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Cavidi is a Swedish based diagnostic company that has developed a novel method for measuring HIV viral load in patients recieving anti-retroviral therapy for treatment of HIV. Viral load is a critical indicator of the effectiveness of HIV therapy, and has been the standard of care in the developed world for many years. Just recently the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its recommendations to include viral load for patients in the developing world where the vast majority of HIV patients exists, and a large influx of international funding has significantly increased aceess to HIV drugs. The Cavidi method is novel in that it measures the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT), and not viral nucleic acid (RNA) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The Cavidi method is not subject to the logistical challenges of PCR such as contamination risk. The Cavidi RT assay is much less expensive and can be performed in labs that lack the sophisitication to perform technologies such as PCR. Therfore, the Cavidi assay significantly improves access to this vitally important technology. For the past several years a manual version of the Cavidi technology has been utilized in laboratories in the developing world. The performance of the assay has been validated vs the industry leading PCR methods in many peer review publications. The company is now seeking funding to develop an automated version of the assay that will make it more widely adaptable to many laborartories. 

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.

Focus:  Many hepatitis B and C patients fall into difficult-to-treat categories due to more complicated liver disease and poorer responses to treatment.  One major group is coinfected patients (HCV/HIV-1 or HCV/HBV), who are more prone to develop end stage liver disease and liver cancer than monoinfected patients.  Patients with cirrhosis represent a second major group. Cyclophilin inhibitors, having broad-spectrum antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic activities are excellent candidate medicine for these difficult-to-treat  patients. 

CitareTx founded in 2008 is a venture development and investment firm based in Houston Texas. The firm provides investment and incubation services to start-up and early-stage medical device companies. The firm provides seed capital (equity) ranging from $5K to $2M with follow-on capital of up to $5M. The firm also considers investment opportunities with smaller than typically accepted venture capital market size thresholds. The firm is geographically agnostic but prefers companies to be based in Texas. The firm is actively seeking new opportunities.

The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit entity committed to economic development through the creation and funding of Colorado Life Science companies. Our goal is to efficiently transform emerging life science innovations into commercial successes. First, we use a rigorous review process and advisory panel to select promising post-proof-of-concept technologies from Colorado’s outstanding research institutions and start-up companies. Second, we fund and actively manage product development while taking an equity position in existing companies and in new companies that we found with the inventors. Third, we facilitate additional seed and/or grant funding to further develop our portfolio companies technologies. By augmenting the value of these innovations, we position our portfolio companies to attract series A financing from venture capitalists and/or partnering opportunities with established pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. We have funded 9 early stage companies since June 2010 and these companies have raised more than $30 million in additional private capital and grant funding.

Correlation Ventures is a venture capital firm that founded in 2010 and is based in San Diego, California with an additional office in Palo Alto, California. The firm currently has approximately $165 million in total assets under management. The firm typically makes investments ranging from $0.25 million to $5 million over the life of the company, and the first investment will be not larger than $2.5 million. The firm’s preferred capital structure is convertible preferred equity or convertible loan. Correlation Ventures will consider invest in any industry segment at any stage, but there must be at least one other venture capital firm making their first investment in the company in this round. The firm only invests in US-based companies. 

Correlation is extremely opportunistic when it comes to investments in the life sciences space; with that being said the firm's specified sectors and sub sectors of interest may or may not be an area in which Correlation Ventures is currently looking to allocate capital to. The firm has made a number of investments in companies in the life sciences space, and has mainly invested in companies in the biotech therapeutics and diagnostics space. The firm's current portfolio includes biotech therapeutics and diagnostics firms developing products targeting endocrine, metabolic, and nutritional diseases, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, neoplasms, cancer, and oncology, genitourinary system, and infectious and parasitic diseases.

Crestone, Inc. is an early stage drug discovery and development company focused on developing novel treatments for serious bacterial infections.  The company currently has two main programs that address areas of significant and growing unmet medical need, both with novel mechanism of action agents.

1.         Novel treatment for Clostridium difficile infections.  CRS3123 is currently in clinical development for the treatment of C. difficile infection (CDI), and is nearing completion of Phase 1.  CDI occurs when toxin-producing bacteria colonize the gastrointestinal tract.  The infection spreads rapidly via spores which contaminate hospitals and nursing homes, and recurrence is a major clinical issue.  Due to the emergence of hyper-virulent drug resistant strains, mortality from CDI has increased over 700% since 1999.  In preclinical studies, CRS3123 shows much lower recurrence compared to vancomycin, a key attribute for improved therapy of CDI.  We seek funding for Phase 2 clinical studies to demonstrate clinical proof-of-concept.

2.         Novel oral agents for Gram-positive infections.  We are developing a novel class of DNA replication inhibitors, currently in advanced preclinical research.  These compounds selectively inhibit an essential component of the replicative DNA polymerase complex and are potent, orally available, and effective against all clinically-relevant Gram-positive pathogens, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) and Bacillus anthracis (anthrax).  We anticipate development of a drug similar to Zyvox in spectrum, but with key advantages such as rapid bacterial killing and improved safety.  This grant-supported program is expected to produce a clinical candidate in 2015.   

Crestone will develop these programs through key value inflection points in early clinical development, and then share the risk and expense of late-stage trials with a partner.  We have a talented core team in place, and have a plan for strategic hiring to ensure that we can accomplish critical milestones.  We have identified potential candidates to fill a number of key positions, while outsourcing activities that benefit from economies of scale/expertise, including large-scale chemical synthesis, animal testing, clinical trial execution and regulatory affairs.  We have demonstrated the ability to leverage non-dilutive financing to meet critical early milestones, maintaining a semi-virtual structure and low burn rate.