Prize4Life

Prize4Life is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 in Cambridge, MA focused on accelerating therapy development for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, aka Lou Gehrig's disease). Prize4Life uses incentive prizes to attract new minds and drive innovation in ALS drug development. The organization is running the $1M Avi Kremer ALS Treatment Prize4Life challenge for preclinical validation of a novel ALS therapeutic in an ALS mouse model, and submissions to this prize will be accepted until June 6th 2015. In addition to prizes, Prize4Life also runs infrastructure programs to support the ALS research community, such as the ALS FORUM, an online portal of cutting edge research and drug development news in ALS (www.researchals.org).

Sara Shnider
Executive Director 

Prolog Ventures United States

Prolog Ventures is a venture capital firm based out of St. Louis Missouri that was founded in 2001. The firm is currently making investments out of its vintage 2013 4th fund of approximately $100 million. The firm is looking to make equity investments in companies ranging from $500,000 to $3 million. The firm will invest in companies across the United States and plans to make approximately 3-4 investments over the next 6-9 months.

Brian Clevinger
Managing Director 

RCT Ventures

RCT Ventures invests in early-stage life science companies including medical devices, drug discovery platforms, and research tools.

Paul Grand
Paul Grand
LinkedIn logo Managing Director 
BIO

Grand is responsible for sourcing RCT’s investments in medical devices and representing RCT on the boards of its portfolio companies.

Prior to joining RCT, Grand was co-founder and VP Operations of Imagine Pharmaceuticals, which developed a platform to selectively deliver therapeutics and other compounds across the blood brain barrier. He was also co-founder and CEO of MicroSurgeon, which developed a microwave thermal ablation device for the treatment of solid tumors.

Grand has extensive experience in new company formation and fund raising. Since 1990, he has built, operated, recruited management and raised financing for eight high technology, medical device and biotechnology companies. Grand also was a Managing Director for Fruition Ventures, a group of private equity investors focused primarily on tech companies.

Grand is actively involved in programs to encourage bio-entrepreneurship, innovation and commercialization of University technologies. He has lectured, judged business plans, and mentored students and scientists at numerous universities, including UCLA, Stanford, USC, and UCSF. Grand serves as an investment advisor to the LARTA NIH Commercialization Assistance Program for SBIR program awardees. He is on the Oversight Committees for the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Programs at USC and University of Washington. Grand is a reviewer for proof of concept and commercialization-focused funding programs for the University of California system-wide, USC, University of Utah and University of Colorado. 

Grand is a frequent panelist at biomedical conferences. He has spoken at more than 100 conferences, been featured in hundreds of articles in publications including Forbes, New York Times and Wall Street Journal and appeared as an expert on Bloomberg Television, CNN, and CNN/FN. Grand serves as Producer and Host for the MedTech Innovator competition that seeks to discover outstanding early-stage MedTech opportunities - http://medtechinnovator.com

Chad Souvignier
Managing Director 

RDD Pharma Israel

RDD Pharma, a clinical stage company with programs in:
1. Fecal incontinence (Phase 2a)
2. Chronic anal fissure (Phase 3 ready).
3. Pruritus Ani - preclinical development
4. Radiation Colitis - animal studies

- All rograms utilize a 505(b)2 strategy .
- Anal Fissure IP goes out to 2030.
Year Founded
2009
Biotech Subsector
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Technology Overview

Company focused on ano-rectal diseases

Experienced management team

Lead product targets $600M market with poorly
addressed needs

Follow on product targets a $3B US market

Pipeline - Three clinical stage products:

  • PHASE III READY – ANAL FISSURE
  • PHASE IIa – FECAL INCONTINENCE ONGOING
  • PHASE II READY – PRURITUS ANI

De-risked 505(b)2 regulatory path

Supporting Metrics or Evidence

Fecal Incontinence - P1 Proof of Concecpt + Phase 2a Ongoing

Chronic Anal Fissure - completed two (2) Phase II studies evaluating Nifedipine in CAF.

  • RDD Study 104 - 20 Patients
  • RDD Study 112 - 33 Patients
Current Financing Needs

OrbiMed Israel (invested $4M in 2012) is a lead investor and has committed to $3M of a $15M Series B.

Current Timeline

Anal Fissure  - Phase 3 to commence 1Q2015

Fecal Incontinence - Phase 2a data read March/April 2015

Current Investors

OrbiMed

Ofakim Hi-Tech Ventures

Corporate Finance Holding GmbH

Mor Research

IP Status

Nifedipine Capository™ - Device for Treating the Anal Sphincter

–      Japan                         Granted (new)

–      Australia                   Granted

–      Korea          Allowed (new)

–      Israel           Allowed (new)

–      USA            Granted

–      Canada                     Allowed

Fecal Incontinence

–      US – National Phase

Radiation Colitis

–      Methods for Treating and Ameliorating Radiation-induced Gastrointestinal Tract Injury

Pruritus Ani

–      Method of Treating Anal Pruritus and Other Perianal Disorders

–      USA-issued patent: April 1, 2014

Recent Milestones

Chronic Anal Fissure - completed two (2) Phase II studies evaluating Nifedipine in CAF.

  • RDD Study 104 - 20 Patients
  • RDD Study 112 - 33 Patients
Management Team Highlights

Jason Laufer CEO 

•       Over 25 years in healthcare clinical and commercial operations

•       Global BD & Licensing at URL Pharma (acquired by Takeda for $800M), Managing Director at CELLGRO® (acquired by Corning , and CEO at Elutex

Nir Barak, MD CMO and Founder

•       More than 10 years as internal medicine physician

•       Career integrating R&D and clinical medicine

•       Formerly CSO/Founder of OBEcure Ltd.

 

Robert Niecestro PhD Regulatory Affairs

  • Over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry
  • Managing Director of Accelapharm, VP Reg. of Axsome Rx and EVP of Clinical & Reg. Affairs at TG Rx
  • VP Clinical & Reg. Affairs at Keryx Biopharma

 

Monil Shah, PharmD MBA Clinical Advisor

  • VP, Clinical Affairs at Ventrus Biosciences
  • Over 15 years in clinical management roles at BMS, Celgene, Amgen, and Novartis

Jason Laufer
CEO 

Recardio 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
Roman Schenk
CEO 

RiverVest Venture Partners United States

RiverVest Venture Partners is a venture capital firm that was founded in 2000 and is based in St. Louis, Missouri with additional office in Cleveland, Ohio. The firm currently has managed over $208 million of total assets. RiverVest has raised two investment funds with total committed capital of $165 million since inception. The recent fund closed at $75 million. RiverVest typically makes equity investments into global companies, and has no specific geographic preferences. The firm will consider making investments at all the stages, and focuses on investments in seed, early-stage and select later-stage companies. The typical investment size is around $6 million, though the firm can invest more or less, depending on the opportunity. 

RiverVest is extremely opportunistic when it comes to investments in the life sciences space; with that being said RiverVests specified sectors and sub sectors of interest may or may not be an area in which RiverVest is currently looking to allocate capital to. The firm invests in companies in the biotech therapeutics and diagnostics, as well the medical technology space. 

Some of the firms investments have included companies developing biotech therapeutics and diagnostics targeting diseases of the blood and blood forming organs, neoplasms, cancer, and oncology, skin and subcutaneous tissue, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the ear, and infectious diseases. The firm has also invested in companies developing anti-body based therapeutics. The firm has also invested in firms developing medical technologies such as therapeutic radiation devices, active implantable devices, non active implantable devices, hospital hardware, and imaging devices.

Year Founded
2000
Investor Type
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Karen Spilizewski
VP 

Sand Hill Angels

Sand Hill Angels is an angel group that was founded in 2 and is headquartered in Sunnyvale California. The group focuses on investments in early-stage (from seed to series C) companies in the Life Sciences IT Internet and Clean Tech sectors. The group prefers to make equity and convertible notes investments and the typical investment size ranges from $.1million to $.5million. The group will consider syndicating with other investors for larger investments. The group will consider companies across the US.
Stephen Pollitt
Board Member Membership Chair 

Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures

Sanofi-Genzyme BioVentures (SGBV) is the corporate venture arm of Sanofi based in Cambridge Massachusetts USA. Originally established in 21 as Genzyme Ventures SGBV is mandated to invest directly in private early-stage life science companies with promising new products that may be future Sanofi pipeline candidates. The firm seeks to invest across the more expansive business footprint of Sanofi. The firm has a global mandate and is currently seeking new equity investment opportunities.
Jason Hafler
Director of Investments 

Seroba Kernel Life Sciences Ireland

Seroba Kernel is a venture capital firm based in Dublin, Ireland, with representatives in the United Kingdom. The firm has approximately €100M AUM and focuses solely on the life sciences. The firm has 2 funds and plans to raise a third fund in the near future. The firm typically allocates between €5-7M of equity over the life of the investment. The firm primarily invests in companies that are based in Ireland and Europe. Exceptional opportunities in North America will also be considered. The firm is actively seeking new investment opportunities.

Year Founded
2001
Biotech Phase of Development
Medtech Phase of Development
Capital Structure Preference
Investment Stage Preference
Daniel O'Mahony
Partner 

Sofia Angel Fund United States

Sofia Angel Group is a group of angel investors based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group solely focuses on investing in women-led businesses where women are the founders, or women are on the senior management team. Sofia Angel Group does not have a specific timeframe to make an investment, however would make an allocation by the end of 2013 if a compelling opportunity is identified. The group typically invests around $100,000 per company, however has the ability to invest up to $3 million through co-investments from the group’s members.

Barbara Nelsen