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Recent winner of the Green Chemistry award, Vestaron is leading a peptide-based revolution in crop protection. We are committed to providing growers with novel, effective chemistries that address proven targets. Our peptides overcome existing resistance issues while offering a desired safety profile for workers, beneficials and the environment. Initially, Vestaron is focused on a class of peptides that kills insect pests efficiently, but is safe for humans, birds, fish, pollinators and the environment. As part of this, the company has developed a proprietary platform for peptide optimization and fermentation-based peptide production that will allow development of a wide variety of biologic crop protection solutions. Vestaron is proud to bring you the Power of Peptides through the SPEAR® brand family - providing new technology with a unique mode of action in a biological solution equal to, and often better, than the synthetic options; creating the opportunity to incorporate a new IRAC Group 32 into rotation recommendations for resistance management.
ADMEDES SCHUESSLER GmbH is a West Chester, PA-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
St. Patricks Hospital is a Missoula, MT-based company in the Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech sector.
Noveome Biotherapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage company focused on breakthrough therapies for the regenerative repair of inflamed or damaged tissues.
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.