Synlogic goes public through merger

In a bid to take itself public, Synlogic will merge with Mirna Therapeutics, an Austin, Texas-based biotech firm developing microRNA-based cancer treatments. The merged company, to be known as Synlogic, will focus on engineering bacteria found in the human gut to perform a metabolic function. Synlogic expects to put its first treatment, for urea cycle disorders, into the clinic by midyear. Last fall, Mirna shut down development of its lead oncology drug candidate, MRX34, after three patients in its Phase I study died. The company, with shares already listed on NASDAQ, then began pursuing strategic alternatives for its business.