Grounded in science, powered by community.

Who Are We

A mission-locked biotech rooted in community and science.

Plowshare Therapies develops gene therapies for severe pediatric rare diseases, built on decades of continuous clinical care in high-incidence populations. We are grounded in decades of direct clinical service to Plain communities in Lancaster County — and sustained by the conviction that every child matters, and every dollar must serve that conviction. Stewardship, accountability, and proximity to patients are not values we aspire to; they are embedded in how we are built.

Our first target is Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) — a devastating metabolic disorder that causes irreversible brain injury in newborns if untreated, and occurs at strikingly elevated rates in Old Order Mennonite communities. The program holds FDA Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations, and builds on peer-reviewed dual-gene rescue published in Science Translational Medicine in 2025.

Plowshare will pursue several diseases affecting Plain communities and beyond. See our current pipeline for information on other rare diseases disproportionately impacting these communities.

1:380

Incidence of MSUD in Old Order Mennonites — 500× the general population rate

25+

Years of bedside clinical service to Amish and Mennonite families in Lancaster County

~700

Babies born with MSUD worldwide each year — many identified through newborn screening

2025

Peer-reviewed dual-gene rescue published in Science Translational Medicine

What We Do

Developing a one-time cure for children whose bodies cannot process certain proteins.

Plowshare is developing a gene therapy that systemically delivers two corrected genes into the liver, brain and other organs — restoring the enzyme that children with MSUD are born without. A single treatment, designed to last a lifetime.

Our science builds on 25 years of direct clinical experience treating MSUD in Lancaster County, combined with peer-reviewed research published in Science Translational Medicine in 2025.

We believe this therapy should be available to every child, regardless of geography, insurance status, or family income. Our mission-locked structure ensures that commercial success and community access are never in tension.

Our Approach

Three principles that guide everything we do.

Proximity to Patients

We are embedded in the community we serve. Our founder and collaborators have spent decades at the bedside of Plain families in Lancaster County. That proximity shapes every decision we make — from which diseases we pursue to how we price access.

Rigorous Science

Our lead program is built on peer-reviewed research, not speculation. We pursue FDA designation pathways, publish our findings, and hold our science to the same standards as any major research institution — because the children we serve deserve nothing less.

Stewardship

Every dollar we raise is accountable to our mission. We are structured to prevent the drift that happens when commercial incentives replace patient-centered ones. Our governance, our finances, and our decisions are built to stay true — permanently.

Our Pipeline

Diseases we are working to cure:

Maple Syrup Urine Disease

MSUD is a severe metabolic disorder affecting 35-45 babies in the US / Canada / EU each year. Our lead gene therapy, this program holds FDA Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations and is qualified for a Priority Review Voucher.

Status: Lead Program — IND Preparation

Nemaline Myopathy

TNNT1 nemaline myopathy is a fatal muscle-wasting disease caused by a single gene mutation found almost exclusively in Amish children. There is currently no treatment. Plowshare is exploring a therapy targeting the TNNT1 gene.

Status: Early Discovery

GM3 Synthase Deficiency

GM3SD is an untreatable fatal infantile brain disease caused by a single gene mutation that blocks ganglioside synthesis. In Amish communities, it affects 1 in 1,200 births. Plowshare is developing a CNS-targeted gene therapy delivering the ST3GAL5 gene.

Status: Early Discovery

A letter from our founder.

"The systems society uses to develop new medicines reward size, speed, and profit. They don't work for many children with rare diseases. When profit leads, access fails. This is not a failure of knowledge. It is a failure of choice."

Kevin A. Strauss, MD
Founder, CEO and Chief Medical Officer

Read the Letter

Stay informed about our progress.

We share updates when we have important news and to keep our community connected.

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