American Heart Association
Ross Tonkens
Director Science and Technology AcceleratorAmorphex Therapeutics
Amorphex Therapeutics is an early clinical stage company that was founded to develop products for sustained ophthalmic drug delivery using patented TODDD™ technology. Topical ophthalmic pharmaceuticals are a $5+Billion market, but inaccurate and inefficient delivery systems, poor compliance and excessive side effects undermine their clinical benefits and true sales potential. TODDD™ is a soft, non-invasive device that is completely concealed under the eyelid and continuously delivers therapeutic levels of drug 24/7 over several months. While TODDD™ is soft and flexible, unlike soft contact lenses, it doesn’t contain appreciable water and avoids the surface drying and resulting deposits that irritate and deter many contact lens wearers. In recognition of the potential benefits and their developmental progress, the company’s founders have been awarded three National Institutes of Health (NIH-SBIR) grants for the TODDD™ technology totaling $2.5 million.
TODDD™ has issued patents in major markets and has been successfully tested in safety studies, animal trials with drugs and without drug in humans.
Amorphex is seeking to fund small, 30 - 40 subject, human clinical trials of TODDD™ delivering timolol, prostaglandin and both drugs simultaneously. This funding will also support pre-clinical development of TODDD™ for ocular allergy and inflammation applications. These milestones will drive dramatic increases in valuation and corporate partner interest.
Mr Robert Thompson
CEOMr Charles Leahy
VP of Clinical Affairsapceth GmbH & Ko. KG
apceth is a privately held German Biotech company focused on the development and clinical implementation of innovative biopharmaceuticals based on cell and gene therapy in the field of oncology.
Enabling platform technology for genetic modification of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to be used as drug shuttle to target tumors or other areas of interest.
Clinical development:
phase I with modified MSC in gastro-intestinal tumors completed (12/2014)
phase I/II with MSC for vascular disease completed
strong clinical pipeline based on genetic modification of MSC
Implementation of allogeneic cell bank system to accomodate off-the-shelf production of cell-based pharmaceuticals.
Strong network and IP,
interesting preclinical pipeline addressing oncology, lung disease, inflammation.
Secure financing by German Family Offic. Looking for partner/ cofinancing for ongoing clinical development (phase II/III)
Christine Günther
CEOMr Helmut Jeggle
CFOApple Tree Partners
Apple Tree Partners is a private equity fund that was established in 1999 and based in New York, NY, with satellite offices in Princeton, NJ, Cambridge, MA and Brussels, Belgium. The firm controls up to $1.75 billion in assets under management and makes equity investments ranging from $100,000 for academic spinouts to $150 million dollar in later stage deals. The firm seeks to make investments around the globe with a focus on creating and building companies located within the US and Europe.
Sam Hall
PrincipalAaron Kantoff
Vice PresidentArcus Ventures
Arcus Ventures was founded in 2007 and is based in New York City. Arcus Ventures is currently investing from its second fund, which had a first close of $36m in 2014 and is targeting a raise of $100m. The firm typically invests $2-5 million. Arcus invests primarily in the USA but is also open to considering opportunities in Canada.
Myoung-Ok Kwon
Venture PartnerArtiman Ventures
Akhil Saklecha
Managing DirectorAstia Angels
Karen Drexler
FounderSharon Vosmek
CEOSara Frankel
MemberATEM Capital
Alexey Afanasiev
Executive PartnerAnton Gopka
CEO General PartnerElena Ikhsanova
COO General PartnerAvisa Pharma Inc.
Avisa Pharma™ Inc., (AVISA) is a Point Of Care, In-Vivo Platform Technology Company With An Innovative, Integrated System For The Rapid Detection And Monitoring Of Respiratory Diseases. A paradigm shift away from lab based In Vitro testing; an In Vivo, point of care, breath test that measures the whole lung, live organisms, not a single culture sample in a petri dish or PCR;for non sputum producers - the only test that can detect lung bacteria without a sputum culture; A razor/razorblade Model to Drive Rapid Market Penetration and Growth.
Focused initially on respiratory health, the clinical study strategy is to pursue fastest route to regulatory approvals, the detection of Tuberculosis (TB), followed by Healthcare Acquired Pneumonia (HCAP), Ventilator Associated Pneumonia (VAP), Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and COPD. These applications have the potential to help save millions of lives and millions of dollars in healthcare costs each year, and a multi billion $ market opportunity.
$6 million Series A1 Preferred round underway, $4 million received from current investors exercising preemptive rights. Q1 2015 Avisa will be launching a 40 patient pilot TB study in South Africa.