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    "id": 11979,
    "name": "LEAH Labs",
    "slug": "leah-labs",
    "former_names": [
      "Lifengine Animal Health Laboratories",
      "Incorporated"
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    "website": "http://www.leahlabs.com",
    "all_locations": "Minneapolis, MN, USA",
    "long_description": "LEAH Labs is building living therapies for pets first, and their people next. We're first focused on CAR-T cell therapy for dogs with B cell lymphoma, the naturally occurring clinical analog of human non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. CAR-T cells are curative in humans, and our early results are showing the same - we're inducing remissions in pets with late stage lymphomas. Our virus-free gene editing platform allows us to engineer a dose of CAR-T cell therapy for ~$500, and brings the promise of a curative outcome. Given our safety and efficacy data to date, we believe this product could be used by general practice veterinarians, meaning we have thousands of customers all across the USA who typically treat with palliative care or refer cancer patients to specialty oncologists. Our CAR-T cell platform is regulated by the USDA, not the FDA, affording us a cost effective \"full stack\" to iterate and innovate on CAR-T cell therapy from a hypothesis through clinical validation. ",
    "one_liner": "Living therapies for pets first, and their people next",
    "team_size": 4,
    "industry": "Healthcare",
    "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics",
    "launched_at": 1541131379,
    "tags": [
      "CRISPR",
      "Cell Therapy",
      "Drug discovery"
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    "isHiring": false,
    "nonprofit": false,
    "batch": "Winter 2019",
    "status": "Active",
    "industries": [
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      "Therapeutics"
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    "regions": [
      "United States of America",
      "America / Canada"
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    "stage": "Early",
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    "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/leah-labs",
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    "year_founded": 2018,
    "city": "Minneapolis",
    "country": "US",
    "linkedin_url": "http://www.twitter.com/leahlabsincwww.linkedin.com/leahlabsinc",
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        "user_id": 262103,
        "full_name": "Wesley Wierson",
        "title": "Founder",
        "founder_bio": "I am a scientist and entrepreneur applying my expertise in gene editing towards solving consumer level problems in society, first focused on building curative cancer therapies for pets, and eventually their owners. \n\nThrough my time at LEAH Labs, I've also found a passion for biotech business model innovation through regulatory arbitrage - e.g. CAR-T in pets is regulated by USDA, not FDA, thus we can get to market 2-3x faster and for 500x less capital than human CAR-T",
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  {
    "id": 13705,
    "name": "Algen Biotechnologies",
    "slug": "algen-biotechnologies",
    "former_names": [
      "Algen Biotechnologies",
      "Inc."
    ],
    "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/41218b0dee65a988940509b3fe258626c5137590.png",
    "website": "https://www.algenbio.com/",
    "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA",
    "long_description": "Algen is using CRISPR to uncover disease-driving RNA messages to find treatments for cancer, inflammation and diseases with high unmet needs. We are harnessing the power of CRISPR and machine learning to find first-in-class drugs that modulate RNA messages at single-cell resolution. Algen's founders are bioengineer from Jennifer Doudna Lab and biotech commercialization expert, teamed up with experienced pharmaceutical executives.",
    "one_liner": "Using CRISPR to find treatments for cancer and inflammation",
    "team_size": 15,
    "industry": "Healthcare",
    "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Drug Discovery and Delivery",
    "launched_at": 1759774411,
    "tags": [
      "CRISPR",
      "Biotech",
      "Therapeutics",
      "Drug discovery",
      "AI"
    ],
    "tags_highlighted": [],
    "top_company": false,
    "isHiring": false,
    "nonprofit": false,
    "batch": "Winter 2020",
    "status": "Active",
    "industries": [
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    "regions": [
      "United States of America",
      "America / Canada"
    ],
    "stage": "Early",
    "app_video_public": false,
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    "app_answers": null,
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    "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/algen-biotechnologies",
    "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2020/algen-biotechnologies.json",
    "year_founded": 2018,
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "country": "US",
    "linkedin_url": "",
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    "founders": [
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        "user_id": 311028,
        "full_name": "Chun-Hao Huang",
        "title": "Founder",
        "founder_bio": "Co-Founder and CEO, Algen",
        "is_active": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/chun-hao-huang/",
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      },
      {
        "user_id": 312056,
        "full_name": "Christine Du",
        "title": "Founder",
        "founder_bio": "Co-Founder and CBO, Algen",
        "is_active": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-d",
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    ],
    "jobs": [],
    "news": [
      {
        "title": "AstraZeneca, Algen Biotechnologies pen $555M AI pact",
        "url": "https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/astrazeneca-algen-biotechnolgies-pen-555m-ai-pact-immunology-targets",
        "date": "Oct 06, 2025"
      },
      {
        "title": "J.P. Morgan Life Sciences Private Capital, Blue Horizon Advisors and United AlSaqer Group Announce Finalists of the 2024 Life Sciences Innovation Summit in Abu Dhabi",
        "url": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jp-morgan-life-sciences-private-capital-blue-horizon-advisors-and-united-alsaqer-group-announce-finalists-of-the-2024-life-sciences-innovation-summit-in-abu-dhabi-302108427.html",
        "date": "Apr 04, 2024"
      }
    ],
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  },
  {
    "id": 22045,
    "name": "Nephrogen",
    "slug": "nephrogen",
    "former_names": [],
    "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ce4f8b04c9fefa06f0088d04f45b91af1e3fe8aa.png",
    "website": "http://www.nephrogenbiotech.com",
    "all_locations": "New York City, NY, USA",
    "long_description": "Nephrogen is a Stanford biotech spin-out developing curative genetic medicines for kidney and pancreatic diseases. Kidney disease alone affects 1 in 7 Americans, and neither indication has any approved gene-based therapies. \r\n\r\nNephrogen's underlying platform combines AI and high-throughput screening to engineer safer, more efficient, and less expensive gene delivery vehicles for reaching the kidney and pancreas, and has attracted non-dilutive funding from seven major pharmaceutical companies including Merck KGaA, Novartis, and Bristol Myers Squibb.",
    "one_liner": "Curative genetic medicines for kidney diseases",
    "team_size": 5,
    "industry": "Healthcare",
    "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics",
    "launched_at": 1660881251,
    "tags": [
      "Gene Therapy",
      "CRISPR",
      "Biotech"
    ],
    "tags_highlighted": [],
    "top_company": false,
    "isHiring": false,
    "nonprofit": false,
    "batch": "Summer 2020",
    "status": "Active",
    "industries": [
      "Healthcare",
      "Therapeutics"
    ],
    "regions": [
      "United States of America",
      "America / Canada"
    ],
    "stage": "Early",
    "app_video_public": false,
    "demo_day_video_public": false,
    "app_answers": null,
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    "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/nephrogen",
    "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2020/nephrogen.json",
    "year_founded": 2022,
    "city": "New York City",
    "country": "US",
    "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/nephrogen",
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    "primary_partner": {
      "name": "Jared Friedman",
      "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman"
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  },
  {
    "id": 29959,
    "name": "Uncommon Therapeutics",
    "slug": "uncommon-therapeutics",
    "former_names": [],
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    "website": "https://uncommontherapeutics.com",
    "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA",
    "long_description": "Our founder Noah, an experienced tech entrepreneur, was directly impacted by a severe genetic disease when his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a disease that afflicts 1 in 10,000 girls. Using an innovative polytherapy strategy, we’ve successfully improved her quality of life, and have designed new therapeutics that each could be worth billions and together could deliver a cure.",
    "one_liner": "A Disease Focused Biotech, Building Multiple Billion Dollar Drugs",
    "team_size": 2,
    "industry": "Healthcare",
    "subindustry": "Healthcare -> Therapeutics",
    "launched_at": 1740166772,
    "tags": [
      "Gene Therapy",
      "CRISPR",
      "Biotechnology"
    ],
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    "nonprofit": false,
    "batch": "Winter 2025",
    "status": "Active",
    "industries": [
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      "Therapeutics"
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    "regions": [
      "United States of America",
      "America / Canada",
      "Remote",
      "Partly Remote"
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    "stage": "Early",
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    "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/uncommon-therapeutics",
    "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2025/uncommon-therapeutics.json",
    "year_founded": 2024,
    "city": "San Francisco",
    "country": "US",
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    "primary_partner": {
      "name": "Jared Friedman",
      "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/jared-friedman"
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    "founders": [
      {
        "user_id": 1883658,
        "full_name": "Noah Auerhahn",
        "title": "Founder/CEO",
        "founder_bio": "Serial Entrepreneur Building Therapies and New Biz Models for Rare Disease",
        "is_active": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahauerhahn/",
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      {
        "user_id": 1967780,
        "full_name": "Ryan Lim",
        "title": "Founder",
        "founder_bio": "Biotech entrepreneur and biomedical scientist specializing in modeling neurological disorders using stem cells, in vivo models, and computational biology to drive breakthroughs in neurological diseases",
        "is_active": true,
        "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanlimphd",
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      {
        "id": 87905,
        "title": "💊🧠🧬 Uncommon Therapeutics - A Disease Focused Biotech",
        "tagline": "Developing multiple high‐value ($b) therapeutics per disease, combining new tools and deep expertise to deliver cures",
        "body": "### **TL;DR**\n\nNoah, an experienced tech entrepreneur, was directly impacted by a severe genetic disease when his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a disease that afflicts 1 in 10,000 girls. Using an innovative polytherapy strategy, we’ve successfully improved her quality of life, and have designed **new therapeutics that each could be worth billions and together could deliver a cure.**\n\nOur _uncommon_ approach to biotech includes deep respect for the complexities of biology and disease, but belief that **many of the orthodoxies of biotech can be challenged by ideas from tech**.\n\n### **Why Now?**\n\n**AI is unlocking every field and biotech is no different.** However in bio the value will not go to the platform builders, but the users of the tools and the drug assets they create. Today it is easier and cheaper than ever to build better drugs. \n\nMeanwhile, biotech is no longer a closed system. So many of the core modality IP (mAbs, ASOs, mRNA, Car-T, CRISPR, etc) have expired or will expire by the time a drug comes to market. There are mature CROs for every stage of drug development from screening to running studies. And there are experts available to consult who have built at the platform companies that spent billions refining these tools.\n\nAt Uncommon we believe now is the best time ever to build a disease focused biotech. **So while Biotech may not get the first 1 person billion dollar company, in this AI-driven open source system, it may deliver the first 2 person one.**\n\n### **Why Us?**\n\n_“Start companies to solve personal problems” —_ Michael Seibel\n\nImagine while you are building your high flying tech company, your 18 month old daughter starts to lose the ability to walk, speak, use her hands, and will soon develop a cascade of maladies (seizures, breath holding and hyper ventilation, scoliosis and on) – this is Rett Syndrome. Over the months that followed **Noah dedicated himself to this problem, reading over 300 papers in the first 9 months alone, speaking with every expert until he became one**. We identified multiple repurposed drugs, not commonly used for Rett, that while not curative could immediately push back against the skill loss and successfully give her a higher quality of life. Today, **Ellie is 5 and in the top 1% of people with Rett**. While still limited, she is happy, walking around, not in pain, without seizures, and is learning to read and communicate with her eye gaze device.\n\n**Expertise unlocks traction**: With just $1M, we utilized the best tech and modality expertise to design three novel therapeutics that target the underlying cause of the disease, **all of which are now working in patient cells**.\n\n### **Results in Patient Cells**\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=87905&key=user_uploads/1883658/f4e6dd78-3631-4692-98d9-49b57c43479a)\n\n### **Team**\n\n**Noah Auerhahn** (Co-Founder & CEO) - Noah bootstrapped his first company and sold it to Rakuten for $15M and raised over $75M for his second company. In 2021 his daughter was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome. He dedicated himself to becoming an expert on the disease and then identifying disease modifying-therapies, personally investing over $1M into those efforts. He is deeply involved across every aspect of Uncommon’s drug development efforts.\n\n**Ryan Lim, PhD** (Co-Founder & CSO) - Ryan is a biotech entrepreneur and biomedical scientist with over 10 years of experience in neurological diseases. At Uncommon he’s pioneering gene-editing, ASO, and small-molecule therapies for Rett Syndrome. He led AI-driven drug discovery efforts, taking a therapeutic candidate from initial discovery through IND-enabling studies on its way to ALS patients at Modulo Bio, and at UCI identified a repurposed compound that is currently in Phase II trials for Huntington’s disease.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=87905&key=user_uploads/1883658/05663633-8048-49a0-b826-f0320e58af04)\n\n### **Asks**\n\n* Please share this post on your socials and help spread the word.\n* Intro’s to biotech execs who are forward thinking on rare disease and could be good future or present partners in our efforts!",
        "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Mrp-uncommon-therapeutics-a-disease-focused-biotech",
        "votes": 23,
        "created_at": "2025-02-21T20:01:59.726Z"
      }
    ]
  }
]