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Abveris is a Massachusetts-based company that provides industry-leading solutions for therapeutic and reagent antibody developements. We have built a strong reputation for our ability to deliver outstanding science. Based on our proprietary hyperimmune mouse models, DiversimAb mouse, and a Beacon-based single B cell screening platform, we have custom-built gene-to-antibody solutions to support development efforts for therapeutic antibodies against difficult targets such as GPCR, ion channels, glycan targets. Abveris is rapidly expanding its antibody discovery capabilities and geographical presence to work with more emerging biotech to discover therapeutics for novel targets.

Cerevel Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that combines a deep understanding of the biology and neurocircuitry of the brain with advanced chemistry and central nervous system (CNS) receptor pharmacology to discover and develop new therapies.

We seek to transform the lives of people suffering from neuroscience diseases, including Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy and schizophrenia, through the development of novel therapies. We have built a highly experienced team of senior leaders and neuroscience drug developers who combine a nimble, results-driven biotech mindset with the proven expertise of pharmaceutical company drug discovery and development.

Connexin Therapeutics Ltd. is a UK-based biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery and development of drugs targeting connexins, initially for the prevention of vision loss and blindness associated with the eye disease known as glaucoma. While there are a variety of glaucoma subtypes, a common hallmark is the progressive loss of vision due to the gradual cell death in the retina and optic nerve triggered by elevated intraocular pressure. Many drugs are available to reduce intraocular pressure, yet none have been shown to directly protect cells in the retina or optic nerve, and hence prevent them from dying. Thus, vision loss inevitably occurs, even in well-treated patients, and severe vision impairment remains common in these patients.
For 20+ years, our scientific co-founder, Dr. Stewart Bloomfield, has researched and published extensively on the connexin-mediated mechanisms by which elevated intraocular pressure causes cell death in the retina and optic nerve, resulting in vision loss. His research has demonstrated three key points:

1. Retinal and optic nerve cell death is mediated by the bystander effect, which, in turn, mediated by a protein called connexin 36; and

2. Inhibition of connexin 36 prevents further loss of vision in glaucoma; and

3. This inhibition can be achieved using a small molecule drug.

Thus, our goal at Connexin Therapeutics is to develop and partner novel compounds which block connexin 36, thereby preserving vision and potentially preventing blindness in patients with glaucoma. Importantly, glaucoma patients with either elevated or normal intraocular pressure will benefit from retinal neuro-protectants, even in the presence of aggressive attempts to reduce intraocular pressure via drugs or surgery. Other ophthalmic diseases which may benefit from connexin inhibition include subtypes of glaucoma (i.e., normotensive glaucoma), retinitis pigmentosa, and the prevention of corneal scarring secondary to eye surgery. These are indications which may be pursued as the company grows.
In addition to our work with connexin 36 in glaucoma, we may have an opportunity to discover and develop a novel connexin 45 inhibitor. Preliminary work from our laboratory suggests that inhibiting connexin 45 has protective benefits in a range of ischemic ophthalmic conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy. Thus, we have the opportunity to advance two programs from the current round of financing into full development or even licensing.
Interest from multinational pharmaceutical companies in novel compounds to treat ophthalmic conditions is extraordinarily high, as these companies recognize that the rapidly aging population, coupled with significant unmet needs and favorable reimbursement policies, all make for attractive licensing opportunities for companies like Connexin Therapeutics. Thus, we anticipate initiating licensing discussions with pharmaceutical companies as novel connexin inhibitors emerge from our efforts.
Connexin Therapeutics raised ~£150,000 in Seed financing in early 2019. These funds are being used to synthesize and test novel small molecules in animal models of glaucoma. These compounds are based on a molecule which has already demonstrated efficacy in mouse models of glaucoma. Thus, these data supplement and extend the work already published.
We are currently raising ~£2,000,000 to optimize our lead compounds. After ~8-10 quarters of work we anticipate having a library of patentable compounds which are highly selective for connexin 36, backed by primate data. We will have a second compound which inhibits connexin 45 for diabetic retinopathy. Future financing rounds will take one or both leads into clinical trials, while also fueling our expansion into other indications with this same mechanism of action.

Enosi's lead programs involve novel inhibitors of TNF (tumor necrosis factor), which include severe inflammation associated with viral infections, autoimmune disease, fibrotic diseases, Alzheimer’s, cancer and other diseases. The current TNF inhibitors have important “Black Box” warnings for opportunistic infections, cancer, and cardiovascular events, like stroke. Enosi believes our compounds in development will avoid these limitations of current drugs, be more effective, and will allow expansion into many indications/markets that cannot be approached at the present time by current TNF inhibitors because of their side-effects.

   Glenpharma AB is a small privately owned research spin-off from Pfizer-Pharmacia, formed in Sweden in 2002 to exploit novel technology patented by its founders. 

We offer patented synergistic combinations of biopolymers for 

a) accelerated repair of acute tendon /ligament injuries in human applications ( such as sprained ligaments / tendons in shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle, etc , in both sports injury scenarios and in the elderly ) , or in veterinary indications (e.g. high performance horses) .  The product accelerates healing at least 3 times faster than the normal healing process. 

b) for prevention of unwanted adhesions between tissues after major thoracic, abdominal , fertility or orthopedic surgery. In studies on prevention of difficult adhesions after cardiac surgery, for example, adhesion scores were < 10% of those in control groups.

c) for effective control of acute pain in advanced joint disease (osteo-arthritis (OA)  .  Clinical documentation in advanced OA indicates that onset of pain relief is much faster and of longer duration than current standards for viscosupplementation. 

Each of the above biopolymer "viscous fluid implants" are also ideal drug delivery media for treatment of ancillary complications.

All component biopolymers are well documented APIs, i.e. without the toxicty and other regulatory issues generally associated with "New Chemical Entities".  Glenpharma´s current patent protection covers most major international markets including USA, Europe and P R China.

Glenpharma is primarily seeking Chinese partners for out-licensing within the fields of orthopedics or major surgery.. If neccessary , we can offer contract-manufacturing options in Europe if not available in China. 

MSL Pharma is an early-stage pharma company that performs ideation, analysis and identification of the underlying pathological pathways to determine how to treat diseases. The Company holds exclusive licenses from the Hebrew University & Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. There are data, patents and publications concerning the technologies.

As an early-stage company, in order to reduce overhead costs, we effectively act as the project manager – we plan the assays and subcontract the early development stages to university labs, and the later stages to CROs that specialize in the different fields. The Company monitors the results, determines next steps and fundraises for the next phases of development. We believe that working with leading experts at CROs is critical for success.

The Company has licenses for platform technologies which are progressing to several different projects; as such it is planning to out-license at various stages of development.

Synthesis of cyclic peptides which are peptidomimetics
MSL Pharma has the capability to identify “active regions” of proteins and peptides, to isolate them and to turn them into cyclic peptides which are selective for the desired receptors and stable, thereby preventing off-target activation and adverse effects (see Asset, Table 1).

Drug delivery systems for peptides and other molecules
MSL Pharma has two technologies for drug delivery (see Mode of Delivery, Table 1) that achieve unprecedented bioavailability:
1. Lipophilic prodrug charge masking (LPCM) technology for the oral delivery of peptides. This technology makes a chemical modification in a peptide to be converted to oral delivery, to produce a prodrug of this peptide. This causes it to be absorbed through the intestinal cell and once the prodrug enters the blood stream, it converts back to the original peptide. Typically, the Pgp Efflux system limits the prodrug absorption; we have overcome this with an approved self-assembling PNL (pro-nano liposphere) encapsulation system, itself a self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS), which increases prodrug solubility and inhibits the Pgp Efflux system.

2. A novel nanoparticle formulation called AmyloLipid Nanovesicles which is constructed of natural materials and therefore safe ,biodegradable and has an advantage for the delivery of peptides. This technology is used also for the delivery of other molecules, can be used for nose-to-brain, sublingual, transdermal and probably also oral delivery, and can be applied to our assets (Table 1) or existing assets (Table 2).

A novel smart multi-armed linker for targeted drug delivery
Our linker can be used for peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and nanoparticle-drug conjugates (NDCs). Our linker releases the payload (chemotherapeutic drug or fluorescent) only in the tumor cells and can bind up to three payloads (see Table 3). We have demonstrated that using two or three different drug payloads kills the tumor cells more potently and with less drug resistance developing.

Discovery of novel peptides for peptide-drug conjugates
We have technologies to synthesize novel peptides which will bind to receptors overexpressed in certain tumors so that we will be able to use them for synthesizing peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) to diagnose and treat different tumors. We already have at our disposal peptides that bind to the five different somatostatin receptors (overexpressed in pancreatic, gallbladder, breast, ovary, prostate, melanoma, lymphoma, glioblastoma, colon and non-small-cell lung tumors) and to certain integrin receptors (overexpressed in tumors such as breast, glioblastoma, leukemic cells). 

About Rius Medical: Rius Medical is designing and developing a new generation of Commercial cell therapies positioned at the crossroads of two high-potential programs: (1.) genetically engineering red blood cells for an entirely new class of cellular medicines and (2.) potent NK-cell therapy products. Due to their mechanism of action, engineered red blood cells demonstrated treatments for wide range of patients from starving cancer cells to targeting autoimmune diseases. Building on exceptional progress in cell therapies, Rius Medical is in a unique position to offer Third-Generation red blood cells for drug delivery that addresses Rare Diseases, Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases like type 1 diabetes! Furthermore, harnessing the unique power of natural killer (NK) cells enables the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases such as Influenza virus or SARS-Coronavirus (i.e. COVID-19 pandemic). That’s right, NK-cells as vaccine delivery NOT for antibodies but for “memory T cells” activation!