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Symic is developing a new category of therapeutics that offer an exciting and biologically innovative approach to treating disease. While it is clear that cells play an important role in tissue inflammation and regeneration, it is also known that the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays an equally critical role in maintaining healthy tissue. The ECM is the non-cellular component of the body’s tissues, and proteoglycans are important structural and functional macromolecules native to the ECM that are known to protect against tissue degradation and promote healing during illness or injury. Recognizing the importance of proteoglycans in many acute and chronic disease states, Symic developed a library of proprietary, ECM-specific compounds that mimic the protective effect of natural proteoglycans. For controlled injuries (e.g. incisions, balloon angioplasty), Symic’s ECM-specific compounds allow for local application, enhancing their ability to attenuate inflammation and reduce scarring only at the site of injury. In disease states known for chronic inflammation involving the ECM (e.g. cartilage in osteoarthritis), Symic’s technology can disrupt the cycle of degradation-inflammation by directly targeting and protecting the injured ECM. The ECM plays a critical role in many acute and chronic disease states, many of which have limited or no effective therapeutic options. Symic plans to advance its compounds in a variety of therapeutic areas with unmet clinical needs.
Kawasumi Laboratories America is a Tampa, FL-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Visterra is a biotechnology company that uses its proprietary Hierotope™ Platform to identify unique disease targets and design and engineer effective therapeutics. The company`s technology is powered by computational tools and techniques, the core of which is Atomic Interaction Network (AIN) analysis, which uniquely identifies an area, or epitope, on the target site that is fundamental to its structure and function. This ideal epitope, or hierotope, becomes the target against which the company designs a novel therapeutic to effectively and durably combat the disease. The company`s lead product candidate, VIS410, is a broad spectrum human monoclonal antibody for the treatment of both seasonal and pandemic influenza, is in a phase 2a clinical trial and expected to enter a phase 2b clinical trial by year end 2017. The company`s second product candidate, VIS649, is a monoclonal antibody engineered to treat IgA nephropathy, a rare chronic kidney disease. In addition, Visterra has established a number of partnerships to progress novel antibodies engineered to treat significant diseases with limited treatment options.
Presbia is a medical device company focused on the development of the presbyopia-correcting Presbia Flexivue Microlens™ – an innovative solution for the common age-related loss of the ability to read or focus on near objects. The 3mm diameter lens is implanted in a corneal pocket created by a femtosecond laser.
Cerno Bioscience is a company that develops and publishes mass spectrometry calibration and analysis software that extends the limits of mass spectrometry.