BIND Therapeutics

BIND Therapeutics operated as a clinical-stage biotechnology firm, focusing on the development of targeted nanomedicines for cancer treatment. The company was founded in 2006, stemming from the nanotechnology research of its scientific founders, Dr. Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Dr. Omid Farokhzad of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Langer, a prolific chemical engineer and inventor, is renowned for his pioneering work in biotechnology and has co-founded over 40 companies, including Moderna. Dr. Farokhzad is a physician-scientist recognized for his contributions to the development of nanomedicines and has founded several biotechnology companies.

The company's core technology was its proprietary Medicinal Nanoengineering® platform, which created programmable nanoparticles called ACCURINS®. These nanoparticles, typically 80-120 nm in size, were designed to encapsulate therapeutic payloads, such as chemotherapy drugs, and deliver them directly to disease sites. The ACCURINS® platform aimed to increase the drug concentration at the tumor while minimizing exposure to healthy tissues, thereby improving efficacy and reducing side effects. The technology was designed for prolonged circulation in the bloodstream, allowing the nanoparticles to accumulate in tumors through leaky blood vessels.

BIND Therapeutics' business model involved developing its own pipeline of ACCURIN-based drugs and forming strategic collaborations with major pharmaceutical companies. It successfully established partnerships with firms like Amgen, AstraZeneca, Merck, and Pfizer to apply the ACCURINS® technology to their therapeutic compounds. The company went public in September 2013, raising approximately $70.5 million in its initial public offering. Its lead product candidate, BIND-014, was a targeted version of the chemotherapy drug docetaxel, which advanced to Phase 2 clinical trials. However, following mixed clinical trial results and financial pressures, including a loan repayment demand, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May 2016. In July 2016, Pfizer acquired substantially all of BIND's assets for $40 million following a bankruptcy auction.

Keywords: nanomedicine, targeted therapeutics, drug delivery, Accurins, oncology, Pfizer acquisition, Robert Langer, Omid Farokhzad, biotechnology, nanoparticle platform