ICAgen
ICAgen is an Emeryville, California-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 1992 that develops orally-administered small molecule drugs modulating ion channel targets. The company, formerly NASDAQ-listed as ICFN, was funded by Venrock, Pfizer Ventures, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1992
- HeadquartersEmeryville, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ICAgen does
ICAgen is a biopharmaceutical company founded in 1992 and headquartered in Emeryville, California. According to the input data, ICAgen develops novel orally-administered small molecule drugs that modulate ion channel targets. The company operated as a small, specialized drug discovery organization with 11-50 employees and was previously listed on NASDAQ under the ticker ICFN before being delisted. Co-founder P. Kay Wagoner and CFO Mark Korb are the named leadership figures.
ICAgen's capital base was assembled through a series of equity and grant financings rather than commercial product sales, totaling roughly $21M across disclosed rounds between 1997 and 2018. Key backers included Venrock (1997 founding-stage), Pfizer Venture Investments ($5M in 2009), and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation ($11M in 2018), the latter representing both the largest single tranche and an indication of pipeline focus on cystic fibrosis-relevant ion channel targets. No product approvals, revenue figures, or commercial partnerships are disclosed in the supplied source material.
The bulk of the aggregated source content pertains to OmniAb, Inc. (a Ligand spin-off that merged with Avista Public Acquisition Corp. II), which markets an "Ion Channel and Transporter Technology" capability alongside its transgenic antibody discovery platforms. This suggests ICAgen's ion channel technology assets were ultimately integrated into the Ligand/OmniAb discovery ecosystem rather than commercialized as standalone therapeutics by ICAgen itself. Given ICAgen's delisted status and the absence of disclosed operating revenue or product approvals, the company should be assessed as a development-stage or asset-transferred entity rather than an active commercial biopharma.
ICAgen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ICAgen
- Legal name
- OmniAb, Inc.
- Website
- https://icagen.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1992
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ICAgen is an Emeryville, California-based biopharmaceutical company founded in 1992 that develops orally-administered small molecule drugs modulating ion channel targets. The company, formerly NASDAQ-listed as ICFN, was funded by Venrock, Pfizer Ventures, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where ICAgen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Emeryville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ICAgen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Partnership and licensing revenue: Revenue generated through partnership agreements with biopharmaceutical companies that access OmniAb's antibody discovery technologies and platforms. The partnership pipeline page and reference to over 100 biopharma partners suggest a licensing/royalty and collaborative discovery model typical of platform companies serving pharma.
- Discovery and professional services: Revenue from contracted antibody discovery services, screening runs, and custom research engagements delivered to pharma partners using OmniAb's transgenic platforms and xPloration screening.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Quote-based partnership / licensing agreements |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
ICAgen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ICAgen is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel, orally-administered small molecule drugs designed to modulate ion channel targets. The company focuses on ion channel drug discovery and development, historically leveraging venture funding and grants (including from Pfizer Venture Investments and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) to advance its pipeline.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- OmniRat: Transgenic rat platform for generating fully human antibodies
- OmniMouse
- OmniChicken
- Omni*dAb*
- OmniUltra
- OmniTaur
- xPloration
Quantifiable outcome
- In Silico Drug Discovery Market projected to reach USD 14.37 billion by 2034 (from USD 2.96 billion in 2024) at a 17.1% CAGR, indicating the size of the opportunity relevant to OmniAb's in silico capabilities.
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use ICAgen
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
ICAgen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature12 records
ICAgen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Ligand PharmaceuticalsflagshipLigand historically owned and operated the OmniAb business and announced plans to spin-off OmniAb through a merger with Avista Public Acquisition Corp. II. News releases highlight Ligand-originated milestones such as Janssen's EC approval for Tecvayli.
- Janssen (Johnson & Johnson)coreJanssen is referenced as a partner whose therapeutic (Tecvayli / teclistamab) received European Commission approval for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma, indicating Janssen is part of the OmniAb/Ligand antibody discovery partnership pipeline.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights2 records
ICAgen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Genentech (Roche): Genentech is a major biopharmaceutical incumbent with historical interest in ion channel biology. Comparable as a broad biopharma that could partner with or acquire specialist ion channel companies like ICAgen.
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals: Vertex is the dominant commercial player in cystic fibrosis therapeutics (Trikafta/Kaftrio). Directly comparable because ICAgen's CF Foundation-backed program competes in the same disease area, and Vertex represents both a potential partner and acquirer of CF ion channel assets.
- AbbVie: AbbVie is a large specialty biopharma that has historically acquired and developed small-molecule assets in CNS and rare diseases. Comparable as a potential acquirer of an ion channel platform of the type ICAgen operates.
- Pfizer: Pfizer is both a historical investor in ICAgen (Pfizer Venture Investments led the 2009 round) and a major biopharma developing ion-channel-targeted therapies. Comparable as both a strategic capital source and a potential acquirer of ion channel small-molecule assets.
- BioMarin Pharmaceutical: BioMarin has a meaningful CF franchise (e.g., inhaled therapies) and develops specialty small-molecule therapeutics for rare diseases. Comparable because it overlaps in CF and in the broader small-molecule rare-disease space where ICAgen operates.
Emerging players
- ProQR Therapeutics: ProQR develops RNA therapies for severe genetic diseases including cystic fibrosis. Comparable because it pursues novel CF therapeutics from a similar emerging-stage base, representing an overlapping disease-area competitor and potential strategic partner.
- Parion Sciences: Parion Sciences developed small-molecule ion channel modulators for pulmonary and ocular surface indications. Comparable as a similarly-sized specialist in ion channel pharmacology with overlapping respiratory/disease focus.
- SiteOne Therapeutics: SiteOne is an emerging biopharma developing selective ion channel modulators for pain and other indications. Comparable as a similarly-positioned specialist in ion channel-targeted small molecules.
Others
- Ligand Pharmaceuticals: Ligand historically owned and operated the OmniAb antibody platform (which the input data references extensively). Ligand is comparable as a royalty/monetization-focused biopharma that licenses platform technologies to large pharma — a business model that could be analogous to a future ICAgen monetization strategy.
Direct peers
- Xenon Pharmaceuticals: Xenon is a clinical-stage biopharma specializing in ion channel modulators for epilepsy and other neurological disorders. Most directly comparable as a similarly-sized specialist in ion channel-targeted small molecule drug development.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
ICAgen social profiles
Digital presenceICAgen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ICAgen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
ICAgen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds6 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ICAgen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ICAgen
What does ICAgen do?
ICAgen is a biopharmaceutical company that develops novel, orally-administered small molecule drugs designed to modulate ion channel targets. The company focuses on ion channel drug discovery and development, historically leveraging venture funding and grants (including from Pfizer Venture Investments and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) to advance its pipeline.
Is ICAgen a public or private company?
ICAgen is a public company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ICAgen founded?
ICAgen was founded in 1992. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ICAgen based?
ICAgen is headquartered in Emeryville, United States, in the North America region.
How does ICAgen make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Partnership and licensing revenue is the primary driver. The others are discovery and professional services.
Who are ICAgen's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Genentech (Roche), Vertex Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie, Pfizer and BioMarin Pharmaceutical. Emerging players are ProQR Therapeutics, Parion Sciences and SiteOne Therapeutics. Ligand Pharmaceuticals is listed as an others. Xenon Pharmaceuticals is listed as a direct peer.
Does ICAgen have an API?
No public API is recorded for ICAgen.