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Greenhouse Capital Partner is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2006 and is based in Sausalito, California. The firm selectively makes equity investments into life science companies in seed stage and series A financing round, but it also provides growth equity to highly capital efficient companies that can achieve cash flow break-even within two years. The typical investment size ranges from $0.25 million to $2 million.The firm focuses on investments in US based companies.

Sofinnova Ventures was founded in 1974 and is based in Menlo Park, CA. The firm has approximately $1b of assets under management, and makes life science investments from two fund families; the main Sofinnova Ventures fund and Sofinnova HealthQuest Capital. Sofinnova Venture Partners IX closed at $500 million in 2014, and the debut HealthQuest fund closed at $110 million in 2014. The firm makes investments in the form of equity (preferred stock) and is an activist investor; the firm prefers to lead investments, take a board seat at its portfolio companies and be actively involved in company management. Sofinnova Ventures plans to make 4-6 new investments in life science companies in 2014. 

The Sofinnova Ventures main fund invests in biopharmaceuticals and typically makes initial investments of $5-15m, with the potential for a total investment of $15-30m. The fund invests in companies based in North America or Europe. 

HealthQuest Capital invests in non-biopharmaceutical life science and medtech companies and typically makes initial investments of $2-3m, with the potential for total investments of $5-6m. HealthQuest Capital is a venture growth fund focused on commercial-stage technologies, and only invests in companies headquartered in North America (particularly the US Southeast or West Coast).

Horizon Technology Finance is a venture lending, investment and financial services management company that was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Farmington, Ct with additional offices in Walnut Creek, CA and Reston, VA. The firm controls approximately $200 million in assets under management and look to provide senior or subordinate loans to companies in the range of $2 to $20 million dollars, and often syndicates much larger deals. The firm prefers to lead or co-lead investments that they are involved in and looks to be involved in 15 deals in the next 6-9 months. The firm provides capital to companies located throughout the United States and Canada.

Immunova is a startup with  an IP portfolio licensed from Yale and the Johns Hopkins Universities.

Immunova's technology platform has a unique capability to deliver one or more drugs to the tumor/disease microenvironment. The drugs can be proteins, small molecules or nucleic acids. The delivery platfrom has demonstatable advantages over other delivery systems. The technology has applications in oncology and inflammation.

The company's lead asset is positioned in oncology. IMM-01, consists of two drugs that (a) undermine the tumor micorenvironment and (b) increase anti-tumor cell mediated immunity. This asset is capable of curing mice of metastatic disease. Further, it significantly enhances the activites of immune checkpoint inhibitors. It is non toxic.

The company is seeking investment and R&D partners. Immunova has defined the path to a Phase I/IIa multidose trial which could initiate within 15 months of funding. Immunova is also seeking partners who wish to validate this platform in oncology and inflammation.

ImStar Therapeutics is a private biotechnology company headquartered in Vancouver that is developing new approaches to treat patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

The company is developing compounds directed at a proprietary new therapeutic target for ALS discovered by co-founder Dr. Jean-Pierre Julien called TANA (i.e. TDP-43 Associated NF-kB Activation). The lead drug candidate, IMS-088, is a novel small molecule compound targeting the NF-kB activation pathway currently in preclinical development for ALS.

IMS-088 is the first in a series of novel compounds derived from withaferin A (WA), a natural withanolide isolated from the leaves of the winter cherry plant (withania somnifera).  In preclinical animal studies, WA showed promise but lacked suitable pharmacologic characteristics to be developed as a therapeutic drug.

Therapeutics targeting the TANA pathway could treat multiple neurodegenerative diseases expressing TDP-43 pathology such as ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Dementia.

TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) was recently identified as a major disease-associated protein in ALS. Under normal conditions, TDP-43 regulates RNA and is predominantly localized in the nucleus. However, in ALS-affected neuronal cells the protein is misprocessed resulting in aggregation in the cytoplasm and a loss of motor function.

A recent discovery has shown that, in patients with ALS, TDP-43 unexpectedly associates with and activates nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), an inflammation-regulating protein. This leads to exaggerated immune responses and motor neuron destruction. Inhibition of the pathway in an ALS disease model produced substantial improvements in disease and motor function illustrating this is an important new drug target.

Novel Withanolides

ImStar chemists have designed novel withanolides related to WA that have superior drug like properties. IMS-088 is the lead drug candidate in this series that is currently being developed for ALS. These compounds are covered by a new composition of matter patent filing.

TANA Inhibitors

ImStar is also developing various approaches to block TDP-43 activity and has identified novel single chain variable domain antibody fragments (scFv) that inhibit TDP-43 and block it's associated NF-kB activation. 

JT Pharma, the Pharmaceutical Division of Japan Tobacco (Akros Pharma, US; Torii, Japan) has broad therapeutic interests with a focus on cutting edge, innovative science and orally active small molecule therapeutics in diabetes, lipid regulation, osteoporosis (small molecule anabolic agents), HIV, HBV, fibrosis, pain, autoimmune diseases, inflammation (RA and OA), urological diseases, allergy, and new drug discovery and development tools. Torii, the marketing division of JT Pharma Division, is interested in late stage, i.e. late Ph3, close to registration drugs for the Japanese market. Torii’s areas of interest are: renal diseases including CKD and complications from hemodialysis, dermatology, atopic dermatitis (preferably given orally), psoriasis, allergy, i.e. antigen-specific immunotherapy, asthma, and rhinitis. JT Pharma and Torii are looking for commercializable technologies or products for collaborative R&D deals or in- licensing deals. 
JT Pharma seeks partnering opportunities, i.e., research and/or development collaborations, contract research and licensing arrangements, to enhance its own internal R&D efforts. Also, Japan Tobacco’s marketing division, Torii Pharmaceuticals, seeks late-stage clinical opportunities for the Japanese Market.
JT Pharma has an interest in early-stage, novel small molecule therapeutics focusing on diabetes,lipid regulation, HIV, HBV, autoimmune disease, inflammation (RA, OA, asthma, allergy), fibrosis, osteoporosis, overactive bladder, and pain (non-CNS) as well as new drug discovery and development tools. Compounds must have composition of matter patents.

Torii Pharmaceuticals is seeking drugs in clinical trials for licensing and marketing in Japan with a focus on dermatology (eczema, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, onychomycosis, ), allergy, and kidney diseases.

JT Pharma is dedicated to the discovery, development, and sales of novel human therapeutics. In addition to the North American facilities mentioned above, most of JT Pharma’s new drug discovery and development work is performed within its Central Pharmaceutical Research Institute, located in Osaka. They also have a molecular biology research laboratory in Yokohama and a toxicology research facility in Hadano, Japan.