Inside STAT: At Sana Biotechnology, impossibly ambitious plans come into focus

(ALEX HOGAN/STAT)

For a short period of time before Sana Biotechnology officially came into existence, it had a much more unusual — and bold — name: FD Therapeutics, the FD standing for “F--- Disease.” And although the name is a thing of the past, its daring mission is still around. The Seattle-based company, which shares some executives and founding investors with immunotherapy company Juno Therapeutics, wants to develop universal cell and gene therapies that can reprogram any cell in the body. The company is still shrouded in a lot of mystery, and biotech insiders are waiting to see whether the company’s ambitious plans will pan out. “Does the emperor have new clothes? We’re waiting,” one partner at a venture capital firm told STAT’s Kate Sheridan. STAT Plus subscribers can read more about the company here.