Business
Viscient Biosciences Will Bioprint 3D Lung Tissue to Aid Pandemic Research, and Viscient Founder Calls for Pause in Organovo Merger Attempt
Viscient will turn its attention to 3D bioprinting lung tissue for infectivity research to assist global efforts to combat SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus
About this update from Vivosim Labs, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Viscient will turn its attention to 3D bioprinting lung tissue for infectivity research to assist global efforts to combat SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19\n Organovo failed to receive a majority of stockholder votes in favor of its merger, and 47 million shares casted votes against the Board’s recommendation to allow adjournment of the purported special meeting Organovo did not follow SEC guidance in changing the location of its special meeting to hold the merger vote, therefore validity of the adjournment is in question Given world events and the need for unity and focus of efforts at this time, Keith Murphy, founder of Viscient Biosciences and Organovo, calls for pause in Organovo merger attempt SAN DIEGO, March 31, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keith Murphy, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Viscient Biosciences (“Viscient”), today is calling for a pause in the merger attempt of Organovo Holdings, Inc (“Organovo”), after Organovo failed to receive enough votes to consummate the merger. Mr. Murphy also founded Organovo, was its former CEO and Chairman Emeritus, and has opposed the merger as a 1% stockholder of Organovo. Given the conditions of global pandemic and the opportunity for 3D bioprinting technology to assist in finding cures for COVID-19, Mr. Murphy is reaching out with a call to his former Board peers for a pause in the merger conflict. Viscient is a biotherapeutics company focused on using 3D bioprinting technology to displace the use of animal models in pharma research and provide more accurate models of human disease. Viscient foresees a world where drug costs can be reduced due to more accurate disease modeling which can accelerate drug discovery and preclinical research. Viscient achieved a breakthrough in December: finding the world’s first drug targets discovered using 3D bioprinted disease models. Viscient has validated several such targets using its proprietary liver fibrosis tissue that replicates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH, a serious form of fatty liver disease). Mr. Murphy said, “When you can remove diseased cells from the human body and reproduce that disease in a dish, you can see the true biology and quickly find a therapy that will work in clinical trials. Drugs found in animal models so often fail because of the species gap, but as we proved with our NASH liver work, ...