Perlara
Perlara, formerly known as Perlstein Lab PBC, is a healthcare company focused on drug discovery and delivery, specifically in the rare disease sector. Based in Oakland, CA, and operating remotely, Perlara engages in innovative R&D ventures and drug repurposing trials.
Company History
Perlara, originally known as Perlstein Lab PBC, is a healthcare company based in Oakland, CA, USA. The company has evolved significantly since its inception and is part of the Y-Combinator W16 batch. It has shifted its operations to become a virtual clinical development company, referred to as Perlara 1.5. Throughout its history, Perlara has consistently focused on pioneering research and development in the field of drug discovery and delivery, particularly targeting rare diseases. Perlara considers itself the first decentralized and distributed biotech company.
Services Offered
Perlara offers a range of services, including modality-agnostic virtual consulting and model-agnostic drug repurposing services. The company actively engages with rare disease families, companies, and impact investors through initiatives like PerlQuests. These ventures aim to develop new treatments and cures by collaborating closely with stakeholders. Perlara also invites families and scientists to join its efforts in the development of treatments for rare diseases.
Drug Discovery and Trials
In its pursuit of innovative treatments, Perlara has launched clinical trials for drug repurposing. Notable examples include trials at Mayo Clinic for using epalrestat and aripiprazole in the treatment of PMM2-CDG and NGLY1-CDDG, respectively. These trials exemplify Perlara's approach to leveraging existing drugs for new therapeutic purposes, focused on rare diseases. The company employs gene-edited patient avatars to screen for repurposable drugs, contributing to its predictive R&D engine, ArkBase.
Innovative Research Initiatives
Perlara's innovative approaches to drug discovery include early R&D joint ventures named PerlQuests. These ventures are collaborations with rare disease families, companies, or impact investors aimed at co-developing treatments. Moreover, their predictive R&D engine, ArkBase, was developed to identify promising drug candidates for rare diseases. Perlara's strategy includes planning the monetization of programs based on ArkBase predictions by selectively spinning out asset-centric clinical development companies, referred to as NewCos.
Operational Model and Reach
Perlara operates a decentralized, distributed model, offering its services remotely. The company's operations are based in Oakland, CA, but it embraces a fully remote approach, serving regions including the United States and Canada. With a current team size of one, Perlara operates as a virtual clinical development company, making use of its unique operational model to drive forward projects in the healthcare industry, particularly in the drug discovery and delivery sub-sector.