Wugen, a St. Louis biotech startup spun out of Washington University research, is developing a breakthrough cell therapy for treating T-cell lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma — aggressive cancers with limited treatment options. Backed early on by RiverVest Venture Partners and BioGenerator, the startup arm of BioSTL that also provided critical lab space, Wugen has since raised more than $300 million to advance its work. Its lead therapy, WU-CART-007, re-engineers healthy donor T-cells to target cancer, showing a 91% response rate in early trials and aiming for FDA approval by 2027. With its strong progress, Wugen is emerging as one of the region’s most promising biotech companies.
