Cell therapy company Juno Therapeutics was sold to Celgene in 2018, but its impact still reverberates throughout Seattle’s life science industry today. The company’s successes fueled interest in cell and gene therapy and attracted investor attention to the innovations taking place in Seattle. In fact, Juno veterans went on to start or fill leadership positions at numerous local companies like Sana Biotechnology, Lyell Immunopharma, Umoja Biopharma, Shape Therapeutics, Eliem Therapeutics, Silverback Therapeutics, and more.
Speaking on Juno’s impact, former CFO and current CEO of Sana Biotechnology Steve Harr said, “It validated Seattle as a hub for both cellular and gene therapies, as well as around immuno-oncology,” with the added benefit of catalyzing “a group of highly talented individuals around an exciting technology that really accelerated Seattle’s competitiveness.”