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BioScience Managers is a venture capital life science investment firm headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. The group makes equity investments from $3M-5M and anticipates about 6 new investments this year. BioScience Managers invests globally. 

BioScience Managers will invest in companies across the life science space, including therapeutics, diagnostics and medical technology. The group does not invest in service providers. BioScience Managers considers all subsectors and indications, including orphan indications. The group will consider technology either in or prepared for human clinical trials and is open to all classes of devices. BioScience Managers seeks investments in novel technology and is not looking to gain share of an existing market. 

Brace Pharmaceuticals is based in Rockville, MD, and is a strategic investment company formed by Brazil-based pharma company EMS S/A. Brace investment structure varies depending on a company’s development stage; for early-stage opportunities Brace typically makes equity investments and may syndicate with other investors, whereas for clinical-stage opportunities Brace is more likely to form strategic partnerships that involve rights to an asset. Brace is open to considering therapeutic opportunities globally, but only if the company is pursuing the US market.

Brace Pharmaceuticals invests in therapeutics; about 80% of the firm’s investments are in clinical-stage assets, with a preference for companies with some human proof-of-concept data; the remaining 20% of investments are made in preclinical opportunities. Drug-device combinations will also be considered, but Brace does not invest in diagnostics. The firm will invest in both small and large molecules, and has a strong preference for investing in orphan drugs and other niche disease areas. It is preferred that indications have validated clinical endpoints and can be studied using small trials. Indications that require large clinical trials, including as cardiovascular diseases and primary care indications (such as influenza) will not be considered.

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. 

Debra Miller co-founded CureDuchenne in 2003 with her husband, Paul, after their only son was diagnosed with Duchenne. Miller relies on her extensive background in sales and marketing to lead CureDuchenne. 

Her role includes overseeing all operations, research and financial resources as well as serving as the primary liaison to the Board of Directors. She is the decision maker, leader and manager in carrying out the mission of the organization. She also works closely with the Scientific Board of Advisors in designing and implementing the medical research strategic plan.

Miller is a member of the Department of Defense Duchenne Research review board and also a member of the TREAT-NMD international review board, TACT.  Miller has led CureDuchenne’s successful venture philanthropy programs and is the architect of CureDuchenne Ventures LLC, a new, for profit entity created to attract significant research funding to Duchenne research.

Prior to CureDuchenne, Miller had a career in publishing with positions at IDG Communications, Cahners Publishing, Ziff-Davis Publishing and Scholastic Publishing. She also worked in management at PC Magazine and was an independent stock trader.

Miller earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from the University of California – Los Angeles.