How NGM Bio intends to build an old school biotech

Having solved the hepatitis C issue, the leading cause of expensive liver transplants is a disease called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which, not surprisingly, is attracting a lot of attention from companies looking to develop treatments. Jeff Jonker, president of NGM Biopharmaceuticals, a San Francisco-based biotech, explains to Scrip how he is both positioning its lead Phase II asset, NGM282, in what is a very crowded space, while the vast majority of his researchers are working on other clinical and preclinical programs across a broad range of indications, including oncology, cardiovascular, ophthalmology and neurology. Although the 10- year-old private company is well financed, primarily through a deal with Merck worth some $500 million, Jonker does not discount a return to the capital markets if it decides to go it alone and fund a Phase III program for NGM282.