Dr Yash Sabharwal United States

Xeris is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company developing patient-friendly injectable drugs for various indications with an initial focus on diabetes. The current paradigm for many injectable drugs is to design formulations for delivery in water-based systems.  However, the presence of water is problematic because it actively degrades many molecules often preventing drug products from being packaged for use as a “ready-to-use” solution.  Xeris' patented and patent-pending XeriSol™ and XeriJect™ formulation technologies are transformative in their elimination of water. By replacing water with non-water, bio-compatible carriers already used in other FDA-approved drugs, Xeris solves a number of problems adding significant value to existing injectable drugs and to new drugs in development.  This technology is already being validated with the development of a non-aqueous glucagon formulation that has shown 24 months of room-temperature stability in solution and very positive safety and efficacy in a Phase 2 clinical study. While this product and other glucagon products are being developed and $20M has been raised to support this development, Xeris is seeking to spinoff its earlier stage non-glucagon assets and obtain funding (both equity and non-dilutive) to support these projects.  More specifically, these projects include the development of a non-aqueous, auto-injectable diazepam to replace the current diazepam rectal gel for treatment of epileptic seizures and a non-aqueous, intradermal auto-injectable epinephrine to replace the current, antiquated EpiPen.  

Year Founded
2005
Biotech Subsector
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview
Non-aqueous (no water) injectable formulations
Supporting Metrics or Evidence
Stability data, preclinical data, clinical data, FDA interactions
Current Investors
Large family offices and high net worth investors from the pharma industry
IP Status
3 issued patents and 14 additional applications pending
Dr Yash Sabharwal
Xeris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
LinkedIn logo Chief Operating Officer 

Akhil Saklecha

Artiman is a venture capital company founded in 2 and based in Palo Alto California. The firm is currently making investments out of its fourth $2 million fund. The firm makes seed and venture investments into firms ranging from a few hundred thousand to $5 million depending on the stage and financial requirements of the company. The firm has a preference for companies based in Silicon Valley but will consider opportunities globally and looks to make around 5 investments per year.
Artiman Ventures
Managing Director 
VenturEast
Senior Principal 

Carol Sands

The Angels' Forum
Managing Member 

Philip Sanger United States

TEXO Ventures is a healthcare venture capital firm that was founded in 29 and is based in Austin Texas. The firm operates as a hybrid of angel and venture capital. The recent fund closed at $15.4 million in 212. The firm focuses on making equity investments in the Medical Technology and Healthcare IT spaces at near commercialization or early commercialization stage. The firm typically invests ranging from $3 million to $5 million into a company. The firm plans to make 2-3 investments over the next 6-9 month. TEXO Ventures is open to consider companies across the US. The firm primarily focuses on healthcare which includes Health IT Technology  enabled Health Services Chronic Disease Management Managed Care and Benefit Design. Although medical devices and functional diagnostics are considered for investment purposes Texo Ventures must see a clear regulatory pathway and obvious synergies with healthcare reform within a company. The firm's current investment portfolio includes companies in the area of medical technology. Within this field they are in areas such as diagnostic and therapeutic radiation devices electro mechanical medical devices re-usable instruments biomaterials and non-active implantable.

Texo Ventures
Managing Partner 

Roman Schenk Austria

RECARDIO is a virtual, private, clinical stage life science company founded in 2011 focusing on drug based regenerative therapeutic modalities for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

The company started product development mid-stage by taking advantage of >$100m of previously invested capital in the licensed lead compound, Dutogliptin. Safety has been established in more than 1000 subjects and all non-clinical studies have been completed to the highest standards, including 2 year carcinogenicity, resulting in a de-risked clinical development program from the safety perspective and overall reduction in total program costs.

 After completion of limited preclinical studies clinical trials will commence in early 2015 in patients with acute myocardial infarction.



After establishing proof-of-principle in vivo and completion of the preclinical development, it has entered clinical stage and is developing multiple therapeutic leads as the future regenerative medication for patients with various cardiovascular diseases, with the potential of improving their cardiac function, quality of life and survival.

Website:
www.recardio.eu
Year Founded
2011
Biotech Subsector
Medtech Subsector
Indication
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Current Financing Needs
Series A in process
Current Timeline
Phase 2b starting in 2015
Current Investors
Private
IP Status
Issued use and composition of matter patents
Recent Milestones
Positive FDA advice in 12.2014
Recardio
CEO 

Matthew Scholz United States

Immusoft’s mission is to develop a breakthrough platform for delivering targeted medicines — programming a patient’s own cells to become miniature drug factories.

Our technology instructs a patient's cells to constantly secrete gene-encoded medicines (biologics). It will enable new treatments by solving current delivery limitations and production challenges. We are initially targeting orphaned diseases. 

Immusoft’s platform can program cells to continually produce and secrete therapeutic proteins and rare antibodies that have been impossible to elicit with a vaccine. This approach makes possible treatments that are otherwise impractical due to short halflife, injection site reactions, production challenges or a small market size. It offers many of the benefits of traditional approaches and modern gene therapies with less risk and greater control.

Immusoft has received grants from the National Institutes of Health and Peter Thiel's Breakout Labs as well as support from private investors, including the former head of preclinical development at Seattle Genetics. We have an exclusive license option on our core technology from Caltech and have filed two additional patents covering our extensive modifications to the technology.

ISP technology could replace a lifetime of infusions with a patient’s own drug-producing cells.

Website:
www.immusoft.com
Year Founded
2009
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview
Turning patients' cells into drug factories
Alliance & Collaborations
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Discovery Genomics, Inc, University of Minnesota, The Ragon Institute, University of California San Francisco
Supporting Metrics or Evidence
Late-stage preclinical
Current Financing Needs
$3 to >$20M
Current Timeline
Preparing IND for clinical trial
Current Investors
Breakout Labs, Founders Fund Science, several angels
IP Status
multiple patents filed worldwide
Recent Milestones
GMP scale-up in preparation for clinical trial; engaging the FDA for Investigator-initiated IND; use of Sleeping Beauty Transposon non-viral vector
Management Team Highlights
Matthew Scholz (Founder and CEO) – Seasoned startup executive; founded and exited Point B Telematics. Eric Herbig, Ph.D., M.B.A. (CSO) – 15+ years of research experience and significant commercialization and management expertise. Zach Hall (Dir. of Operations) – Co-founder and operations director at two previous biomedical startups. Mei Xu, Ph.D. (Dir. of Research) – Molecular biologist with extensive research experience.
Immusoft Corporation
CEO 

Elizabeth Schwarzbach

Sanford Burnham
Chief of Staff 

Frank Sciavolino United States

Year Founded
2011
Biotech Subsector
Biotech Phase of Development
Technology Overview

Thetis has discovered and is in the early stages of developing several compounds in the omega-3 arena that are quite differentiated from existing agents based on its proprietary HEALER Technology. 

  • TP-252 is an ionic derivative of eicosapentaenoic acid that delivers EPA with remarkable bioavailability in animal models. Unlike anything known in the omega-3 arena, TP-252 is a solid, stable, free-flowing drug substance that is suitable for tablet formulations and for potential use in fixed dose combination products with statins.
  • TP-113 (bis-metformin glutamate DHA) is a novel oral agent for treatment of T2DM as a 2nd generation metformin product with substantial differentiating pharmacological attributes and intellectual property protection. Its PPP targets significant HbA1c reduction as its primary clinical endpoint with enhanced pharmacological benefits that include insulin resistance resolution, multiple mechanistic effects on hepatic gluconeogenesis that could translate into lower metformin dosing requirements, and reduced serum triglyceride (TG) levels.
  • TP-352, an ionic derivative of docosahexaenoic acid that delivers DHA with remarkable bioavailability in animal models, has prospects for treatment of NASH based on the anti-fibrotic, metabolic and TG lowering effects of DHA.
  • TP-110 (bis-metformin glutamate EPA) has prospects as a first in class agent for treatment of PCOS based on the clinically established effects of its active moeties for ovulation restoration, reduced insulin resistance and enhanced anti-androgenic effects.  
Alliance & Collaborations
Marette Laboratory
Supporting Metrics or Evidence

HEALER Technology applied to already approved APIs with established safety records.

Current Financing Needs

$25 million to fund TP-113 through Phase IIa

Current Timeline

INDs can be opened on lead candidates within 12 months due to non-clinical safety efficiencies based on prototype candidate already vetted by FDA

Current Investors

Connecticut Innovations and Angel Investors

IP Status

Issued patents (US8765811, US8993124, US8901107) and non-provisional patent applications under petition to make special 

Recent Milestones
  • TP-113 preclinical studies in mice showing PDX formation
  • IND allowance establishing non-clinical safety of Thetis compounds
  • Extensive rodent pharmacokinetic studies demonstrating unique PK properties
  • Pre-formulation feasibility studies completed on lead candidates
  • Issued composition of matter patents on metformin compounds (TP-113/110)
Management Team Highlights

Frank Sciavolino, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer

  • former Pfizer R&D executive (Zithromax) and in-licensing (Celebrex)
  • PhD, Organic Chemistry, University of Michigan
  • Over 30 issued patents

Gary Mathias, MBA, Chief Financial Officer

  • Over 25 years as healthcare investment banking and entrepreneur
  • Former SVP, GE Equity, Healthcare
  • MBA, Yale University; BA Economics, Harvard College

Alexander Fleming, MD, Senior Clinical & Regulatory Officer

  • Former supervisory physician, DMEP, FDA
  • Expert in metabolic disease
  • MD, Board Certified, Endocrinology, Emory University

Andre Marette, PhD, Lead Investigator and Scientific Advisor

  • Professor of Medicine, Institute for Heart & Lung Research, Laval University
  • Pfizer Research Chair, Pathogenesis of Insulin Resistance and CVD
  • Recent publication on PDX effect on insulin resistance (Nat. Med. 5/11/2014)

Michael Van Zandt, PhD, Director, Discovery Chemistry

  • Former Director, Institute for Pharmaceutical Discovery (1996-2012)
  • PhD, Organic Chemistry, Wayne State University

Robert Lipper, PhD, Technical Consultant, Formulation

  • VP, Biopharmaceutics, BMS (1984-2008)
  • PhD, Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Michigan

Mehar Manku, PhD, Scientific Advisory

  • former Chief Scientific Officer, Amarin Corp.
  • Executive editor, PLEFAs
  • Inventory on 61 patents in polyunsaturated fatty acids
Thetis Pharmaceutcals
CSO