Despite its association with rodeos, barbeque and live music, Texas has seemingly shirked its Western persona in recent years to take a leap into the tech industry. Each of the state’s top tech hubs — Austin, Houston and Dallas — has cultivated its own unique tech culture, leading to the rise of various sectors including biotech. Fueled by academic brainpower and a deep-rooted healthcare industry, Dallas has naturally become a life sciences hotspot, cementing Texas’ standing as a biotech boomtown. In truth, the city has played a part in the growth of the life sciences industry for many years, serving as the backdrop for Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. Joseph Goldstein’s Nobel Prize-winning discoveries at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in 1985.
Dallas is certainly no stranger to the biotech scene, which is why this Western city is filled with many life sciences leaders. The city hosts countless biotech companies dedicated to critical focus areas like cancer treatment, neurological disease research and stem cell therapy. Utilizing the latest technologies, biotech organizations in and around Dallas are aiming to develop new treatments that have the potential to change millions of people’s lives and open new avenues for research. Take a look at these 13 biotech companies in the Dallas area paving the way for future groundbreaking discoveries.
15 Biotech Companies in Dallas to Know
- Lantern Pharma
- Taysha Gene Therapies
- Venturis Therapeutics
- TrivTech Dx
- ImmuneSensor Therapeutics
- Mentrik Biotech
- Sandhill Therapeutics
- CerSci Therapeutics
Founded: 2008
Focus: Oncology
What they do: Based in nearby Irving, Caris Life Sciences is dedicated to helping patients, clinicians and researchers navigate and reinvent cancer care. Using a comprehensive tumor profiling approach, the company assesses DNA, RNA and proteins in order to select the most appropriate cancer therapy for each patient. Caris Life Sciences performs testing for a wide range of diseases including cervical cancer, melanoma and esophageal cancer.
Founded: 2013
Focus: Oncology Drug Development
What they do: Lantern Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing a new class of precision cancer drugs. Based on integrated data analytics, experimental biology and machine learning, the company’s platform is intended to help define and develop combination strategies among drugs in development as well as predict potential responses patients will have to the company’s drugs and other drugs under review. Lantern Pharma’s ultimate aim is to deliver precision oncology therapies to the right cancer patients with reduced costs and timelines.
Founded: 2011
Focus: Oncology-Based Therapeutics
What they do: Mentrik Biotech aims to optimize oncology-based therapeutics to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. The company focuses on developing treatments for diseases like Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Mentrik Biotech seeks to create potent, cost-effective anti-cancer molecules to enhance treatment options for patients.
Founded: 2020
Focus: Monogenic Neurological Diseases
What they do: Taysha Gene Therapies is a newly launched biotech startup dedicated to developing treatments for monogenic neurological disorders. The company has built multiple gene therapy platforms, which work together as an engine for the discovery of new cures. Operating in partnership with the UT Southwestern Gene Therapy Program, Taysha Gene Therapies recently raised $30 million in funding in a round led by PBM Capital and Nolan Capital.
Founded: 1998
Focus: Drug Development
What they do: Venturis Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that focuses on developing drug candidates for diseases like diabetic wounds, severe ischemic heart disease and peripheral artery disease. The company’s lead drug candidate is designed to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels when administered to ischemic organs and tissues. Venturis Therapeutics focuses primarily on targeted delivery of next-generation molecules, which will improve the quality of life for those suffering from vascular dysfunction.
Founded: 2010
Focus: Cancer Treatment
What they do: Located in neighboring Plano, AROG Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company that develops treatment options for cancer indications with high unmet medical need. The company’s focus areas include acute myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, gastric cancer and glioma. AROG Pharmaceuticals is currently working on its lead investigational drug candidate, crenolanib, in addition to a related class of benzimidazole-based compounds.
Founded: 2018
Focus: Horticulture
What they do: OrchidBox aims to increase conservation and conservation awareness through the development of microclimate-controlled devices for plants. Built with an integrated learning smart timer and dimmable LED lights, the company’s eponymous OrchidBox is designed to let growers know when their plants need to be watered. OrchidBox’s ultimate aim is to increase the total amount of livable space available to plants and animals.
Founded: 2018
Focus: Stem Cell Therapy
What they do: Located in neighboring Irving, Re-gen Active Lab seeks to revolutionize regenerative medicine through the development of novel stem cell therapy. The company processes collected cord tissue from donors to yield the maximum number of stem cell components before shipping the finished product to doctors and clinics across the nation. Re-gen Active Lab focuses primarily on the development of stem cell therapy for wound healing, regeneration, anti-inflammatory and well-being applications.
Founded: 2014
Focus: Cancer + Autoimmune Diseases Treatment
What they do: ImmuneSensor Therapeutics focuses on developing novel medicines to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company is currently conducting a Phase 1 clinical study with its lead asset, which is a small molecule STING (stimulator of interferon genes) activator to treat solid tumors. ImmuneSensor Therapeutics’ mission is to bring meaningful cures to patients with cancers and autoimmune diseases.
Founded: 2003
Focus: Oncology
What they do: Situated in nearby Carrollton, Gradalis focuses on the development and commercialization of personalized therapeutics to treat cancer. The company’s proprietary immunotherapy platform, Vigil, is designed for multiple advanced cancer indications such as ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Gradalis’ lead program focuses on the treatment of patients with recurrent or refractory Ewing’s sarcoma, utilizing the patient’s own cancer cells to create a personalized immunotherapy with the intention of activating the patient’s own T cells against their cancer cells.
Founded: 2018
Focus: Cellular Immuno-Oncology
What they do: Sandhill Therapeutics is dedicated to transforming cellular immuno-oncology. The company has harnessed the power of Natural Killer (NK) cells and innate T cell populations in an effort to maximize tumor killing and provide a cost-effective cellular immuno-oncology therapy. Sandhill Therapeutics’ proprietary technology leverages a defined combination of multiple innate immune cell populations. This technology is designed to be used in both the treatment of solid tumors and after hematologic stem cell transplantation for the treatment and prevention of infections and relapse.
Founded: 2007
Focus: Respiratory Devices
What they do: Founded by Dee Faram, Caddo Medical Technologies develops solutions for respiratory diseases. The company has invented and patented a pre-filled nebulizer system, which is the first true drug-device combination applicable to the nebulized medication and device markets. With a focus on innovations in pulmonary medicine, Caddo Medical Technologies is guided by the aim to help people around the world breathe better.
Founded: 2009
Focus: Nuclear Medicine
What they do: Based in nearby Plano, Orano Med utilizes nuclear medicine to develop new cancer treatments. The company’s approach, known as targeted alpha therapy (TAT), recognizes and destroys cancer cells while limiting the impact on neighboring healthy cells. Orano Med has created new processes for producing high-purity lead-212, a rare radioactive isotope that has played an integral role in the development of new cancer treatments.
