| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|
Andrew Schafer |
Chief Technology Officer | Profile |
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.
Roswell Biotechnologies is a molecular electronics company transforming DNA sequencing with their latest platform, designed to deliver the disruptive performance required for future biomedical and industrial applications.
RenovoRx is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on fighting cancer through the localized treatment of difficult to treat tumors via our proprietary RenovoRx Trans-Arterial Micro-Perfusion (RenovoTAMP®) therapy platform. RenovoTAMP utilizes approved chemotherapeutics with validated mechanisms of action and well-established safety and side effect profiles, with the goal of increasing their efficacy, improving their safety, and widening their therapeutic window. Our lead product candidate, RenovoGem, is a combination of gemcitabine and our patented delivery system regulated by the FDA as a novel oncology drug product to treat unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC). Targeted therapy via RenovoTAMP platform safely and without transmission to non-targeted areas, is our primary focus. RenovoRx`s patent portfolio currently includes seven issued US patents and one European patent for ourtechnology with several additional patents pending in the US, Europe, and Asia. After demonstrating a median survival of 27.9 months in Phase 1/2 clinical trials vs. 12-15 months reported in historical studies for this patient population, RenovoRx secured two separate Orphan Drug Designations from the FDA for intra-arterial gemcitabine: pancreatic cancer and bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma). This therapy is being further studied in the currently enrolling Phase 3 TIGeR-PaC clinical trial in pancreatic cancer and has a primary endpoint of overall survival and several secondary endpoints, including quality of life. The Phase 3 TIGeR-PaC clinical trial is enrolling unresectable locally advanced pancreatic cancer patients (LAPC) in the United States.
Ben Venue-Bedford Laboratories, Inc. is a Bedford, OH-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Eccrine Systems, Inc., is focused on the development of non-invasive disposable electronic patches that accurately measure and transmit real-time data about human sweat. Applications for our technology and IP span market opportunities within medicine, industry, and sports. We seek to establish exclusive collaborations with downstream partners who understand the opportunity for embedding and deploying our technology in their market-specific applications. Our role in these collaborations is the modular development and prototyping of desired sweat sensor features and capabilities. Our partners embed our technology in their commercial applications and translate data about sweat and other biometrics into high value products for their customers.