In This Article:
Investors may want to put on their radar screen the 15 private and independent biotech companies recognized by FierceBiotech for their novel methods to conquer a variety of diseases.
The companies can be evaluated as potential investments in a number of ways: their technology, therapeutic areas of concentration, the experience and track record of leadership and the size and reputation of their backers.
"Small, gutsy biotechs are still attracting venture capitalists, the public markets and Big Pharma suitors," Ben Adams wrote in the Sept. 23 article listing the top 15.
Among the young companies, there may be a few gems that will join their predecessors into the public markets or be acquired by a member of pharma coveting a novel platform or building its existing pipeline.
Let's look at the three of companies that made the cut.
Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Anthos Therapeutics was launched earlier this year with $250 million from The Blackstone Group, the largest alternative investment firm in the world. Its first drug candidate is a heart disease drug from Novartis (NYSE:NVS), which is still in the middle phases of clinical trials.
The sizeable Blackstone investment gives Anthos the cash needed to conduct the type of expensive cardiovascular disease studies that many biotech companies couldn't afford or had to stop because they ran out of money.
The company's first project is developing the Novartis drug that fights blood clots. Anthos thinks the medicine can prevent a range of cardiovascular issues with little or no risk of bleeding.
Anthos' CEO is John Glasspool, a 10-year veteran of Novartis, where he oversaw the company's cardiovascular and metabolism unit. He left for Baxter (NYSE:BAX) in 2012 and was later a member of the executive team at Baxalta when it was purchased by Shire, now part of Takeda (NYSE:TAK), for $32 billion.
Another biotech highlighted in the article is Black Diamond, which was launched in December 2018 with $20 million from Versant Ventures. The leading health care capital venture firm added another $85 million a month later, so Black Diamond could move its lead program into clinical trials by early next year.
Black Diamond is developing cancer treatments that attack a set of mutated genes that haven't been targeted before.
David M. Epstein, Ph.D., is the founder of Black Diamond and serves as its president and CEO. He is a recognized biopharma industry leader and was formerly chief scientific officer at Astellas Pharmaceuticals (ALPMY). He also founded biopharma company Archemix Corp.