Boris Leschinsky

CorInnova Inc.
Vice President of Product Development 

Dr Michel Levesque United States

Siragen Pharmaceuticals is a drug discovery and development company, focused on novel approaches to treat Aging and Neurodegenerative Disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Siragen is developing a group of small lead molecules that tackles Alzheimer’s Disease and aging neurons by novel strategy different from current unsuccessful approaches.   Siragen Pharmaceuticals, based in San Diego, California, was incorporated in May 2014, and is a spin off of Neurogeneration Inc. Siragen's products will be for the brain what cholesterol agents are for the heart.

Website:
www.siragen.com
Year Founded
2014
Biotech Subsector
Medtech Subsector
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview

Sira-9 targets a specific pathway of the stress response due to oligomer toxicity. Siragen has identified targets within this pathway that prevents the synapse loss induced by synaptic dysfunction and synaptotoxicity. Siragen has also identified another target, which alleviates age-associated phenotypes and extends the life span of neurons by reducing inflammation. These small molecules are specific and can be easily delivered as a pro-drug.

Alliance & Collaborations
UCSD, Duke University, UCLA, Salk Institute
Current Financing Needs

$5M

Current Timeline

Siragen’s development programs are focused on 1) target identification 2) target validation 3) hit to lead identification and optimization 4) in vivo studies and 5) begin clinical trials on identified compounds. The Company aims to develop its pipeline of novel molecules to clinical proof of concept and partner with industry leaders for late stage development and commercialization

Current Investors

Private

IP Status

•  expanding IP portfolio

Recent Milestones

• Target identified and validated for drug discovery in Alzheimer’s disease • Successful assay development for hits • Lead candidate Sira-9 currently in development for Alzheimer’s disease

Management Team Highlights

The team consists of CEO and Founder: Michel Levesque, MD, entrepreneur and neuroscientist, CSO and Co-Founder: Mohamedi Kagalwala, neurochemist and neurobiologist. Scientific advisory board consists of prominent scientist Dr. Eliezer Masliah (neuropathologist and neurodegenerative disorders expert, UCSD), Dr. Kalpana Merchant (Ex CSO, Translation Science at Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals) and Dr. Anthony Means (pharmacologist, Baylor College of Medicine)

Siragen Pharmaceuticals, LLC
Founder 

Mr Andy Levien United States

Did you know that 10-15% of LASIK patients are turned away due to inadequate eye measurement equipment?  This laser refractive eye surgery market has a crying need for the next generation measurement tool now to capture these additional patients and improve on existing procedures and outcomes.

Did you know that ophthalmologists suffer significant measurement problems in accurately predicting the ELP (Effective Lens Position) in cataract surgery/Intra-Ocular Lens (IOL) procedures?

The ArcScan Artemis-3 system addresses both of these market needs and more.

ArcScan has already raised all funding needed ($3 million) to enter the laser refractive surgery market, with product introduction expected in 12 months.

The ArcScan Series A Preferred funding round of $3 million currently has $1 million available to investors from now through February, 2015, or until sold-out, whichever occurs first.

ArcScan is attending the RESI conference to raise the final $1,000,000 in Series A Preferred share subscriptions, which will allow us to accelerate entry into the large cataract surgery/IOL market and nearly double the size of the business.

Please request a meeting at RESI or contact ArcScan CEO Andy Levien for an executive summary and further investment details.

Website:
www.ArcScan.com
Year Founded
2007
Main Sector
Medtech Phase of Development
Technology Overview
Very high frequency ultrasound combined with precision control of scanner motion
Current Timeline
12 months to US product launch
IP Status
6 issued patents, 3 licensed (from Cornell), 12 applications
Mr Andy Levien
ArcScan
LinkedIn logo CEO & President 
BIO

Andy’s career in industrial and medical device instrumentation and automation and controls, spans companies from startup to Fortune 100. His diverse experience from shop floor to the C-Suite and as a leader in product and business development, global operations, supply chain and manufacturing operations, equips him with the skills that expertly guide leadership teams to breakthrough strategies and their implementation, delivering new pathways to customer value creation, revenue growth and operating profits.

A collaborative leadership style and keen technical, business, and emotional intelligence is underpinned by his passion to create a transparent, shared vision through a planning process encompassing lean management principles: accountability to clearly defined performance metrics, a detailed plan to execute, and effective communication of the plan to stakeholders at all levels in the organization.

Alexander Levy

Chematria, Inc.
COO 

Judith Li China

Lilly Asia Ventures is the venture capital arm of Eli Lilly that focuses on investments in the life sciences in Asia, particularly China. The firm was established in 2008 and is based in Shanghai, China. The firm is stage agnostic; investing in early, growth, and up to pre-IPO opportunities. The firm’s investment size is USD 5-20 million per company. The firm primarily invests in companies in China, but is open to companies across Asia-Pacific as long as there is some sort of China angle. The firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities.

Lilly Asia Ventures primarily focuses on therapeutics but is also interested in medical devices, diagnostics, animal health, and biotech other. The firm is most interested in products that will have a significant impact on medical care in China. For therapeutics, the firm seeks best-in-class or first-in-class products. The firm is opportunistic to the indication and the phase of development and will consider products in pre-clinical up to NDA. Historically, the firm invests in therapeutics for oncology, inflammatory diseases, and metabolic disorders.

Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Lilly Asia Ventures
Principal 

Kevin Liang United States

Excel Venture Management is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2008 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm has managed one fund with committed capital of $125 million, and the firm is currently raising the second fund. Excel Venture Management seeks to make equity investments into life science companies from early to late stages. The typical investment size ranges from $3 million to $ 5million. The firm plans to invest in 4-5 companies over the next 6-9 months and prefers to invest in companies based in US.

Year Founded
2008
Investor Type
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Excel Venture Management

Mr Michael Lincoln Canada

CDRD Ventures Inc. (CVI) is the commercialization vehicle of the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD), Canada's national drug development and commercialization center that was founded in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada. CVI seeks to advance promising drug development projects from CDRD using internal funds and through partnerships with international pharmaceutical companies, venture capital firms, biotech companies, and other funding agencies. CVI also seeks to in-license technologies from industry or non-CDRD affiliated research institutions. The firm considers both small molecule and biologic innovative technologies in virtually any therapeutic area.

CDRD Ventures
Chief Financial and Business Officer 

Dr Ronald Ling Singapore

Sanus Asia is a Singapore based advisory firm providing investment and transaction-related services across Asia with a focus on Healthcare and Life Sciences.

We work with investors and high potential companies to assist growth/development across Asia through capital raising and strategic/operational support.

We seek to identify high potential US/European Medtech and Digital Health companies with near-term commercialisation potential in Asia.

Will also consider earlier stage investments as a principal Angel investor if there is a strong Asian angle to the technology/business model.

Sanus Advisory Asia
LinkedIn logo Managing Director 

Nadia Litterman

Collaborative Drug Discovery
Collaborations Director 

Neil Littman

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was established in 24 with the passage of Proposition 71 and is based in San Francisco California. Proposition 71 provided for $3 billion for CIRM to fund stem cell research in the state of California. CIRM provides strictly non-dilutive funding in the forms of research grants and forgivable loans the largest of which provide for up to $2 million of funding. Being motivated partially by the economic development of California the firm is interested in companies located in California or those that have an interest in relocating or opening space in California.
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
Business Development Officer