Healthcare & Life Sciences~1 peopleSan Francisco, CA, USA
Perlara: building the YC for rare disease parents
Perlara 1.0 (Feb 2014 - Feb 2019) launched early R&D joint ventures called PerlQuests with highly motivated rare disease families, companies or impact investors. We screened gene-edited patient avatars for repurposable drugs in order to build a predictive R&D engine called ArkBase. We planned to monetize programs based on ArkBase predictions by selectively spinning out asset-centric clinical development NewCos.
Perlara 1.5 (March 2019 - April 2020) was the transition to a one-person virtual clinical development company and when the epalrestat and aripiprazole repurposing trials were launched at Mayo Clinic for the treatment of PMM2-CDG and NGLY1-CDDG, respectively.
Perlara 2.0 (May 2020 --> The first decentralized and distributed biotech
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQTXdpT1pOTTdVWW0yMzgzMkdnOTdUNVVtOGV3Y3h1Z1NEWmZhbnJ5Q1c1dkVmTU42a3JBbFZIT3BkYXc3N3JDcWdoR1FWRFlIN01fdUl1cUV3WTNTSWJQWHNPdU5VTXRNbk5NTVZMVWdmT25sUVR0d0NCYllCSFBKLVRVeWllaHpVMGVRNU0wQTZ6WDh1ZEHSAZsBQVVfeXFMUHJmZFdPT3VKSGhpZUYxdlJZRlFUR050T19HVENzRWVxc3RHN2tHTHpzMzBZTnM4YXdUY1FuN2FVOVpxN192MEpsWHJDelNlclg1cXBhT0ktQjQ1RS1sWHhZWE1YUWtkODNrSEpMYkhBeGxsU2RacXhNdXBKckZDaDd5TU9LMU16NG1hWHhDRngyMEN2VHRwc3VGVDQ?oc=5 · headline: This start-up founder has a novel strategy for getting ahead: Telling the truth · publication: CNBCgoogle_news · 10/1/2026
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxQTXdpT1pOTTdVWW0yMzgzMkdnOTdUNVVtOGV3Y3h1Z1NEWmZhbnJ5Q1c1dkVmTU42a3JBbFZIT3BkYXc3N3JDcWdoR1FWRFlIN01fdUl1cUV3WTNTSWJQWHNPdU5VTXRNbk5NTVZMVWdmT25sUVR0d0NCYllCSFBKLVRVeWllaHpVMGVRNU0wQTZ6WDh1ZEE?oc=5 · headline: This start-up founder has a novel strategy for getting ahead: Telling the truth · publication: CNBCgoogle_news · 9/15/2026
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxNOHM2WDVKbU5EX0E5cWRhRzg2WFZ4UTJaV0pqQTlYUlFOcDAwNnVQZmFOMGI1LXVZZ0E1Nm1WMXdzMHgtZFkzRHpkWFB1eGMwSFVxZWExb2V2WGNpWFUxaHlYVWktT2s4SGcyODRwek5SblUtTTczOWtYVy1DQUxaVERLektVLTl5RjdCbW9MU2VPQXZGREw4LTUzWG9uT1dSLWM5VXJidXY0RjlE?oc=5 · headline: Girl's rare disease inspired new drug model. Now the drug trial has hit a pivotal point · publication: The Business Journals
google_news · 9/15/2026
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqAFBVV95cUxOZHBkRUZxaXdLc25XT1BYUDBJVlU4WWlYZHZ1WWxRQTJTY0J4SjMzZzRUMEUxdUZRaTlUZWRiMElUUERTVjg5eEZnNThIS1BrM2dIN0ZhaFRCcGtHM1dHQnRjUTlRZXVoamlHd3JEZU1JX05OdnJ6VTFNblFuX3YwUGhCTjJVV3k2YnJTVlliZ1ZKRnRXRzUwMWhBOG1kZl83WTktbW1hVng?oc=5 · headline: The buzzy biotech Perlara got into Y Combinator and raised $10 million from investors like Mark Cuban before things went south. Its founder shares the key lesson he learned from the failure. · publication: Business Insidergoogle_news · 9/15/2026
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiqwFBVV95cUxQLVBSOFBnWkdRSEhWekFMd3NhaEhTbzZzcXZieHhhVF9SZDZjMzJBMkt3bFVlUGUzdHlzYm5ETUZBZG1QQkx0MHZmdjAwdThJOXFUdHdUWmxfRkdXck5Dd2QyRy1iTkNZRTNwalFfcWpyUFBHX3I3WnZ4YkJHSTltenppWU9GeG9UWFVSZFZtSE8ycHNGQzFuY0RjNEdYbGFMUGd4QUdPNVhWcHfSAbABQVVfeXFMTUhlVkRhQU1MUmxDYWhhZzRqaHR5Qm5mcW5rMFNLMHZWZElWVlZXdGVQMy1qdWxRV25SYjZTSklvWnpzNDVNdG5WODF2dWRuWEptaUJrQzNiYXJOdnZoYmFvV1ZTelFsNHpJb2txaUwxaW0tWTVSZFN6Z0ZGYWQ4UEltODd6bklMRnNqeHpaeXBjOEt6NWdRX0ZqTlJsYTNKNEp2dkpDRjNTRTNDWVRGM0I?oc=5 · headline: Tweet leads Mark Cuban to invest in biotech company Perlara and quest to cure rare genetic disease · publication: CNBCgoogle_news · 9/15/2026
Pressurl: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxPSk1ScWRQdThycWpqZkFSME9BMUlDMUZDaG1aS2VNVndZemw2MmttRWExSl9SMGZhQVo2ZWdwLVNBVDh6VEZsaHpha0VUZWtMa2RIYUtROGd3c01YemNFLW5Wa1d2VEhvSzZZckpxOTI5c0xOQ3RxWktULTlxa1RjRnpaOERURUhaaXpwcnI1OU1jS3ZXaUE?oc=5 · headline: Perlara CEO Ethan Perlstein on reviving a biotech and building a ‘Y Combinator of rare diseases’ · publication: biopharmadive.comgoogle_news · 9/15/2026