engineered-b-cells
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Be Biopharma
Be Biopharma (Be Bio) is a Cambridge, Massachusetts biotechnology company pioneering a new class of therapies called Engineered B Cell Medicines (BCMs). By precisely gene-editing a patient's own B cells - nature's protein factories that can secrete high volumes of protein for decades - Be Bio aims to deliver durable, potentially re-dosable treatments for hemophilia, rare genetic diseases, and other serious conditions. Founded in 2020 out of Seattle Children's Research Institute and Longwood Fund, the company has raised roughly $356 million and, as of early 2025, advanced to a multi-program clinical-stage company led by CEO Joanne Smith-Farrell, Ph.D.
Joanne Smith-Farrell
Joanne Smith-Farrell is the President and CEO of Be Biopharma, a Cambridge, Massachusetts company building a new class of medicines from engineered B cells - the body's own protein factories. A physicist by training who moved into drug development, she has spent more than 25 years leading teams tackling cancer and rare diseases, most notably building bluebird bio's 400-person oncology cell therapy business behind the CAR-T therapy Abecma. Since taking the helm at Be Bio in early 2021, she has steered the company through more than $350 million in funding as it works to turn B cells into durable, in vivo sources of therapeutic proteins.