Bruin Pharmaceuticals
Based: Los Angeles Why It's Fierce: Up until late last year, Bruin Pharmaceuticals was virtually unheard of in the biotech field. It doesn't have a Web site or any of the high-profile VC contacts that tend to distinguish the "Fierce" crowd. Then it signed a licensing deal with Novartis that was reportedly worth in the neighborhood of $200 million, and its anonymity passed swiftly. Bruin developed a modified piece of HDL to clear the arteries of deadly plaque. D-4F is an oral drug, and Novartis clearly believes that even if Pfizer and Roche come through with similar therapies, they've got the edge with some potentially groundbreaking research work. The company was founded by Dr. Alan Fogelman, a prominent cholesterol researcher at UCLA, and is run by Jerry Magnin. The University of Pennsylvania has hosted an early stage trial involving 50 patients. Given the usual washout rate of early-stage drugs, the odds are going to be tough for D-4F. The reason why investigators have been so bullish, though, lies in animal study results. D-4F was linked to a major reduction in plaque in animal arteries, and any drug company that can demonstrate a safe and effective way to undo plaque accumulation is going to have one of the blockbusters of the decade. D-4F's advantage is that it was designed to look like natural apoA-1, so it can be taken orally. ApoA-1 is the primary protein constituent of HDL, removing cholesterol from cells. For now, Bruin seems content to keep its profile low. But if this therapy continues to do well in trials, Bruin will not be able to stay out of the spotlight. What to look for: Early trial data in one of the most closely watched new drug races on the planet. |
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