OncoMed Pharmaceuticals

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. operated as a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a specific focus on developing novel anti-cancer therapeutics. Founded in August 2004 by University of Michigan investigators Michael Clarke and Max S. Wicha, the company was built upon cancer stem cell technologies licensed from the university where the founders developed them. The core of OncoMed's strategy was to target the fundamental biological pathways that drive tumor initiation, growth, metastasis, and recurrence.

The company's research and development efforts were concentrated on discovering and advancing medicines aimed at cancer stem cells (CSCs) and immuno-oncology targets. This approach led to a pipeline of internally discovered drug candidates. Notably, candidates like demcizumab and navicixizumab (OMP-305B83), a bispecific antibody targeting both DLL4 and VEGF, progressed into clinical trials. The business model relied heavily on forming strategic alliances with major pharmaceutical corporations to fund the advancement of its clinical-stage candidates and discovery programs. Significant partnerships were established with entities such as Celgene, Bayer Pharma AG, and GlaxoSmithKline. These collaborations provided substantial funding, which supplemented the capital raised through other means.

OncoMed's journey included key milestones such as going public in 2013 with a listing on the NASDAQ under the ticker OMED. The company consolidated its operations to a headquarters in Redwood City, California, in 2007, occupying a campus that was formerly home to NeXT Computer. However, after facing clinical trial setbacks in 2017, the company underwent a strategic shift. In December 2018, a merger was announced with Mereo BioPharma Group, a UK-based company focused on rare diseases. The acquisition was completed in April 2019, after which OncoMed became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mereo BioPharma and was delisted from NASDAQ. The merger aimed to create a combined entity with a diversified pipeline and a stronger financial position, integrating OncoMed's oncology assets, such as etigilimab and navicixizumab, into Mereo's portfolio.

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