Ridgeback Biotherapeutics is a Miami-based biotechnology company, primarily known for its involvement in developing a successful COVID-19 medication.
Ridgeback is privately owned by hedge fund manager and physician, Wayne Holman (formerly of S.A.C. Capital Advisors[1]) and his wife Wendy Holman. Wendy is the CEO at the company, which refers to itself as a majority woman owned business.[2]
In early 2020, Ridgeback purchased an exclusive license for the commercial development of Molnupiravir from Emory University, where the drug was initially developed with $16 million in grants from Federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health. The terms of the deal were undisclosed. Molnupiravir was initially researched as a treatment for influenza, but may have broad spectrum activity against other viruses.
Ridgeback was mentioned in a whistleblower complaint from Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. The complaint alleged that Ridgeback lobbied the government for millions in funding to help develop Molnupiravir.
Merck & Co. partnered with Ridgeback to perform clinical trials with Molnupiravir in humans to treat COVID-19. Ridgeback has also developed a number of other advanced medications such as monoclonal antibody Ansuvimab against the Ebola virus.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
References
- David Crow. Hedge fund manager stands to profit on 'flip' of taxpayer-funded coronavirus drug Financial Times, 30 June 2020, retrieved 1 December 2021^
- Breakthrough Ebola Treatment Receives Contract from U.S. Government Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, 2 April 2020, retrieved 2021-12-01^
- Drug launched at Emory reduces virus that causes COVID-19 to undetectable levels Emory University, March 17, 2021, retrieved 2021-11-07^
- Arnold Lee. Ansuvimab: First Approval Drugs, 2021^
- George R. Painter, Michael G. Natchus, Oren Cohen, Wendy Holman, Wendy P. Painter. Developing a direct acting, orally available antiviral agent in a pandemic: The evolution of molnupiravir as a potential treatment for COVID-19 Current Opinion in Virology, 2021^
- Mohd. Imran, Mandeep Kumar Arora, Syed Mohammed Basheeruddin Asdaq, Shah Alam Khan, Saleh I. Alaqel, Mohammed Kanan Alshammari, Mohammed M. Alshehri, Ahmed Subeh Alshrari. Discovery, Development, and Patent Trends on Molnupiravir: A Prospective Oral Treatment for COVID-19 Molecules, 2021^
- William Fischer, Joseph J. Eron, Wayne Holman, Myron S. Cohen, Lei Fang, Laura J. Szewczyk, Timothy P. Sheahan, Ralph Baric. A phase 2a clinical trial of molnupiravir in patients with COVID-19 shows accelerated SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance and elimination of infectious virus Science Translational Medicine, 2022^
- Heidi Ledford. COVID antiviral pills: what scientists still want to know Nature, 10 November 2021, retrieved 1 December 2021^
- Christopher Rowland. Hedge fund manager stands to profit on 'flip' of taxpayer-funded coronavirus drug Washington Post, 25 June 2020, retrieved 1 December 2021^
- Emory's DRIVE, Ridgeback partnering for drug vs coronavirus Emory University, 23 March 2020, retrieved 2021-12-01^