At BlueRock, our mission is to create authentic cellular medicines to reverse devastating diseases, with the vision of improving the human condition.
Built on the research of some of the world’s foremost experts in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) biology, BlueRock has revolutionized and scaled methods for creating authentic cell types in the areas of neurology, cardiology, immunology and ophthalmology.
Daring to ask, “What If?”
What if, instead of merely treating disease symptoms, doctors could restore function and health by replacing tissue lost or damaged with disease? What if it were possible to trade daily lifelong pharmaceutical regimens for a single treatment that prevents symptoms or cures disease?
Driven by the opportunity to transform the way we treat disease, BlueRock is turning “what if” into “here’s how.”
Our Science
BlueRock’s advanced cell+gene platform takes fully developed adult cells, such as from blood, and returns them back to a pluripotent state – these “blank canvas” cells are full of potential and can give rise to other cell types. BlueRock directs these pluripotent cells into highly specific authentic replacements of cells that have been damaged or lost to disease. The cell+gene technology further harnesses genetic engineering to enhance those authentic cells with specific functions to improve their therapeutic
effects.
Our expertise in manufacturing authentic cells opens the door to creating medicines that potentially raise the standard of care from current methods of managing symptoms to replacing lost cells and possibly engineering replacement cells to work seamlessly and fully restore lost function.
Seth Ettenberg, PH.D., President and Chief Executive Officer
BlueRock in Toronto
BlueRock’s foundational relationship with Toronto’s University Health Network (UHN) and the McEwan Centre for Regenerative Medicine continues with research in the area of cardiology, led by Dr. Gordon Keller, a world leader in stem cell biology and a scientific co-founder of BlueRock Therapeutics, and Dr. Michael A. Laflamme, a cardiac cell therapy pioneer and co-founding investigator for BlueRock.
BlueRock’s footprint in Toronto began in 2017 with lab space in the MaRS Discovery District. BlueRock’s Toronto operations have since expanded and it is now home to approximately 100 employees and 21,000 square feet of lab, manufacturing and office space. “Our Toronto location is a true hub for innovation and science – the proximity to and relationship with UHN has been invaluable to our success,” said Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy Ainslie Little. “We have been able to tap into an incredibly diverse, energized talent pool to join BlueRock’s mission and we look forward to continuing to be engaged members of the community.”
Ainslie Little, PH.D., SVP, Corporate Strategy
Looking ahead
As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bayer, BlueRock Therapeutics has found support to grow its resources and continue to build its pipeline. 2021 was a notable year for progress on BlueRock’s Parkinson’s disease program, receiving permission to initiate the first Canadian clinical trial to study pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons in patients with Parkinson’s disease from Health Canada, and fast-track designation by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
2021 also brought CEO Seth Ettenberg to the helm. Formerly BlueRock’s Chief Scientific Officer, the company has seen nearly 30% growth under his tenure, with no plans of slowing down. “What I love most about BlueRock is our culture, our people and our mission of bringing regenerative medicines to patients living with unmet needs. Toronto is a big piece of that puzzle. We are currently conducting clinical trials for patients living with Parkinson’s disease in Toronto, and the incredible sense of community and scientific integrity we bring to the table is vitally important to realizing
these treatments. Toronto is a city rich with talent in the healthcare and life science space, and I am thrilled that BlueRock can be a part of it.”
