The company will conduct research and commercially develop products that utilize telomerase activator drugs to restore the regenerative and functional capacity of cells in various organ systems that have been impacted by senescence, injury or chronic disease.
Geron and collaborating scientists have generated evidence that telomerase activation can restore function in certain aged or diseased tissues.
TA Therapeutics Limited (TAT) will be owned 50-50 by Geron and its Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)-established partner, the Biotechnology Research Corporation (BRC).
Geron will contribute scientific leadership, development expertise, intellectual property and capital to the new company, while BRC will also provide scientific leadership, a research team, capital and laboratory facilities.
“We view this arrangement with Geron to be an extraordinary opportunity to launch an important biopharmaceutical company in Hong Kong,” said Professor Roland Chin, vice-president for R&D at HKUST. “This is a remarkable opportunity and we are very pleased to form this venture.”