On May 16, 2018 Fate Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FATE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the development of programmed cellular immunotherapies for cancer and immune disorders, reported the Company has gained access to additional intellectual property from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) that enables the development of gene-edited T-cell immunotherapies (Press release, Fate Therapeutics, MAY 16, 2018, View Source [SID1234526687]). The newly-licensed portfolio of intellectual property covers new chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) constructs as well as off-the-shelf CAR T cells, including the use of CRISPR and other innovative technologies for their production.

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Fate Therapeutics is utilizing gene editing under its ongoing collaboration for the research and development of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell immunotherapies with Michel Sadelain, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Cell Engineering and the Stephen and Barbara Friedman Chair at MSK. At the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ASGCT) (Free ASGCT Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, Dr. Sadelain will present preclinical data on FT819, an off-the-shelf, TCR-less, CD19 CAR T-cell product manufactured from a clonal master induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line.

"Engineering stem cells and using master iPSC lines for the renewable production of off-the-shelf CAR T cells has the potential to advance the cancer immunotherapy landscape," said Dr. Sadelain. "We are pleased with the breakthrough discoveries accomplished under our ongoing collaboration with Fate Therapeutics, and look forward to continuing our advancement together of off-the-shelf CAR T-cell products toward clinical development."

The use of clonal master iPSC lines can overcome the complexity, heterogeneity and substantial costs associated with using cells from a patient or an allogeneic donor. Instead, iPSC-derived T-cell immunotherapies can be consistently and repeatedly mass produced and delivered in an off-the-shelf manner, significantly reducing the cost of, and time to, patient treatment.

"The use of a gene-edited master iPSC line for the manufacture of off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapies ensures complete removal of endogenous TCR expression, which is critical to avoid the life-threatening complication of graft-versus-host disease that is seen in allogeneic T-cell therapy," said Scott Wolchko, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fate Therapeutics. "The incorporation of these latest MSK technologies into our development of FT819 and our iPSC product platform advances our leadership position in developing off-the-shelf T-cell immunotherapies with improved safety, enhanced potency and expanded therapeutic reach."

Fate Therapeutics has exclusively licensed from MSK intellectual property covering the production and composition of iPSC-derived T cells for human therapeutic use. In addition, Fate Therapeutics owns an extensive intellectual property portfolio that broadly covers compositions and methods for the genome editing of iPSCs using CRISPR and other nucleases, including the use of CRISPR to insert a CAR in the TRAC locus for endogenous transcriptional control.

About FT819
FT819 is a universal, off-the-shelf, dual-targeted CAR T-cell product that is manufactured from a clonal master iPSC line. The line is engineered to completely eliminate expression of the T-cell receptor, to preferentially regulate CAR19 expression by inserting the CAR into the T-cell receptor constant (TRAC) locus, and to uniquely express a recombinant CD16 Fc receptor. In preclinical studies, FT819 exhibits a target-specific T-cell response in vitro when challenged with CD19-positive tumor cells and displays enhanced production of effector cytokines and cytolytic proteins. In addition, FT819 uniquely elicits antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro against CD19-negative, CD20-positive tumor cells with rituximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting CD20. This dual-targeted approach of FT819 can substantially broaden the cell product’s therapeutic reach and overcome CD19 antigen escape through combination with other proven cancer treatments.

About Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC Product Platform
The Company’s proprietary iPSC product platform enables mass production of off-the-shelf, engineered, homogeneous cell products that can be administered in repeat doses to mediate more effective pharmacologic activity, including in combination with cycles of other cancer treatments. Human iPSCs possess the unique dual properties of unlimited self-renewal and differentiation potential into all cell types of the body. The Company’s first-of-kind approach involves engineering human iPSCs in a one-time genetic modification event, and selecting a single iPSC for maintenance as a clonal master iPSC line. Analogous to master cell lines used to manufacture biopharmaceutical drug products such as monoclonal antibodies, clonal master iPSC lines are a renewable source for consistently and repeatedly manufacturing homogeneous cell products in quantities that support the treatment of many thousands of patients in a cost-effective, off-the-shelf manner. Fate Therapeutics’ iPSC product platform is supported by an intellectual property portfolio of over 90 issued patents and 100 pending patent applications.

On May 16, 2018 Karyopharm Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq:KPTI), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company, reported that four posters will be presented at the upcoming American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 Annual Meeting taking place June 1-5, 2018 in Chicago (Press release, Karyopharm, MAY 16, 2018, View Source [SID1234526706]). Among the poster presentations will be results from the Company’s Phase 2 SEAL study evaluating selinexor, its lead, oral SINE compound, in patients with advanced de-differentiated liposarcoma. The remaining posters will highlight clinical and preclinical data from ongoing investigator-sponsored trials evaluating selinexor in combination with other anti-cancer agents.

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"Dedifferentiated liposarcoma is a rare and aggressive form of the disease that is resistant to both standard chemotherapy and radiation, and most patients who progress following surgery ultimately succumb to this difficult to treat cancer," said Sharon Shacham, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Scientific Officer of Karyopharm. "We previously reported positive top-line data from the Phase 2 SEAL study in September 2017, including oral selinexor’s demonstration of superiority over placebo for the study’s primary endpoint of progression-free survival (PFS), with a hazard ratio of 0.60, representing a 40% reduction in the risk of progression or death. The Phase 3 portion of the SEAL study is currently ongoing with top-line data expected by the end of 2019. We look forward to presenting the more detailed results from the Phase 2 portion of the SEAL study at ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) this year."

Details for the ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) 2018 selinexor presentations are as follows:

Company-sponsored Trials

Title: Phase 2 results of selinexor in advanced de-differentiated (DDLS) liposarcoma (SEAL) study: A phase 2/3, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled cross-over study
Lead author:Mrinal Gounder, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College
Poster Board #: 257
Abstract #: 11512
Poster Discussion Session: Sarcoma
Date and Time:Saturday, June 2, 2018; 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT; Discussion from 3:00 PM – 4:15PM
Location: Hall A

Investigator-sponsored Trials

Title: Phase 1 study of selinexor plus mitoxantrone, etoposide, and cytarabine in acute myeloid leukemia
Lead author:Bhavana Bhatnagar, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center
Poster Board #: 108
Abstract: 7048
Poster Session: Hematologic Malignancies—Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant
Date and Time:Monday, June 4, 2018; 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT
Location: Hall A

Title: Phase 1b study of selinexor, a first in class selective inhibitor of nuclear export (SINE) compound, in combination with doxorubicin in patients (pts) with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (STS)
Lead author: Eoghan Ruadh Malone, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Poster Board #: 307
Abstract: 11562
Poster Session: Sarcoma
Date and Time:Saturday, June 2, 2018; 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT
Location: Hall A

Title: Profiling the immune checkpoint pathway in acute myeloid leukemia
Lead author:Paola Dama, University of Chicago
Poster Board #: 75
Abstract: 7015
Poster Discussion Session: Hematologic Malignancies – Leukemia, Myelodysplastic Syndromes, and Allotransplant
Date and Time:Monday, June 4, 2018; 8:00 AM – 11:30 AM CT; Discussion from 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM CT
Location: Hall A

About Selinexor

Selinexor (KPT-330) is a first-in-class, oral Selective Inhibitor of Nuclear Export / SINE compound. Selinexor functions by binding with and inhibiting the nuclear export protein XPO1 (also called CRM1), leading to the accumulation of tumor suppressor proteins in the cell nucleus. This reinitiates and amplifies their tumor suppressor function and is believed to lead to the selective induction of apoptosis in cancer cells, while largely sparing normal cells. To date, over 2,400 patients have been treated with selinexor. In April 2018, Karyopharm reported positive top-line data from the Phase 2b STORM study evaluating selinexor in combination with low-dose dexamethasone in patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. Selinexor has been granted Orphan Drug Designation in multiple myeloma and Fast Track designation for the patient population evaluated in the STORM study. Karyopharm plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) during the second half of 2018, with a request for accelerated approval for oral selinexor as a new treatment for patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma. The Company also plans to submit a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in early 2019 with a request for conditional approval. Selinexor is also being evaluated in several other mid- and later-phase clinical trials across multiple cancer indications, including in multiple myeloma in a pivotal, randomized Phase 3 study in combination with Velcade (bortezomib) and low-dose dexamethasone (BOSTON) and as a potential backbone therapy in combination with approved therapies (STOMP), and in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (SADAL), liposarcoma (SEAL), and an investigator-sponsored study in endometrial cancer (SIENDO), among others. Additional Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies are ongoing or currently planned, including multiple studies in combination with one or more approved therapies in a variety of tumor types to further inform Karyopharm’s clinical development priorities for selinexor. Additional clinical trial information for selinexor is available at www.clinicaltrials.gov.

On May 16, 2018 MiNA Therapeutics, the pioneer in RNA activation therapeutics, reported that it will present preliminary results from its Phase I study of small activating RNA (saRNA) candidate MTL-CEBPA in liver cancer at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting, taking place in Chicago from June 1 – 5 (Press release, MiNA Therapeutics, MAY 16, 2018, View Source [SID1234526722]). The data will be featured in a Poster Discussion Session in the Developmental Therapeutics – Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics session. MiNA will announce the results through a press release following the presentation.

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Poster Discussion Session details:

Title: Preliminary results of a first-in-human, first-in-class phase I study of MTL-CEBPA, a small activating RNA (saRNA) targeting the transcription factor C/EBP-α in patients with advanced liver cancer
Abstract No: 2509
Session: Developmental Therapeutics—Clinical Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
Date / Time: June 4, 2018 at 3:00pm – 4:15pmLocation: S406

About MTL-CEBPA
MTL-CEBPA consists of a double stranded RNA formulated into a SMARTICLES liposomal nanoparticle and is designed to activate the CEBPA gene. By restoring CEBPA expression to normal levels, MTL-CEBPA has been demonstrated to attenuate or reverse liver disease in a range of pre-clinical studies including models of liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). MTL-CEBPA is currently under evaluation in OUTREACH, a first-in-human Phase I clinical study in patients with severe liver cancer. The multi-centre Phase I study is assessing the safety and tolerability of MTL-CEBPA in patients with advanced liver cancer who are ineligible or resistant to standard therapies. To learn more about the OUTREACH clinical study, please visit our listing at clinicaltrials.gov

On May 16, 2018 Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) reported follow-up data from the phase III ALEX study, showing that, as an initial treatment, Alecensa (alectinib) significantly reduced the risk of disease progression or death (progression-free survival; PFS) by 57% (hazard ratio [HR]= 0.43, 95% CI: 0.32-0.58) compared to crizotinib after two years of follow-up in people with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic (advanced) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as assessed by the investigator (Press release, Hoffmann-La Roche, MAY 16, 2018, View Source [SID1234526740]).1 The median PFS for people who received Alecensa was more than tripled compared to those who received crizotinib (34.8 months [95% CI: 17.7 months-NE) versus 10.9 months [95% CI: 9.1-12.9 months)], respectively, as assessed by the investigator. The safety profile for Alecensa was consistent with that observed in previous studies.

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"Follow-up results from the ALEX study demonstrate the significant sustained benefit of Alecensa, showing that people with metastatic ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer lived for almost three years without their disease progressing," said Sandra Horning, MD, Roche’s Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. "These results further support the use of Alecensa as a standard of care for people who are newly diagnosed with this form of lung cancer."

The longer-term analysis also included follow-up data for secondary endpoints of the ALEX study. Alecensa demonstrated superior efficacy compared to crizotinib regardless of the presence of central nervous system (CNS) metastases at baseline. Investigator-assessed median PFS for people without CNS metastases at baseline was 34.8 months with Alecensa (95% CI: 22.4-NE) versus 14.7 months (95% CI: 10.8-20.3) with crizotinib (HR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.32-0.71). Investigator-assessed median PFS for people with CNS metastases at baseline was 27.7 months in the Alecensa arm (95% CI: 9.2-NE) versus 7.4 months (95% CI: 6.6-9.6) in the crizotinib arm (HR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.22-0.56). 1 The duration of response (DOR) for people who received Alecensa was 33.3 months (95% CI: 31.3-NE) compared to 11.1 months (95% CI: 7.5-13.0 months) for people who received crizotinib.1

The data will be presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting on Sunday, 3 June, 2018 at 08:00 – 11:30 am CDT (Abstract #9043).

Alecensa is now approved in more than 45 countries as an initial (first-line) treatment for ALK-positive, advanced NSCLC, including in the United States, Europe and Japan.

About the ALEX study2
ALEX (NCT02075840/B028984) is a randomised, multicentre, open-label, phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Alecensa versus crizotinib in treatment-naïve people with ALK-positive NSCLC whose tumours were characterised as ALK-positive by the VENTANA ALK (D5F3) CDx Assay, a companion immunohistochemistry (IHC) test developed by Roche Tissue Diagnostics. People were randomised (1:1) to receive either Alecensa or crizotinib. The primary endpoint of the ALEX study was PFS as assessed by the investigator, and secondary endpoints include: Independent Review Committee (IRC)-assessed PFS, time to CNS progression, objective response rate (ORR), DOR and overall survival (OS). The multicentre study was conducted in 303 people across 161 sites in 31 countries. OS data are currently considered immature with only about a third of events being reported.

Primary data from the ALEX study were previously presented at the 2017 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.3 Follow-up results from the ALEX study analysis to be presented at the 2018 ASCO (Free ASCO Whitepaper) Annual Meeting showed1:

After a further 10 months of follow-up, Alecensa reduced the risk of disease worsening or death (PFS) by 57% compared to crizotinib (HR=0.43, 95% CI: 0.32-0.58). Median follow-up was 27.8 months versus 22.8 months for Alecensa-treated patients and crizotinib-treated patients, respectively.
Investigator-reported median PFS (the primary endpoint) was 34.8 months in the Alecensa arm (95% CI: 17.7-NE) versus 10.9 months (95% CI: 9.1-12.9 months) in the crizotinib arm.
ORR for people treated with Alecensa was 82.9% (95% CI: 75.95-88.51) compared to 75.5% (95% CI: 67.84-82.12) for people treated with crizotinib, as assessed by the investigator.
Alecensa demonstrated superior efficacy compared to crizotinib regardless of the presence or absence of CNS metastases at baseline. Investigator-assessed median PFS for people without CNS metastases at baseline was 34.8 months with Alecensa (95% CI: 22.4-NE) versus 14.7 months (95% CI: 10.8-20.3) with crizotinib (HR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.32-0.71). Investigator-reported median PFS for people with CNS metastases at baseline was 27.7 months in the Alecensa arm (95% CI: 9.2-NE) versus 7.4 months (95% CI: 6.6-9.6) in the crizotinib arm (HR=0.35, 95% CI: 0.22-0.56).
Improvements were observed in the time between first response to treatment and disease worsening (DOR): 33.3 months with Alecensa versus 11.1 months with crizotinib.
Grade 3-5 adverse events (AEs) were less frequent in the Alecensa arm (44.7%) compared to the crizotinib arm (51.0%). The most common Grade 3-4 AEs were increased liver enzymes (aspartate transaminase; 5.5%, and alanine transaminase; 4.6%) and increased muscle enzymes (creatine phosphokinase; 3.3%). Serious adverse reactions reported in ≥ 2% of people treated with Alecensa were acute kidney injury (2.6%) and decreased red blood cells (anaemia; 2.0%).
AEs leading to dose reduction (16.4% versus 20.5%) and dose interruption (22.4% versus 25.2%) were lower in the Alecensa arm compared with the crizotinib arm. AEs leading to discontinuation were equal in both arms (13.2%).
The FDA approval of Alecensa for the treatment of people with ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC was based on results from the phase III ALEX study from the primary data cutoff in February 2017. Results showed that:

Alecensa significantly reduced the risk of disease worsening or death (PFS) by 47% (HR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.38-0.73, p<0.001) compared to crizotinib as assessed by an IRC.
The median PFS was 25.7 months (95% CI: 19.9-NE) for people who received Alecensa compared with 10.4 months (95% CI: 7.7-14.6) for people who received crizotinib as assessed by an IRC.
Alecensa significantly reduced the risk of the cancer spreading to, or growing in, the brain or CNS compared to crizotinib by 84% (HR=0.16, 95% CI: 0.10-0.28, p<0.0001). This was based on a time to CNS progression analysis in which there was a lower risk of progression in the CNS as the first site of disease progression for people who received Alecensa (12%) compared to people who received crizotinib (45%).
The safety profile of Alecensa was consistent with that observed in previous studies.
Grade ≥ 3 adverse reactions were reported for 41% of people treated with Alecensa. The most common Grade 3-4 adverse reactions (≥ 3%) were evidence of kidney dysfunction (increased creatinine; 4.1%), evidence of liver dysfunction (hyperbilirubinemia; 5%), low levels of sodium (hyponatremia; 6%), increased liver enzymes (aspartate transaminase; 6%, and alanine transaminase; 6%), and decreased red blood cells (anaemia; 7%). Serious adverse reactions reported in ≥ 2% of people treated with Alecensa were pneumonia (4.6%) and renal impairment (3.9%).
About Alecensa
Alecensa (RG7853/AF-802/RO5424802/CH5424802) is a highly selective, CNS active, oral medicine created at Chugai Kamakura Research Laboratories and is being developed for people with NSCLC whose tumours are identified as ALK-positive. ALK-positive NSCLC is often found in younger people who have a light or non-smoking history.4 It is almost always found in people with a specific type of NSCLC called adenocarcinoma.4 Alecensa is now approved in over 45 countries as an initial (first-line) treatment for ALK-positive, metastatic NSCLC, including in the United States, Europe, Japan, Turkey, Cuba, Peru, Thailand, Australia, the Dominican Republic, India, Israel, Paraguay, Switzerland, Bolivia, Serbia, South Korea and Singapore. In addition, Alecensa is approved in the United States, Europe, Japan, Kuwait, Israel, Hong Kong, Canada, South Korea, Switzerland, India, Bolivia, Australia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Liechtenstein, Argentina, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Peru, New Zealand, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Qatar, Oman, Serbia, Paraguay and Turkey for the treatment of people with advanced (metastatic) ALK-positive NSCLC whose disease has worsened after, or who could not tolerate treatment with, crizotinib.

About Roche in lung cancer
Lung cancer is a major area of focus and investment for Roche, and we are committed to developing new approaches, medicines and tests that can help people with this deadly disease. Our goal is to provide an effective treatment option for every person diagnosed with lung cancer. We currently have four approved medicines to treat certain kinds of lung cancer and more than ten medicines being developed to target the most common genetic drivers of lung cancer or to boost the immune system to combat the disease.

On May 16, 2018 FogPharma reported the closing of a $66 million Series B financing (Press release, FogPharma, MAY 16, 2018, View Source [SID1234552458]). The round was led by 6 Dimensions Capital, with participation by additional new investors, including GV (formerly Google Ventures), Blue Pool Capital, Horizons Ventures, Nan Fung Group, and Leerink Partners. All existing investors participated in the round including Deerfield Management, Boyu Capital, WuXi AppTec Corporate Ventures, and a prominent international group of non-institutional investors.

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FogPharma was founded by renowned scientist-entrepreneur Dr. Gregory Verdine, whose Harvard lab invented cell-penetrating miniproteins and who coined the term "drugging the undruggable" to describe his life’s mission. FogPharma’s research and development strategy is unique in that it pairs a broadly-enabling new drug class, designed to access the cell interior, with a massively parallelized engine to discover – rapidly and on-demand – drugs that engage the most intractable of disease targets. FogPharma’s drug discovery engine has been configured to deliver multiple new medicines in rapid succession, with clinical entry for the first product, a first-in-class beta-catenin antagonist, by the end of 2019, followed by a steady stream of first-in-class clinical product candidates addressing other intractable targets.

While FogPharma’s approach has many therapeutic applications, the company’s early focus is on drugging the major, intractable drivers of cancer and on pharmacological management of the immune response.

"One of the most important challenges of our time is making actionable the enormous, inactionable trove of biological data on human disease targets. FogPharma is addressing this challenge by bringing forward a new class of medicines that combine the cell-penetrating ability of small molecules with the broad, target power of biologics, and by learning how to discover these medicines better, faster and smarter," said Verdine, chief executive officer and chief scientific officer, FogPharma.

Added Verdine, "We are thrilled to have such an incredible group of investors who share our vision of fundamentally advancing the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases with few if any current treatment options. We are excited at the opportunity provided by this financing to propel our programs and drug discovery engine forward."

Proceeds from the Series B raise will enable the company to advance its first-in-class beta-catenin inhibitor (iCat) program into Phase 2 development for cancer indications involving Wnt pathway activation. The financing will also be used to advance clinical development of its first-in-class Cbl-b inhibitor program and a third as-yet-undisclosed program through IND-enabling studies, and FogPharma’s drug discovery platform for three additional, distinct and differentiated forms of cell-penetrating miniproteins.

In association with the Series B financing, FogPharma has appointed to its board of directors: Dr. Leon Chen, chief executive officer, 6 Dimensions Capital; Dr. Krishna Yeshwant, general partner, GV; and Dr. Rick Klausner, founder and director, Juno Therapeutics, GRAIL and Mindstrong.

"There is substantial and persistent interest in tackling targets like beta-catenin and Cbl-b, which are clearly important biologically and medically, but untouchable by conventional therapeutics. I was captivated by the FogPharma team’s unprecedented ability to go after these and other intractable targets," said Klausner, formerly director of the National Cancer Institute and executive director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"The opportunity in the near term to bring cell-penetrating miniproteins to the 20-25 percent of cancer patients whose disease is driven by the Wnt pathway is tremendous, and the opportunity beyond that to be the first to drug Cbl-b for immuno-oncology indications, is extraordinary. On behalf of 6 Dimensions Capital, I am thrilled to have led this exceptional investor syndicate and foster FogPharma’s mission," said Chen, chief executive officer, 6 Dimensons Capital, and member of the FogPharma board of directors.

Through seed and Series A financing, FogPharma previously secured $11 million bringing the company’s total funding to-date to $77 million.

In addition to FogPharma, Verdine founded and leads LifeMine Therapeutics, which has buit a first-of-its-kind, genomically-enabled drug discovery platform that can rapidly develop new drugs from fungi. Both LifeMine Therapeutics and FogPharma are headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. and were established operationally in 2016. Verdine is highly regarded for having moved seamlessly between successful roles as life scientist, entrepreneur, investor, and chief executive throughout his career. He is Erving Professor at Harvard University and Harvard Medical School and has founded multiple NASDAQ-listed biotech companies including Wave Life Sciences, Enanta, Eleven Bio, Variagenics, Tokai, Aileron, and a private company, Gloucester Pharmaceuticals, acquired by Celgene in 2010.