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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.
Gradalis, Inc. is a fully integrated biotechnology company based in Dallas, Texas that focuses on the development, manufacturing, and commercialization of drugs, vaccines, tools, and diagnostics primarily in the area of cancer. Gradalis has its own GMP manufacturing facility along with highly skilled technical leadership and staff and a strategic partnership with Mary Crowley Cancer Research Centers for clinical development of Gradalis products. The Company has two primary platforms, one centered on personalized autologous vaccines and a second focused on bifunctional short hairpin RNA (shRNA) to enable specific protein knockdown. In addition. Gradalis has numerous partnerships and joint ventures that provide it with access to other cutting edge clinical and pre-clinical stage programs.
DotLab is shaping the future of women`s healthcare technology by developing the first test for endometriosis, affecting 1 in 10 women worldwide.
Dermira is a Redwood City, CA-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Welcome to the new era of skin cancer detection. At DermTech we bring precision to the practice of dermatology through non-invasive genomic testing. And we developed the Smart Sticker that`s making it possible. The DermTech Smart Sticker collects an RNA sample by painlessly lifting skin cells off the entire surface of a mole. This gives doctors the power to diagnose skin cancer in its earliest stages—without a scalpel, without cutting, without scarring. After collection, stickers are sent to our team of scientists in the Gene Lab, the only commercial lab to extract nucleic acids and other proteins from non-invasive skin samples. We amplify RNA molecules to detect two specific genes that are highly predictive of melanoma—PRAME and LINC00518. This process provides 10,000x greater precision in the ability to detect melanoma. We have created the step before the scalpel—a tool doctors have never had before. Now the doctor has the choice of using a non-invasive, highly accurate test to check for melanoma without cutting. And this is just the beginning. We are developing other tests using the Smart Sticker that will further advance early disease detection.