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miRagen Therapeutics, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing innovative microRNA (miRNA)-targeting therapies to improve human health, specifically in disease areas of high unmet medical need. The company leverages in-house expertise in miRNA biology, oligonucleotide chemistry, and drug development to evaluate and advance best-in-class technologies and high-potential drug candidates for its own pipeline or in conjunction with strategic partners. From its founding, miRagen has developed ongoing, collaborative relationships with academic institutions that give the company unique access to the most promising early-stage discoveries. This access to groundbreaking science provides a significant strategic advantage in the rapidly-developing field of miRNA-targeting therapeutics.
Our vision is to transform drug discovery from a slow, sequential, and high-failure process into a rapid, integrated, and novel computational platform to accelerate drug discovery.
Helsinn Therapeutics (US) is a Bridgewater, NJ-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
IGM Biosciences, Inc. is a privately held biotechnology company that has been focused on creating and developing novel IgM and IgA antibodies that improve the treatment of cancer and other diseases since 2010.
Kezar co-founder Christopher Kirk, Ph.D. began his work on the unique function of the immunoproteasome at Proteolix in 2005, while working on the compound that would become the successful multiple myeloma drug KYPROLIS™ (carfilzomib). As VP of Research at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which acquired Proteolix in 2009, Christopher led the efforts to develop the first selective inhibitors of the immunoproteasome and designed multiple studies demonstrating their profound immunomodulatory effects. In parallel with this work, Christopher and Kezar co-founder Jack Taunton, Ph.D. collaborated on several research projects involving protein secretion. This collaboration inspired a belief in the strong synergies between protein degradation and protein secretion, two fertile areas for drug discovery with platform potential. In 2014, Christopher and Kezar co-founder John Fowler began developing the business plan for Kezar, acting on a longstanding desire to work together and build a world-class company. In 2015, John and Christopher raised $23M and negotiated a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Amgen for the Onyx immunoproteasome inhibitor patent estate. Now underway, John and Christopher are excited to leverage their complementary skill sets to build Kezar into a leader in small molecule drug development.