Presenting Companies
December 2023 Conference
7 Hills Pharma (7HP) is a clinical-stage drug development company advancing a platform of first-in-concept, orally administered small molecules that leverage the novel science of selective allosteric integrin activation, pioneered by 7HP’s co-founders, to safely enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapies for solid tumors and hematological malignancies with no added toxicities. 7HP has secured almost $29MM in competitive, non-dilutive state and federal grants following extensive due diligence, including over $20MM in 2022-2023 alone. We are in planning to raise our Series A equity round of financing and are interested to meet investors in our therapeutic areas of focus. We are also seeking to meet potential co-development partners and companies with oncology/hematology product portfolios strategically aligned with our therapeutic approach.
Adovate develops novel drugs that target adenosine receptors involved in major diseases. These drug candidates have been created using our next-generation adenosine drug development platform, which enable design of patented compounds with favorable physiochemical characteristics and distribution kinetics that historically limited drugs acting against the adenosine receptors.
AevisBio is a biotechnology company employing targeted protein modulator (TPM) technology for the innovative drug development addressing diseases with high medical unmet needs. TPMs degrade or stabilize target proteins that are undruggable in traditional drug development approaches. We have developed Proteomics-based Degron Library (PDL) platform technology which facilitates TPM development, especially molecular glue, by identifying potential drug targets through the data-driven drug discovery. Our team possesses extensive expertise in E3 ligase-mediated biology, cancer biology, neurology, immunology, proteomics, and drug development. Target diseases of interest include but are not limited to drug resistant cancers, vascular diseases, immune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
AIVITA Biomedical is a biotechnology company focused on developing personalized vaccines for the prevention of infectious disease and treatment of cancer. It has Phase 3 awarded clinical trials in GBM and Melanoma using its uniquely pan-antigenic cancer vaccine - targeting all neoantigens, rather than a select few. It also has a multi-pathogen vaccine kit with commercial approval.
Most patients are not cured of their cancers with today’s therapies. Apricity Health has pioneered Dynamic Precision™ to pinpoint clinically relevant resistance targets in patients failing today’s treatment. Combined with blood-based biomarkers to identify likely responders, Dynamic Precision will develop more precise medicines for more patients, with higher probability of success and in shorter time.
Attivare Therapeutics was established by a team from the Wyss Institute at Harvard to address the challenge of treating tumors with low immunogenicity. The company is advancing the development of the AttImmune platform based on a biomaterial scaffold that can generate an immuno-structure to reprogram target immune cells. In addition, their platform synergizes with standard of care and has applications beyond oncology, including treating autoimmune and infectious diseases.
Azkarra Therapeutics (www.azkarrabio.com) is an emerging precision therapeutics company, focused on the development of next generation DNA Damage Response (DDR)-modulating oral small molecule therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases. The company was founded by Alan Ashworth, PhD, a world-renowned key opinion leader in translational science of cancer genetics. One of Dr. Ashworth’s key scientific contributions has been the discovery of BRCA2 and the elucidation of the synthetic lethal relationship between BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations and Poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibition. These discoveries paved the way for a new cancer treatment paradigm in multiple solid tumors and ushered in a multi-billion-dollar PARP inhibitor market. At Azkarra Therapeutics we aim to exploit molecular targets at the intersection of DDR and immune response and develop novel therapeutics for cancer and inflammatory diseases. We have identified a portfolio of promising next generation DDR-therapeutics, encompassing a well-differentiated, best-in-class multi-PARP inhibitor for DDR dependent cancers, a first-in-class OGG-1 inhibitor for inflammatory diseases/fibrosis and cancer as well as a best-in-class PARG inhibitor for cancer.
Calviri has made discoveries and developed technology platforms that enable 3 unique products – 1) a diagnostic that inexpensively detects cancer at stage 1, 2) off the shelf therapeutic vaccines for any cancer, and 3) a vaccine to prevent cancer. All products can address the worldwide market for cancer and apply to both humans and companion animals.
Circle Pharma is a biopharmaceu1cal company advancing the discovery and development of intrinsically cell-permeable macrocycles that can be delivered by mul1ple routes, including oral administra1on. Circle’s MXMO™ plaAorm combines structure-based ra1onal drug design and advanced synthe1c chemistry to develop firstin-class macrocycle therapeu1cs for challenging targets to address unmet clinical needs. Circle’s macrocycle can address both intra- and extra-cellular therapeu1c targets and is applicable across a wide range of serious diseases; the company is ini1ally focusing its development efforts on intracellular protein-protein interac1ons that are key drivers in cancer but have remained elusive to other treatment modali1es. Circle is headquartered in South San Francisco and has raised $160 million to date from leading life sciences investors including The Column Group and Nextech.
CureLab Oncology is an immuno-oncology company headquartered in Boston and operating internationally. Our patented product, Elenagen™, acts through two complementary mechanisms. It elicits an immune response against the protein p62/SQSTM1, which is selectively overexpressed in cancer cells. More importantly, it changes the tumor microenvironment, thereby enhancing the anti-cancer potency of other treatments. We aim for it to be used as an adjuvant to multiple anti-cancer therapies, viewing others as potential partners, not competitors. By collaborating with leading US and international cancer centers, we are currently in Phase II clinical trials.
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Seattle, WA, EMulate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage therapeutic device company. EMulate Therapeutics has invented and patented a groundbreaking technology that utilizes precisely targeted, ultra-low radio frequency energy (ulRFE®) to specifically regulate signaling and metabolic pathways on the molecular and genetic levels – without chemicals, radiation or drugs – delivered via a simple-to-use non-invasive device called EMulate Therapeutics Voyager. The company’s goal is to transform disease treatment on a global scale with ulRFE®. The proprietary technology has the potential to be applied to a wide range of conditions as well as veterinary medicine and non-medical applications. EMulate Therapeutics’ initial focus is on the treatment of patients with brain cancer who are not well served by conventional standard of care therapies, which often result in poor outcomes and devastating side effects. Additional pre-clinical work is focused on exploring new applications in oncology and pain treatment.
Focal Medical, Inc. is a privately held, biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutic products based on its innovative and patent protected targeted therapeutic system. The Company’s lead product is a targeted therapeutic product delivering gemcitabine (an FDA approved chemotherapeutic) actively and directly to the pancreas by non-circulatory pathways to treat pancreatic cancer.
FYR Dx is committed to transforming healthcare by pushing the boundaries of blood-based liquid biopsy solutions, advancing beyond the capabilities of existing gold-standard technologies. We are developing a novel multi-omics platform centered on Extracellular Vesicle (EV)-based data production, a rich untapped source of data for biomarkers, precision medicine, and pharma applications. FYR’s platform leverages our proprietary enabling technology that enriches disease associated EV subpopulation, allowing for more precise disease analysis. Leveraging advanced analytics methods and Machine Learning, this data has valuable clinical utility, such as supporting pharmaceutical companies drug development efforts and clinical trials.
Geneius Biotechnology, Inc., has developed a best-in-class personalized RNA-enabled T cell therapy platform that generates a robust immune response to solid and liquid cancers, addressing patients beyond the 5% who respond completely to anti-PD-1 therapy (Keytruda® and Opdivo®). It can be comparably priced to Keytruda or Opdivo and administered in outpatient community clinics comparing favorably with CAR-T and TILs with a significantly lower cost, increased accessibility, and lower toxicity. The company is collaborating with Yale and Mount Sinai to develop its two lead products for liquid and solid tumors.
GenEndeavor is a molecular diagnostics technology company on a mission to prevent genetic and infectious diseases by quickly and accurately detecting pathological biomarkers in early stages. The company’s technology platform lowers the limit of detection of rare mutations and rapidly identifies pathogens for sensitive and real-time disease detection at the point of presentation. Since inception, GenEndeavor has been building a new generation of technologies to break through detection barriers that exist today in order to make an impact on healthcare. GenEndeavor’s current focus is to translate these new technologies into an early-detection ovarian cancer screening test.
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Genomate® MTC helps physicians find the right targeted therapy for every cancer patient based on the individual molecular profile of their tumor. The right drug. The first time. Every time.
Driven to overcome the limitations of current treatments for brain tumors and raise the standard of care, a team of brain tumor specialists joined forces and formed GT Medical Technologies. The company’s purpose is improving the lives of patients with brain tumors through its innovative Surgically Targeted Radiation Therapy (STaRT) called GammaTile. GammaTile is FDA-cleared to treat operable brain tumors including newly diagnosed malignant and recurrent brain tumors. Implanted during brain tumor resection, GammaTile uses collagen tiles that are embedded with radiation sources providing immediate, dose-intense treatment to eliminate residual tumor cells. This "one and done" procedure allows patients to receive their course of radiation while going about their daily lives, requiring no additional trips to the hospital or clinic for radiation therapy.
HAWK Biosystems are a deep-tech biotechnology company based in Spain who were spun out of the Francis Crick Institute and Cancer Research UK. HAWK have developed the platform technology, QF-Pro® (Quantifiable Functional Proteomics), which can spatially quantify protein-protein interactions and protein post-translational modifications at an unprecedented resolution and sensitivity, yielding deep insights into patient pathology samples, particularly in the domain of immuno-oncology. As an example, in this field, QF-Pro® has clinically demonstrated the ability to stratify lung cancer patients to receive immune-checkpoint inhibitor therapies, a feat which could triple treatment response rates and double overall survival rates. The QF-Pro® technology platform is poised to enter clinical trials for this application and to also penetrate the Life Science markets in 2024 for research use only.
Imagion Biosystems (ASX : IBX) is pioneering molecular MRI with its MagSense® technology. MagSense® is the first imaging agent technology to use molecularly targeted superparamagnetic nanoparticles to tag and detect cancers by Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Our targeted nanoparticles are conjugated to targeting molecules (such as antibodies, peptides etc.) to enable specific binding of the particle to tumors expressing the target molecule (e.g., HER2). When MagSense® particles bind cancer cells, in the presence of the MRI's magnetic field, they impose their own magnetism on the bound tumor tissue, creating a detectable change in image contrast. MagSense® provides non-invasive molecular confirmation of malignant or benign lesions. MagSense® HER2 Imaging Agent, our lead product for detecting nodal diseases in HER2 breast cancer patients is in clinical development and we have imaging agents for ovarian and prostate cancers in preclinical development. As the disruptive innovator making molecular MRI a reality, Imagion Biosystems will focus on discovery and development of our diverse MagSense product portfolio, and we are seeking investors and partners to support co-development and commercialization.
Immunova uses it proprietary nanotechnology to solve problems in immune-oncology. Current approaches to modify the cytokine IL-2, a key regulator in the anti-cancer immune response, have failed to make it safer and more effective. However, the enduring effort to leverage the remarkable properties of IL-2 uncovered a paradox: any IL-2 variant triggers production of endogenous IL-2, which expands TREGs, which in turn suppress the immune response that the treatment was meant to activate. Immunova’s approach solves this paradox by co-delivering IL-2 and a TGF-b inhibitor to the tumor microenvironment as blockade of TGF-b prevents expansion of TREGs. Our lead drug, IMM-01 demonstrates potent anti-cancer activity in various animal models and a GLP toxicology study indicated no observable IL-2 toxicities. IMM-01 is being readied for clinical evaluation in patients who are refractory to checkpoint inhibitor therapies and an IND could be filed within 9-12 months.
ImpriMed provides cutting-edge personalized medicine easily accessible for pets with blood cancer diseases. ImpriMed’s key product, Personalized Prediction Profile, has been used by board-certified veterinary oncologists, helping over 4,000 dogs with lymphoma and leukemia. With ImpriMed’s services, veterinarians make their treatment decisions quickly and with confidence. This innovative approach to cancer care has been published in a scientific journal and presented at major conferences and is supported by over 200 veterinary oncologists at 80+ specialty hospitals in the US.
Inimmune is a world leader in innate agonist discovery and development. Our lead cancer therapy INI-4001 is a next generation TLR-7/8 agonist tailored for nanoparticle delivery which greatly improves anti-tumor response in preclinical studies.
iSono Health is an innovative company that uses an AI-powered and automated imaging platform for accessible and personalized cancer care and health monitoring. Its first FDA-cleared and patented solution, ATUSA, emerges as a beacon of progress, creating a new care delivery to revolutionize breast care for millions annually. It is the world's first automated, portable, wearable, and disposable bra-like 3D ultrasound with an ML engine to transform care in additional settings than traditional radiology centers. The future of healthcare is distributed with increased access to care at low cost. iSono’s platform is uniquely positioned to bring breast imaging to every woman at PoC and improve clinic labor efficiency, offering a compact and automated ultrasound system.
Jaguar Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: JAGX) is a commercial stage pharmaceuticals company focused on developing novel proprietary prescription medicines sustainably derived from plants from rainforest areas for people and animals with gastrointestinal distress, specifically associated with overactive bowel, which includes symptoms such as chronic debilitating diarrhea, urgency, bowel incontinence, and cramping pain. Jaguar family company Napo Pharmaceuticals focuses on developing and commercializing human prescription pharmaceuticals for essential supportive care and management of neglected gastrointestinal symptoms across multiple complicated disease states. Napo’s crofelemer drug product candidate is the subject of the OnTarget study, a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial for preventive treatment of chemotherapy-induced overactive bowel (CIOB) in adults with cancer on targeted therapy.
At LifeBridge Innovations, PBC, oue mission is to transform Metastatic Cancer from a terminal prognosis in to a manageable disease like diabetes - using our patented Adaptive Tumor Treating Field (ATTF) therapy. We believe that ATTF has the potential to become the standard of care for Metastatic Disease in the torso within 5 years of commercial availability. We are currently preparing for animal safety trials and and have a fully FDA vetted clinical protocol for our Human Pilot Clinical Trial. In fact, the FDA granted us Basket Trial status so that we can include up to 14 different types of cancer in a single clinical study. This is a first for any TTF-based trial.
M.T.3, a Japanese pharmaceutical company, has introduced a pioneering marine-derived compound designed to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for malignant tumors while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. Having obtained approval as an animal drug in Japan, the compound marks a crucial advancement towards potential breakthroughs in human oncology. Ongoing clinical trials in the U.S. actively investigate the compound's potential in combination with radiotherapy and plan additional studies involving its combination with anticancer agents. The dedicated research efforts also focus on the compound's standalone antitumor efficacy and its ability to inhibit neovascularization. M.T.3's strategic initiatives for global expansion underscore its commitment to revolutionizing cancer treatment on a worldwide scale through innovative advancements in both veterinary and human medicine.
In collaboration with Harvard's Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Johns Hopkins Medicine and partically funded by NIH, Nanocan Therapeutics is developing a novel drug delivery platform called NEST™ (Nanoparticle Encapsulated Smart Technology). NEST™ enables immuntherapy agents to work more effectively by locating and releasing active therapeutics in the tumor micro-environment overcoming toxicity challenges associated with systemic delivery. Development pipeline includes three formulations of NEST™ initially targeting 7 solid cancers. The Company's initial product formulation is ready for clinical trials.
Nuclera is a US and UK-based biotechnology company driven by the mission to better human health by making proteins accessible. Nuclera is enabling life science researchers to obtain active proteins from DNA in 48 hours through its benchtop eProtein DiscoveryTM platform. Using Nuclera’s system scientists can automate construct screening to inform off-platform protein scale up, delivering reliable protein in-hand (µg-mg amounts) in less than 48 hours. Nuclera’s technology integrates cell-free protein synthesis and digital microfluidics on smart cartridges, allowing rapid progress on protein projects through a benchtop, automated, high-throughput protein access system.
OncoGenesis addresses the tremendous, unmet clinical need for an easy-to-use and accurate screening of women for cervical cancer. The company offers a comprehensive solution ranging from simplified self-samping specimen collection to point-of-care diagnostic testing, setting a new standard of care for diagnosing and treating cervical cancer worldwide. Our goal is to provide a solution that clinically outperforms existing screening technologies in a cost-effective format that can be run anywhere globally, including resource-limited regions of the world where the problem of cervical cancer is a healthcare crisis. To accomplish this, OncoGenesis has developed a self-collection device, iPap®, that allows women to obtain their cervical specimens in the privacy of their homes. The company is also developing the CerMark® multiplex biomarker test that measures the critical cellular changes in a cervical tissue specimen to detect cervical cancer and its progression.
Osmol is a clinical stage biopharma company developing technology licensed from Yale University to prevent chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). CIPN is a significant unmet need associated with microtubule-based chemotherapies including taxanes, the most widely used breast cancer treatment. There are no approved treatments for CIPN, leaving oncologist’s only option to reduce the dose or length of chemo treatment, Osmol’s initial focus is in breast cancer where up to 80% of patients develop CIPN. CIPN is driven by the dysregulation of neuronal calcium sensor-1 (NCS1), a calcium sensor protein that maintains resting calcium concentration and dynamically enhances responses to cellular stimuli. Osmol is developing a first-in-class, patented drug (OSM-0205) to modulate NCS1 function and prevent neuronal damage caused by the off-target effects of chemotherapy, as well as a second related indication chemotherapy induced cognitive impairment (CICI) given these agents cross the blood brain barrier.
Pacylex Pharmaceuticals is a Canadian company developing a first-in-class oral cancer therapy, zelenirstat (aka PCLX-001). Pacylex completed a Phase 1 safety and tolerability dose escalation study with no dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) at the Phase 2 dose (210mg) or below. Significantly longer progression free and overall survival was observed in zelenirstat patients receiving 210mg than those receiving lower doses. Zelenirstat is in Phase 2a in B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients and Pacylex is actively seeking partners or funding for Phase 2a in patients with solid tumors and Phase 1/2a in acute myeloid leukemia patients.
Peel Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotech company that engineers evolutionary biology for patients with cancer and inflammation. Our lead asset is a next generation TOP1 inhibitor engineered to improve delivery and overcome chemoresistance, currently in a Phase 1 multisite trial for advanced solid tumors. Combining traditional drug discovery and our proprietary Darwin.AI platform, Peel identifies how evolution prevents or defeats disease in plants and animals and then rapidly translates these discoveries into new evolution-based medicines for humans. Peel Therapeutics develops highly effective and safe medicines that are transformative. “Peel” is the Hebrew word for elephant and the company originates from its extensive research and insights into the natural cancer resistance of elephants.
Pleco Therapeutics aims to extend the life span and enhance the quality of life of patients through its novel Plecoid™ therapies that dramatically increase the effectiveness of current cancer treatments. Our novel Plecoid™ therapies positively change the balance of protein expression within the cancer microenvironment, removing the burden of toxic metals within the cell, thereby improving the effectiveness of existing chemotherapy.
Processa (Nasdaq: PCSA) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on incorporating our Regulatory Science Approach into the development of our Next Generation Chemotherapy (NGC) drugs to improve the safety and efficacy of cancer treatment. Our NGC drugs are modifications of existing FDA-approved oncology drugs resulting in an alteration of the metabolism and/or distribution while maintaining the well-known and established existing mechanisms of killing the cancer cells. By modifying the NGC drugs in this manner, we believe our three NGC treatments will provide improved safety-efficacy profiles when compared to their currently marketed counterparts.
Qureator has developed a revolutionary microphysiological system (MPS) technology platform that closely mimics human biology, enabling faster, more effective, and cost-efficient drug development, along with deeper insights into human health. The company has conducted a drug screening to identify promising targets for GI cancer treatment, developed a disease-relevant platform suitable for AI training, and demonstrated biological and pharmacological relevance. This facilitates the integration of complex biology and pharmacology. Additionally, Qureator has shown an unprecedented ability to reveal the effects of drugs on cancer-transformed vasculature and has proven its capability to evaluate drug efficacy with a high degree of confidence.
SageMedic Corp, headquartered in California, is revolutionizing cancer diagnostics with a scalable platform that transcends the limitations of genomic testing, delivering results within just one week. Our pioneering OncotestTM harnesses a machine learning enabled 3D live cell sensitivity and resistance assay, empowering oncologists to make informed treatment decisions for improved patient outcomes through functional tumor profiling. Unlike traditional methods that rely on slow and often unreliable tumor cell proliferation, the Oncotest™ is both faster and more dependable. Our vision is to elevate personalized cancer therapy to the forefront, fostering hope and enhancing the quality of life for each patient. At SageMedic Corp, we are committed to making tailored therapy the new standard in cancer care.
SciTech Development, LLC is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company that has developed a powerful, new drug Delivery Platform (SDP) that will revolutionize how safe and promising, yet challenged drugs, can be delivered to kill cancer. SciTech's lead drug candidate, ST-001 nanoFenretinide, combines SDP and the drug fenretinide as a new drug product with potentially broad effectiveness in many cancers.
Sirnaomics is a public (2257.HK) and clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focusing on innovative RNAi therapeutics, based on its proprietary technology platform-supported drug candidate pipeline. The specific therapeutics areas the company currently invested in are (1) oncology for treatment of skin cancer and other solid tumors; (2) medical Aesthetics for focal fat reduction; (3) anti-coagulant therapeutics with silencing Factor XI. The company’s leading drug candidate, STP705, is moving into late-stage pivotal clinical study for treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer. Sirnaomics is the first company to achieve positive Phase II clinical outcomes in oncology for an RNAi therapeutics, and the first clinical-stage RNAi therapeutics company to have a strong presence in both the U.S. and Asia.
Established in 2017 in California by a team of scientists and radiation therapy experts. TAE Life Sciences is a Biotech company developing targeted radiation therapy based on boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) to deliver cancer-killing radiation with cellular level precision to treat patients with high unmet needs.
TibaRay (Santa Clara, California, USA) is an early stage company developing a new Radiation Therapy system that will treat cancer patients in a fraction of a second, resulting in dramatically reduced collateral damage to normal tissue leading to better outcomes. The enabling technological breakthrough that came out of the SLAC National Accelerator Lab and Stanford University Healthcare uniquely positions TibaRay to disrupt this $7B market by curing cancer in a FLASH.