BioCentury
ARTICLE | Emerging Company Profile

Tengion: Playing the neo-organ

July 31, 2006 7:00 AM UTC

The demand for donor organs vastly outstrips supply and serious adverse effects are associated with transplantation. As a result, the search for alternatives has ranged from encapsulating cells to generating functioning organs from a patient's own cells or from transgenic animals.

Having raised $50 million last month in a series B round, Tengion Inc. believes it can use its neo-organ technology to bring the first autologous-based organ to patients without the risk of rejection. The company and investors' confidence is derived from a human study with the bladder...