Syntax Bio

About Syntax Bio

Syntax Bio is a preclinical-stage biotechnology company founded in 2018 that is engineering a discovery platform to address challenges in stem cell-derived therapies. The company was co-founded by Ryan Clarke, PhD, and Professor Brad Merrill, PhD, from the University of Illinois at Chicago. The technology is based on research from Professor Merrill's lab, which was co-developed by Clarke during his PhD studies from 2014 to 2019. After earning his doctorate, Clarke gained experience in drug discovery at Sana Biotechnology, which exposed him to the manufacturing challenges in the cell therapy field. The company officially launched and came out of stealth mode in 2021.

Syntax Bio's core technology is its proprietary "Cellgorithm" platform. This platform uses a modified, non-gene-editing CRISPR system to regulate the turning on and off of specific genes in a controlled sequence. This process mimics natural human developmental processes at the epigenetic level to direct induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to differentiate into a wide variety of specific, functional cell types. The Cellgorithm system uses episomal plasmids, which are temporary instructions delivered into the cells, to guide this differentiation, cutting timelines from months to days. This approach is designed to make the discovery and manufacturing of cell therapies faster, more scalable, less expensive, and more reliable than traditional methods.

The company operates on a collaborative business model, forming discovery partnerships with biopharmaceutical companies and other entities in the cell therapy ecosystem. This model involves upfront R&D payments, milestone-based fees, and royalties. Syntax Bio also plans to develop its own drug programs, which would later require pharmaceutical partners for market entry. The company has successfully generated cell types like pancreatic beta cells, which have potential applications for Type 1 diabetes, and plans to develop cells for the bone marrow, endocrine, and immune systems. To date, the company has raised $15 million in funding from investors including Astellas Venture Management, Illumina Ventures, DCVCBio, and Portal Innovations.