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Better Therapeutics ("Better") is developing first-in-class prescription digital therapeutics to deliver behavioral therapy to patients. Led by an experienced team of biotechnology executives with funding from top-tier industry investors, Better expects to go public through a merger with SPAC Mountain Crest Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: MCAD) during the summer of 2021. Better was founded upon the realization that nearly half a trillion dollars are spent each year treating the symptoms or effects of cardiometabolic diseases while little is being done to address the behaviors that cause them. Better has created prescription software that it believes has the opportunity to fundamentally change the treatment of a broad range of cardiometabolic diseases beginning with type 2 diabetes. The team is focused on creating significant patient impact through the launch of their first product in 2023. Better is developing a portfolio of regulated software products that treat the root causes of disease, improving the health and quality of life of patients while giving providers and payers access to cost-effective digital behavior therapies.
We are a life sciences company that is building on over a decade of extensive research on the genetic mutations associated with cystic fibrosis.
Epizyme is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and plans to commercialize innovative personalized therapeutics for patients with genetically defined cancers. We systematically identify the genetic alterations that create cancer causing genes, called oncogenes, select patients in whom the identified genetic alteration is found, and then design small molecule therapeutic product candidates to inhibit the oncogene. The clinical development plan for each of our therapeutic product candidates is directed towards patients with a particular genetically defined cancer. Our approach is part of a broader trend towards personalized therapeutics based on first identifying the underlying cause of a disease affecting specific patient populations, applying rational drug design tools to create a therapeutic to inhibit a molecular target in the identified disease pathway, and using a companion diagnostic to select the right patients for treatment. We have built a proprietary product platform that we use to create small molecule inhibitors of a 96-member class of enzymes known as histone methyltransferases, or HMTs. Genetic alterations can result in changes to the activity of HMTs, making them oncogenic. When Epizyme was founded, we recognized that the HMT class of enzymes might contain many potential oncogenes and presented the opportunity to discover, develop and commercialize multiple personalized therapeutics. We have prioritized 20 of the 96 HMTs as attractive targets for personalized therapeutics based on their oncogenic potential. Our two most advanced therapeutic product programs target the HMTs DOT1L (for the treatment of acute leukemias with genetic alterations of MLL) and EZH2 (for a genetically defined subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and solid tumors including INI1-deficient tumors). We believe that our ongoing Phase 1 adult trial for EPZ-5676, targeting DOT1L, is the first clinical trial of an HMT inhibitor. In May 2014, we initiated a Phase 1b clinical trial for EPZ-5676 in pediatric patients with MLL-r leukemia, which is considered to be the last largely untreatable pediatric acute leukemia. We are also conducting a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of EPZ-6438, which is being developed for the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and solid tumors including INI1-deficient tumors such as synovial sarcoma and malignant rhabdoid tumors, or MRT. We were founded in 2007 and are led by a management team with extensive experience in the pharmaceutical industry. We have entered into therapeutic collaborations with Celgene, Eisai and GSK that have provided us with approximately $184 million in non-equity funding. As of June 30, 2014, we had $232.1 million in cash, cash equivalents and accounts receivables.
Elucida Oncology, Inc., is a clinical development stage company based on proprietary ultra-small C-Dot technology to find, see and treat an array of solid tumor cancers. Developed and clinically translated by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University, C-Dots have published human safety and tumor-specific clinical data. Elucida Oncology is currently progressing through a broad clinical trial program while continuing to drive a future portfolio through ongoing innovation.
Islet Sciences is a clinical stage biotechnology company engaged in the research, development, and commercialization of new medicines and technologies for the treatment and diagnosis of metabolic disease and related indications where there is significant measurable unmet medical need. The rising incidence of obesity is associated with many obesity-related health complications, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH). This constellation is also recognized as the metabolic syndrome and is characterized by underlying insulin resistance. These various diseases have interrelated risk factors and markers, such that often treatment of one disease may allow new therapies and opportunities for treatment in one of these related indications. Our focused effort to develop new therapies and related diagnostics for metabolic related diseases establishes us as a recognized leader in a large and growing market.