precision medicine
Experienced Biotech Executives Launch New Rare Disease Startup
Another rare disease startup is entering the market, this time backed by a group of executives who have been here before. Mendra, a new biotech led by former BioMarin and Escient Pharmaceuticals executives, has raised $82 million in a Series A round led by OrbiMed, 8VC, and 5AM Ventures. The company says the capital will…
Illumina and Big Pharma Collaborate on Massive Cell Atlas for AI Models
Illumina has unveiled what it calls the largest genome-wide genetic perturbation dataset ever created, aimed at boosting AI-driven drug discovery across the pharmaceutical industry. The new Billion Cell Atlas represents the first phase of a planned five-billion-cell resource that the company expects to complete over the next three years. Illumina says the project will eventually…
New Immune Map Offers Hope for Multiple Myeloma Patients
Scientists are mapping immune cells in the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients. You could say it’s a way to see how the immune system interacts with cancer cells. It might also help doctors figure out how aggressive the cancer is and guide new immune-based therapies. The study, in Nature Cancer, involved teams from WashU…
