Despite its ties to rodeos, barbecue, and live music, Texas seems to have shunned its Western image and gotten into the tech industry in recent years. The state's top technology hubs, Austin, Houston, and Dallas, each foster their own tech cultures, leading to the rise of various sectors, including biotech. Bolstered by academic minds and a strong health care industry, Dallas naturally became a hotspot for life sciences, cementing Texas' status as a biotech boomtown. In fact, the city has contributed to the growth of the life sciences industry over the years, serving as the backdrop for the Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Dr. Michael Brown and Dr. Joseph Goldstein at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 1985. It worked.
Dallas is certainly no stranger to the biotech field, which is why this western city is filled with many life science leaders. The city is home to countless biotech companies specializing in key focus areas such as cancer treatment, neurological disease research, and stem cell therapy. Biotechnology organizations in and around Dallas aim to harness the latest technology to develop new treatments that have the potential to change the lives of millions of people and open new avenues of research. See 13 Dallas-area biotech companies paving the way to future breakthrough discoveries.
15 Dallas Biotech Companies You Should Know About
- Lantern Pharma
- taisha gene therapy
- Venturis Therapeutics
- Tributec DX
- Immune sensor therapy
- Mentric Biotech
- sandhill therapeutics
- CerSci Therapeutics
Established: 2008
concentration: oncology
What they do: Based in nearby Irving, Caris Life Sciences is dedicated to helping patients, clinicians and researchers navigate and reinvent cancer care. The company uses a comprehensive tumor profiling approach to evaluate DNA, RNA, and proteins to select the most appropriate cancer treatment for each patient. Caris Life Sciences tests for a wide range of diseases, including cervical cancer, melanoma, and esophageal cancer.
Established: 2013
concentration: Development of tumor treatment drugs
What they do: Lantern Pharma is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing a new class of precision cancer therapeutics. The company's platform, based on integrated data analytics, experimental biology, and machine learning, helps define and develop combination strategies between drugs in development, as well as for the company's drugs and other drugs under review. It aims to predict the potential reactions a patient might have. Lantern Pharma's ultimate goal is to bring precision oncology treatments to deserving cancer patients at reduced cost and schedule.
Established: 2011
concentration: Oncology-based treatment
What they do: Mentrik Biotech aims to optimize oncology-based therapies to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. The company focuses on developing treatments for diseases such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Mentrik Biotech aims to develop potent and cost-effective anti-cancer molecules to enhance treatment options for patients.
Established: 2020
concentration: monogenic neurological disorders
What they do: Taysha Gene Therapies is a newly launched biotech startup focused on developing treatments for monogenic neurological diseases. The company has built multiple gene therapy platforms that work together as an engine for discovering new treatments. Taysha Gene Therapies, operated in partnership with the UT Southwestern Gene Therapy Program, recently raised $30 million in funding led by PBM Capital and Nolan Capital.
Established: 1998
concentration: drug development
What they do: Venturis Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing drug candidates for diseases such as 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 is primarily focused on the targeted delivery of next-generation molecules that improve the quality of life for people suffering from vascular dysfunction.
Established: 2010
concentration: cancer treatment
What they do: Located in nearby Plano, AROG Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company developing treatment options for cancer indications with high unmet medical need. The company's focus areas include acute myeloid leukemia, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, gastric cancer, and glioma. AROG Pharmaceuticals is currently working on developing its lead investigational drug candidate, crenolanib, in addition to related classes of benzimidazole-based compounds.
Established: 2018
concentration: gardening
What they do: OrchidBox aims to raise conservation and conservation awareness through the development of microclimate control devices for plants. With an integrated learning smart timer and dimmable LED lights, the company's eponymous OrchidBox is designed to let growers know when they need to water their plants. The ultimate goal of OrchidBox is to increase the total amount of habitable space available to plants and animals.
Established: 2018
concentration: stem cell therapy
What they do: Located in neighboring Irving, Re-gen Active Lab aims to revolutionize regenerative medicine through the development of new stem cell therapies. The company processes umbilical cord tissue collected from donors to generate the maximum number of stem cell components before shipping the final product to doctors and clinics across the country. Re-gen Active Lab primarily focuses on developing stem cell therapies for wound healing, regeneration, anti-inflammatory and health applications.
Established: 2014
concentration: Treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases
What they do: ImmuneSensor Therapeutics is focused on developing novel medicines to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company is currently conducting Phase 1 clinical studies with its lead asset, a small molecule STING (stimulator of interferon gene) activator for treating solid tumors. ImmuneSensor Therapeutics' mission is to bring meaningful treatments to patients with cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Established: 2003
concentration: oncology
What they do: Gradalis, located near Carrollton, focuses on developing and commercializing personalized therapies to treat cancer. The company's proprietary immunotherapy platform, Vigil, is designed for multiple advanced cancer indications, including ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Gradalis' flagship program focuses on treating patients with relapsed or refractory Ewing's sarcoma and utilizes the patient's own cancer cells to activate the patient's own T cells against cancer cells. Create personalized immunotherapies aimed at
Established: 2018
concentration: 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 to maximize tumor killing and provide cost-effective cellular immuno-oncology therapies. Sandhill Therapeutics' proprietary technology leverages defined combinations of multiple innate immune cell populations. This technology is designed for use both in the treatment of solid tumors and after blood stem cell transplantation for the treatment and prevention of infections and recurrence.
Established: 2007
concentration: respiratory equipment
What they do: Founded by Dee Faram, Caddo Medical Technologies develops solutions for respiratory diseases. The company invented and patented a prefilled nebulizer system. This is the first true drug and device combination applicable to the nebulized drug and device market. Caddo Medical Technologies is focused on innovation in respiratory medicine and aims to help people around the world breathe better.
Established: 2009
concentration: nuclear medicine
What they do: Orano Med, based near Plano, uses 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 nearby healthy cells. Orano Med has developed a new process to produce highly purified lead-212, a rare radioactive isotope that has played a key role in the development of new cancer treatments.
