Amgen and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB) have founded a new drug development firm, Atara Biotherapeutics, focused on chronic diseases in therapeutic areas including nephrology and oncology. Atara will start out with licenses to six of Amgen’s preclinical and early-clinical programs.
The new firm will initially be financed by KPCB, and headed by former KPCB partner, Isaac Ciechanover, M.D. Amgen will retain a minority equity interest in Atara.
