Chalk up one more biotech startup for MIT’s Bob Langer

Bob Langer has another biotech startup to add to his lengthy roster.
Lyndra has gathered $23 million together to work on a new delivery tech platform developed by Langer, Giovanni Traverso and Andrew Bellinger at MIT.
Lyndra’s big idea is that it can develop platform tech that can provide “ultra” long acting sustained release of oral drugs. And it says this new approach could also reduce the side effects associated with some drugs while vastly improving compliance. Polaris partner and co-founder Amy Schulman is leading the effort.
Langer has been prolific over the years, helping a number of his students launch their own companies. The last time we talked, Langer counted more than 30 biotech startups, and they keep coming.

Polaris Partners led the round for the Watertown, MA-based biotech with participation from Quark Venture and GF Securities, Yonghua Capital, Healthlink Capital, Partners Healthcare, Suffolk Equity and others.
“Lyndra’s ultra-long acting platform, originally developed for mass drug administration campaigns in the developing world, is particularly powerful because of the breadth of indications and compounds that the company can target and bring to patients,” Langer said in a statement. “The number of lives we could touch with this technology is nearly limitless. Since the company’s founding, 5 members of the [Langer] Lab have joined Lyndra due to their commitment to bring this technology to patients. This mix of passion and potential patient impact is truly something special.”