Enlight Biosciences was launched earlier this month through a collaboration between Merck & Co., Pfizer, and Eli Lilly. The company, cofounded by PureTech Ventures, plans to direct up to $39 million for novel approaches to drug discovery and development.
During this week's GEN podcast, bioindustry analysts Ben Conway and Isaac Ro discuss why there just might be a need for another drug discovery company and describe the unique advantages Enlight Biosciences could bring to the table. They comment on why three rival pharmaceutical companies in the extremely competitive drug industry might have decided to collaborate on the creation of a new drug discovery firm. Conway and Ro also address the issue of how realistic it may be to expect an initial $39 million investment to advance breakthrough technologies that can fundamentally alter drug discovery and development.
While most life science investing over the past few years has been directed to late-stage programs, the Enlight Biosciences story might be a break from this model. Conway and Ro talk about the potential of increasing amounts of investment dollars flowing into early-stage drug discovery and development in the near future.