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A cancer diagnosis is something no one wants to hear. Today, it is often detected late, once it has spread and treatment options are often limited. But cancer is curable if caught in the earlier stages. At Thrive Earlier Detection, our goal is to transform this outlook: to catch cancer earlier, when it can be more effectively treated. We are developing CancerSEEK, a blood-based test that is designed to be affordable and utilized as part of routine medical care to detect multiple types of cancer at earlier stages. Our approach goes beyond a cancer diagnosis. We are developing a platform that will serve as a resource to help patients and their families maneuver the often confusing and overwhelming path that follows a cancer diagnosis.
Selvita is a preclinical Contract Research Organization providing multidisciplinary support in resolving the unique challenges of research within area of drug discovery, regulatory studies, as well as research and development. Selvita is also a major shareholder in Ardigen – a bioinformatics company harnessing advanced Artificial Intelligence methods for novel precision medicine. In January 2021, Selvita acquired 100% of shares in Fidelta d.o.o., substantially expanding its scope of drug discovery services in infectious diseases, inflammation, and fibrosis and building a competitive advantage in areas such as DMPK, in vivo pharmacology, and toxicology. Selvita was established in 2007 and currently employs almost 800 professionals, of which over 40% hold a Ph.D. title. Selvita is headquartered in Krakow, Poland, with a second research site in Poznan, Poland, while Fidelta is located in Zagreb, Croatia. Selvita`s international offices are located in Cambridge, MA, and San Francisco Bay Area, in the U.S., as well as in Cambridge, UK.
Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on helping conquer cancer globally through use of its proprietary blood tests, vast data sets and advanced analytics. Its Guardant Health Oncology Platform is designed to leverage its capabilities in technology, clinical development, regulatory and reimbursement to drive commercial adoption, improve patient clinical outcomes and lower healthcare costs. In pursuit of its goal to manage cancer across all stages of the disease, Guardant Health has launched multiple liquid biopsy-based tests, Guardant360 and GuardantOMNI, for advanced stage cancer patients, which fuel its development programs for recurrence and early detection, LUNAR-1 and LUNAR-2, respectively. Since its launch in 2014, Guardant360 has been used by more than 5,000 oncologists, over 40 biopharmaceutical companies and all 27 of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network centers.
NW Bio is developing cancer vaccines designed to treat a broad range of solid tumor cancers more effectively than current treatments, and without the side effects of chemotherapy drugs. NW Bio`s proprietary manufacturing technology enables the Company to produce its personalized vaccine in an efficient, cost-effective manner. The Company has a broad platform technology for DCVax dendritic cell-based vaccines. The Company`s lead product, DCVax-L, is currently in a 348-patient Phase III trial for patients with newly diagnosed Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most aggressive and lethal brain cancer. The Company`s second product, DCVax-Direct, is currently in a 60-patient Phase I/II trial for direct injection into all types of inoperable solid tumor cancers. The Company has also conducted a Phase I/II trial with DCVax for late stage ovarian cancer together with the University of Pennsylvania. The Company previously received clearance from the FDA for a 612-patient Phase III trial with its third product, DCVax-Prostate, for late stage prostate cancer.
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.