Partnering and Business Opportunities

Nanoparticle as Targeted Anti-biofilm Adjunctive Therapy to Treat Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection in Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: Gold nanocluster that eradicates persister cells in bacterial biofilms. Confirmed complete eradication across extensively drug resistant ESKAPE organisms, gram +ve and -ve and clinical isolates. Gold nanocluster works by a novel mechanism in both aerobic and anaerobic conditions by uniquely inducing apoptosis in low metabolic bateria for eradication; Looking for funding to take the product through IND enabling studies and into first in human studies.

Direct Mitochondrial Augmentation Therapy for heart Failure, mitochondrial disease and skeletal muscle frailty/aging using iPSC-derived Extracellular Vesicles. Interested in funding, partnership and licensing.

Company name: Azora Therapeutics. It is a clinical-stage biotech company developing potential first-in-class/best-in-class aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonists for moderate-severe ulcerative colitis (UC), mild-moderate hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), and moderate-severe nail psoriasis. Azora is developing a colon- targeted oral for UC (AT-177) and a topical for skin inflammatory diseases (AT-193). Azora has two ongoing Phase 1b studies in HS and nail psoriasis in Australia which are expected to be completed in 2022/2023. Azora also has an open-IND for their UC program and plans to initiate a clinical study in 2022. Azora is actively seeking strategic partnerships or to raise additional financing in 2022/2023.

Innovative platform to enhance Adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy. Identified a host factor to improve AAV infection for all serotypes and cell types.

Transient telomere extension using TERT mRNA for patients with Idiopathic lung fibrosis, chronic liver disease (CLD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), bone marrow failure (BMF), and skin diseases. Company Name: Rejuvenation. INTERACT meeting completed. Looking for clinical co-development partnership.

Clinical Development and Commercialization of [18F]DASA-23, an Imaging Strategy for the Improved Management of Glioblastoma. Used to assess the ability of [18F]DASA-23 PET to assess therapeutic response or failure acutely (within weeks of initiation of therapy) in patients with glioblastoma. In clinical trials.

SM to prevent progression of fibrotic autoimmune disease. Phase I complete and animal data available (Orphan indication with 7 years exclusivity). Extensive safety and tolerability and intellectual property secured.
Company name: Halo Biosciences. Halo is exploiting novel insights in ECM biology by selectively editing its components to address diseases with high unmet need that are driven by inflammation and fibrosis. Current indications: Group 3 PH and ILD. Also for Group 1 and 2 PH, COPD and CF.

Small molecule inducer of beta cell regeneration for treatment of type 2 diabetes. Lead compound optimization on-going.

Company name: Aza Technology. FDA Advantaged: FDA has granted Aza breakthrough status for its innovative device, thanks to its excellent performance in clinical studies and urgent unmet clinical need. Aza Technology is poised to deliver a point-of-care device targeting diagnosis and management of hyperammonemia, which is responsible for a host of neurotoxic effects seen in Urea Cycle Disorder (UCD) and organic acidemia (OA) patients. Hyperammonemia is also a root cause of hepatic encephalopathy, a serious condition that occurs secondary to alcoholic and non-alcoholic cirrhosis (NASH), resulting in over $2 billion in hospitalizations in the US alone.

Novel targets for induction of brown fat from white fat to treat obesity. Preparing high-throughput screening to identify small molecule inhibitors.

Identified the cause of a mitophagy defect present in Parkinson’s disease patients, consisting of both genetic and sporadic patients. Using this initial discovery, built and validated a mitophagy drug discovery platform, which includes a peripheral biomarker. Company Name: AcureX

Developing small molecule, tissue-selective agonists for the treatment of disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, including neurodegenerative disorders (ie. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease) and retinal degenerative disorders (ie, Age-related macular degeneration). Company Name: Evvia

Novel antibodies plus companion imaging agent to detect and treat toxic inflammatory age-related diseases. Company Name: Willow Therapeutics

Company name: MEDIC Life Sciences. A young genomics biotech startup based in Mountain View, CA, developing novel oncology therapeutics for solid tumors. We are harnessing our unique 3D-tumor based CRISPR functional genomics platform (published in Nature, 2020) to identify prognostic and effective first-in-class drug targets for various solid tumors.
• Platform partnering with pharmaceutical companies
• Target IDs completed for HCC and TNBC
• Hit discovery completed for one of MEDIC’s targets
• Seed Fundings raised (raised $3.05M in 2021, currently in pre-Series A)

The team has developed a screening platform for the HAT1 enzyme, which is a critical regulator of how cells synthesize chromatin to support proliferation. This led to the identification of multiple small molecules with HAT1 inhibitory properties, including demonstration of anti-tumor activity in mice.

Modulation of tissue macrophages by inhibition of thrombin cleavage of osteopontin (OPN) enhances host-anti-tumor immune response and up-regulates tissue repair and reduces fibrotic reactions. The team has identified a therapeutic molecule that prevents thrombin cleavage of OPN and suppresses murine melanoma growth and metastasis.

First-in-human Neuroprotection Therapies for Glaucoma and other Optic Neuropathies
Modality: AAV-mediated gene therapy & small molecules
Summary: AAV-retinal ganglion cell-specific promoter-mediated enzyme activation in neuroprotection. And small molecules to block neuronal ER stress for neuroprotection. Looking for partnership.