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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.
EMD Serono is the North America biopharma business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, employing over 1,200 individuals around the country with U.S. headquarters located in Rockland, Massachusetts. The company develops and offers therapies for specialty-care conditions, like multiple sclerosis, infertility and cancer. EMD Serono is committed to transforming lives by developing therapies that patients need and providing industry-leading educational and support programs.
Navitor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines by targeting cellular nutrient signaling pathways. The companys proprietary drug discovery platform targets mTORC1, which responds to and integrates the cells response to nutrient availability and plays a key role in protein synthesis and cellular growth. Navitors therapeutics are designed to selectively modulate the cellular signals that are aberrant in disease processes caused by the dysregulation of mTORC1 activity to address a wide range of diseases, including metabolic, neurodegenerative, autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, as well as several rare disorders. The companys founding intellectual property is based on the groundbreaking discoveries related to the mTORC1 pathway and nutrient signaling mechanisms by Dr. David Sabatini at The Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. The company is backed by leading financial and corporate investors, including Polaris Partners, Atlas Venture, Johnson and Johnson Development Corporation, SR One and The Longevity Fund.
Xcell Bio is a San Francisco-based life science company dedicated to bringing an innovative primary cell control solution to the immunotherapy market to support research, drug discovery, and cell manufacturing. Xcell`s mission is to democratize maintenance, expansion and control of any primary cell type through its bench-top primary cell control systems, reagent kits, software, and standardized protocols. The technology delivers simple control of primary cell types from blood or solid tissue, including a range of immune cells, stem cells, and tumor cells. This patient-centric technology offers a unique and proprietary capability to improve immunotherapy efficacy, safety, and persistence through more predictive and iterative therapy development and rapid, highly-controlled clinical cell manufacturing.
The Clemson University Biomedical Engineering Innovation Campus develops high-impact medical technology and devices for disease management and technology transfer from bench to bedside.