally, MeiraGTx had seven other therapeutics in discovery/preclinical stages. The company was also developing a therapeutic for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa in collaboration with Janssen, which was in Phase III of clinical trials. 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 MeiraGTx partnered with the International Institute of Risk and Safety Management (IIRSM) in November 2022 to influence risk agendas, raise awareness, the standards of risk, and safety management across the industry.&nbsp;
 
 
 Funding and financials
 
 
 Meira last raised funds in October 2023, when the company secured a strategic investment of USD 30 million from Sanofi. As part of the transaction, Sanofi was granted the right of first negotiation for MeiraGTx's gene regulation technology in certain targets.&nbsp;
 
 
 
</div>

MeiraGTx

Companies producing cells, genes, tissues, and biomaterials such as exosomes and extracellular matrix for drug developers and pharmaceutical companies developing regenerative medicine

Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy involves genetically engineering T cells to target and kill cancer cells

Companies conducting R&D on therapies that modify or introduce new genes into the body to treat diseases

Includes therapies that use cells (other than CAR-T and stem cells) such as Adipose-Derived Regenerative Cells (ADRCs), cardiosphere-derived cells, and gamma delta T cells (GDT cells)

Stem cell therapy involves using stem cells usually extracted from the bone marrow and umbilical cord blood to repair a variety of diseases

Startups in the hub consider individual patient profiles, involving variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle

Genomics helps understand the genetic information stored in the DNA to develop targeted treatments

<div>
 
 CAR T-cell therapy company, cargo therapeutics, based in California, has concluded a securities purchase agreement set to generate USD 110 million from a private placement. The investment round attracted participation from EcoR1 Capital, Woodline Partners LP, and Saturn V Capital, amongst others.
 Making its debut on the Nasdaq in <a href="https://sp-edge.com/updates/23849"> November 2023, </a> the company intends to channel these funds towards the progressive development of its Phase II study, FIRCE-1 of firicabtagene autoleucel (firi-cel) (CRG-022). The raised funds are projected to support the advancement of IND-enabling studies for CRG-023 and Biologics License Application (BLA) preparedness up until the year 2026.
 
</div>

Cargo Therapeutics

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