ImmunoBiochem
ImmunoBiochem’s IMB-213I candidate delivers a potent innate immune system agonist for the treatment of highly heterogeneous solid tumors, such as TNBC, pancreatic and ovarian cancers.
ImmunoBiochem's IMB-212 candidate delivers a potent cytotoxic payload into difficult-to-treat solid tumors, particularly where no suitable surface targets and no biologics are available.
Dr. Anton Neschadim
CEOIncuron, Inc.
Incuron is a private clinical-stage company that develops a novel class of synthetic small molecules, Curaxins, with a unique multi-targeted mechanism of antitumor activity. These chromatin damaging agents interfere with histone/DNA binding causing decondensation of chromatin in tumor cells, functional inactivation of histone chaperone FACT, and simultaneous effect on a set of universal previously undruggable targets, leading to inhibition of pro-cancer transcriptional factors, MYC, NF-kB, HIF1a, and HSF-1, and activation of the tumor suppressor p53, as well as induction of type I interferon response.
Key advantages of curaxins based on current preclinical and early clinical data include:
- novel mechanism of action that would bring the additional treatment option for advanced and relapsed tumors, as well as potential to overcome resistance to previous treatments;
- favorable pharmacology and manageable safety profiles;
- low potential for serious drug-drug interactions providing opportunities for combinatorial therapeutic regimens;
- broad activity in different tumor types that may open wider market opportunities;
- focused phase 2 clinical study program can establish faster clinical proof of concept and build toward accelerated regulatory approval.
Incuron owns a worldwide patent portfolio, including the composition of matter and therapeutic uses of the compounds.
Kristina Zakurdaeva
CEO
Innova Therapeutics
Innova Therapeutics is a Charleston, South Carolina based biotechnology company developing a monoclonal antibody (mAb) platform targeting a protein that is highly expressed in various solid cancers and shown to correlate with patient outcome. The lead humanized mAb has been selected and is designated as IVT-8086. Innova’s platform technology is initially focused on targeting cancers including pediatric osteosarcoma, sarcomas, breast cancer and pancreatic cancer. The opportunity for this anticancer therapy as a monotherapy and in combination with other chemotherapy agents will expand across other solid tumors. The focus on pediatric osteosarcoma as one of the initial targets will allow a fast-regulatory approval, with the opportunity to obtain a Rare Pediatric Disease priority review voucher. Because Priority Review Vouchers (PRVs) may be sold, a secondary market for the vouchers has emerged, with revenue ranging between $80M and $350M.
The Innova team includes industry leaders with broad pharmaceutical development experience including extensive successful cancer therapy development, as well as life science leadership, manufacturing, preclinical research and safety, business development and regulatory. The team is led by one of the co-founders and CEO, Robert Ryan, Ph.D., who is a successful serial biotech entrepreneur.
The Innova management team was previously the management team in the biotech, Scioderm. Scioderm was the first biotech to receive “Breakthrough Therapy” designation from the FDA for their therapy for an orphan disease. In addition, Dr. Ryan led the successful sale of Scioderm to Amicus in 2015 for approximately $957M (4th largest venture capital (VC) backed exit of 2015 in the biotech/pharmaceutical space), in a period of less than 2.5 years from initiation of the company with a total spend of less than $22M.
Innovation Forum
Mr. Giammarco Pacifico
Global business development managerInorbit Therapeutics ab
InorbitTX is a virtual drug discovery and development company focussed on the treatment of fatty liver diseases NAFLD / NASH. Its lead project, the FXR agonist IOT022 is currently in late pre-clinical testing. IOT022 differentiates very well from competitor compounds, as it mitigates the risk for pruritus and for drug induced liver injury, seen with competitors. It gives IOT022 an excellent best-in-class opportunity. InorbitTX second project is a KHK inhibitor, IOT038, also for the treatment of NAFLD / NASH.IOT038 shows excellent astute efficacy in animals We look for funding to complete for IND and for Phase I. We also look for partnering for the Chinese / Asian market.
Bert Benthem
CEOInvivoSciences Inc.
With an increasingly aging population with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart failure is an urgent and critical challenge without an effective solution. There have been no successful phase III trials in worsening chronic heart failure or heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Large clinical trials required for the heart failure trials have been the bottleneck. There is clear evidence showing that genetic factors drive heart failure development. Our mission is to cure heart failure one gene at a time.
We have leveraged our advanced artificial intelligence integrated breakthrough in precision medicine discovery platform using patient-derived human micro heart on a chip, NuHeart™, to identify and validate multiple drug pipelines rapidly as well as help us to determine biomarkers and stratify the patients for a clinical trial recruitments. Our precision heart failure pipelines are at least ten times more cost-effective to develop, especially during their clinical stages. Using our platform, we have developed two pipelines of small-molecule candidates for difficult to treat, genetically defined heart failure conditions. Our Pipelines of precision medicines have the potential to deliver better outcomes for patients fighting hard to treat heritable heart disease.
Collaborative patient-driven precision medicine-based drug development empowered with our novel platform will lead to meaningfully better outcomes for heart failure patients, which we refer to as InvivoSciences’ discovery engine to develop target therapies. Our lead program includes candidates in preclinical development for monogenetic heart failures. To date, IVS raised $8.5 Million non-dilutive funding from founders, board, commercial contracts, and grants. The funds have been used to create a portfolio of assets (breakthrough discovery platform, NuHeart™, three genetically defined disease models, current discovery programs, and a strong portfolio of patents including both US and international.
To join and support our drug discovery programs forward, InvivoSciences is seeking world-class life science investors and strategic partners for our Series A round for growth capital for $10 M in two trunches for commercial growth and accelerating our drug program.
Ayla Annac
CEOISHA Therapeutics LLC
Dr. Manoj Manoj
Founder and CEOKymeris therapeutics Inc
Mr. Richard McCrae
President & CEOLibera Bio
Libera Bio lead candidate aims at providing a new treatment for those highly prevalent and aggressive cancers which are driven by KRAS mutations, such as pancreatic cancer, lung cancer and colorectal cancer.