TARIS Biomedical

TARIS Biomedical was a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing targeted therapies for bladder diseases, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson in December 2019. The company was founded in 2008 as a spinout from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based on research from the laboratories of renowned entrepreneurs Dr. Robert Langer and Dr. Michael Cima. Both Langer, a prolific inventor in medicine and a pioneer of controlled drug release systems, and Cima, an expert in materials science and medical devices, brought extensive entrepreneurial experience from co-founding multiple life science companies.

The core of TARIS's business was a novel, silicone-based drug delivery system designed for sustained, localized release of medication directly into the bladder over weeks or months. This technology addresses a primary challenge in urology: the bladder's tendency to quickly expel foreign materials, making traditional intravesical drug delivery inefficient. The system involves a device that is inserted into the bladder via a catheter in a minimally invasive office procedure, where it coils into a pretzel shape to stay in place, and is later retrieved using a cystoscope. This approach aimed to increase treatment efficacy for patients with debilitating bladder conditions while minimizing the systemic side effects associated with oral or infused drugs.

TARIS's business model centered on developing and advancing its pipeline of drug-device combination products through clinical trials to demonstrate safety and efficacy, with the ultimate goal of commercialization or strategic partnerships. A significant milestone occurred in August 2014, when the company sold its first program, LiRIS® for treating interstitial cystitis, to Allergan. Following this sale, TARIS relaunched in 2015 and shifted its focus to a portfolio addressing bladder cancer and overactive bladder. Its lead product candidate became TAR-200 (GemRIS), a system for releasing the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine to treat muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), which received Fast Track designation from the FDA in 2018. At the time of its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson, TARIS became part of Janssen R&D's Oncology division, continuing its research to advance the technology platform for bladder cancer and potentially other cancers.

Keywords: drug delivery, urology, bladder cancer, intravesical therapy, controlled release, medical device, Johnson & Johnson, oncology, TAR-200, genitourinary