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Kineta Pharmaceuticals is a Seattle, WA-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Our mission is to create a new generation of smarter medicines that outmaneuver complex diseases in ways previously inconceivable. To accomplish this mission, we are building a synthetic biology platform that could enable us to program next-generation cell and gene therapies with what we refer to as “gene circuits”. These gene circuits, which are created from novel and proprietary combinations of DNA sequences, are intended to reprogram cells with biological logic to sense inputs, compute decisions and respond to their cellular environments. We are designing gene circuits to improve the “intelligence” of cell and gene therapies in order to enhance their therapeutic effectiveness against a broad range of diseases that conventional medicines do not readily address.
Kezar co-founder Christopher Kirk, Ph.D. began his work on the unique function of the immunoproteasome at Proteolix in 2005, while working on the compound that would become the successful multiple myeloma drug KYPROLIS™ (carfilzomib). As VP of Research at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, which acquired Proteolix in 2009, Christopher led the efforts to develop the first selective inhibitors of the immunoproteasome and designed multiple studies demonstrating their profound immunomodulatory effects. In parallel with this work, Christopher and Kezar co-founder Jack Taunton, Ph.D. collaborated on several research projects involving protein secretion. This collaboration inspired a belief in the strong synergies between protein degradation and protein secretion, two fertile areas for drug discovery with platform potential. In 2014, Christopher and Kezar co-founder John Fowler began developing the business plan for Kezar, acting on a longstanding desire to work together and build a world-class company. In 2015, John and Christopher raised $23M and negotiated a worldwide, exclusive license agreement with Amgen for the Onyx immunoproteasome inhibitor patent estate. Now underway, John and Christopher are excited to leverage their complementary skill sets to build Kezar into a leader in small molecule drug development.
InMed Diagnostics is a Columbia, SC-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Regulus is focused on the discovery and development of microRNA therapeutics. microRNAs are members of a large class of non-coding RNAs of approximately 22 nucleotides in length that regulate most genes in the genome. A single microRNA can target and regulate up to hundreds of genes, and these genes are involved in biological networks or pathways. Dysregulated microRNA expression is involved in the initiation of many complex multi-factoral diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disease, fibrosis, and metabolic disease. microRNA therapeutics are oligonucleotide medicines that modulate the function of microRNAs, correcting the imbalance of gene expression and associated cellular pathways to treat human disease. Regulus was formed in September 2007 by Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ALNY) and Isis Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:ISIS). Regulus benefits substantially from the collective therapeutic RNA expertise of its founding companies, including established proprietary oligonucleotide-based technologies, and broad and dominant intellectual property estates specific to chemically modified oligonucleotides. Regulus has access to over 900 patents and patent applications pertaining to oligonucleotide technologies useful for targeting microRNA therapeutics, and over 170 patents and patent applications directed to microRNA specific technologies. Regulus is located in La Jolla, California and is led by a seasoned executive team and board of directors, with proven expertise in corporate management, business operations, drug discovery and drug development. Regulus’ scientific advisory board consists of world-class scientists and several of the foremost authorities in the field of microRNA research.