Perlara

About Perlara

Perlara operates as a drug discovery company with a distinct focus on finding treatments for rare genetic diseases. Founded in February 2014 by Ethan Perlstein and Henry Perlstein, the firm was established as the first biotech Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), underscoring a mission to balance shareholder interests with a commitment to social good. Ethan Perlstein, the CEO, transitioned from an academic career, holding a PhD in Molecular and Cell Biology from Harvard, to entrepreneurship, driven by a desire to apply his research to tangible therapeutic outcomes. This move was inspired by interactions with patient advocates and families affected by rare diseases, shaping the company's collaborative operational model.

The company's core business revolves around a proprietary drug discovery platform called the PerlArk™ Platform. This system utilizes simple model organisms, such as yeast, worms, and flies, which share genetic similarities with humans, to create "patient avatars." These avatars are used for high-throughput screening of massive numbers of drug candidates, including repurposing existing drugs, to identify potential treatments quickly and cost-effectively. Perlara's business model is centered on forming partnerships, known as "PerlQuests," with families, patient advocacy groups, and pharmaceutical companies. These collaborations allow stakeholders to become co-developers in the therapeutic discovery process, sharing in the ownership of any resulting commercialized discoveries.

A significant milestone for Perlara was its collaboration with Novartis in 2016 to discover therapeutics for lysosomal storage disorders. The company has also engaged in joint ventures, such as Maggie's Pearl, which led to a Phase 3 clinical trial for a treatment for PMM2-CDG, a rare congenital disorder. Despite its scientific progress, Perlara faced financial challenges, leading to a temporary wind-down of operations in 2019 before being revived by Perlstein in May 2020 with a more decentralized, virtual model. The company has secured approximately $14.5 million in funding over several rounds from investors including Y Combinator, Novartis, and Homebrew.