Kate Rochlin, PhD

University of Pennsylvania spinout Interius BioTherapeutics raises $67M in a private equity round. The Philadelphia company is seeking to raise a total of $82.5 million from its Series B round. July 9, 2024 Interius was granted Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) approval and Clinical Trial Notification (CTN) clearance by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) to commence a first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial of INT2104, its lead in vivo CAR candidate for treatment of B-cell malignancies. #funding #financing #genetherapy #invivo #CARtherapy #therapeutics #Bcellmalignancies #celltherapy #genetherapy #advancedtherapies #regenerativemedicine #lifescience #lifesciences #biotech #biotechnology #clinicaltrials #seriesfinancing #equityfinancing

114

3 Comments

The #biosecure act is bad legislation and anti-competitive and will force US #biotech companies to abandon strong and honest #CDMO partners without making us more secure. Longstanding, productive drug-discovery collaborations will inevitably be compromised by an ill-conceived initiative — all for short-term political gain. Patients in need of innovative medicines are the ones that will lose out; I urge leaders in the #biotech industry to stand up and be counted in opposition to this proposed legislation.

7

Interested in seeing what Rocky Balboa, Jeff Spicoli, AI and machine learning have in common, check out this Timmerman Report article on east Coast vs West Coast AI culture clash. We are fortunate to have a network of experienced AI & machine learning professionals available for consulting assignment. Let us know if we can be of help.

1

Immune-Onc Therapeutics shared Phase 1b trial data on IO-202, our first-in-class anti-LILRB4 antibody, in combination with azacitidine for #CMML. The results are incredibly promising: ✔️ 50% Complete Remission (CR) Rate ✔️ 66.7% Overall Response Rate (ORR) ✔️ Exceptional outcomes in high LILRB4 expression patients (CR: 83%; ORR: 100%) As the CEO of Immune-Onc Therapeutics, I am inspired by the dedication of our team and grateful for the patients and clinical investigators who made this progress possible. These results bring us closer to transforming care for #CMML patients.

54

MassBioDrive harnesses the power of MassBio’s global life sciences network to help new founders launch their biotech startups. We announced our #MassBioDrive Spring 2024 Cohort back in March, and as we near the end of the eight-week program, we are highlighting our five emerging biotech companies chosen to participate. Today, please meet Nucyrna Therapeutics! Q: Tell us about your company and what you’re developing. What are you most excited about? A: Nucyrna Therapeutics aims to redefine RNA-targeting therapeutics by co-targeting nuclear and cytoplasmic RNAs. Nucyrna’s oligonucleotide platform enables a superior therapeutics index for single RNA silencing and can serve as a dual-RNA targeting platform. With our lead programs targeting ALS, we are working to address the huge unmet medical needs in CNS disorders in our rapid aging society. I’m most excited about developing disease-modifying therapies for these patients. Q: What advice do you have for other biotech companies just getting started? A: It’s never too early to talk to advisors such as serial entrepreneurs for advice. MassBioDrive is an amazing mentorship program helping entrepreneurs figure out challenges at the early stage. Q: What has been most impactful or surprising to you since joining the MassBioDrive program? A: The most impactful thing is we have decided our leading two programs based on our oligonucleotide platform technology with the guidance from MassBioDrive program mentors. Learn more about Nucyrna Therapeutics: https://www.nucyrnatx.com/ Learn more about MassBioDrive: https://lnkd.in/eAEMRZ-b Damon (Feng) Wang, PhD

30

MassBioDrive harnesses the power of MassBio’s global life sciences network to help new founders launch their biotech startups. We announced our #MassBioDrive Spring 2024 Cohort back in March, and as we near the end of the eight-week program, we are highlighting our five emerging biotech companies chosen to participate. Today, please meet Anita Scheuber and Hestia Therapeutics! Q: Tell us about your company and what you’re developing. What are you most excited about? A: At Hestia, we are developing the aNKor platform of tri-specific, tri-funtional immunocytokines that engage the adaptive AND innate immune system to very effectively attack cancer cells. Our approach is a targeted delivery of potent cytokines into the tumor microenvironment that is safer for patients compared to naked cytokines. Q: What advice do you have for other biotech companies just getting started? A: Surround yourself with a diverse group of people that bring industry relevant expertise to complement your own. Q: What has been most impactful or surprising to you since joining the MassBioDrive program? A: The Biotech hub in the Boston area remains strong, innovative and daring - it is just fantastic to learn through the MassBioDrive program that the immense resources, support and entrepreneurship still exists. It is truly inspiring and humbling to receive all that encouragement. Learn more about Hestia Therapeutics: https://hestiatx.com/ Learn more about MassBioDrive: https://lnkd.in/eAEMRZ-b

17

Thrilled to return to Madrona's Founded & Funded podcast to talk about Terray’s journey over the past three years. From scaling our AI-enabled drug discovery platform to raising $120M in Series B funding, it’s been a transformative time for us at Terray Therapeutics. This journey hasn’t been easy (what founder journey is?), but staying focused on our mission — transforming drug discovery by integrating computation with novel data at scale to bring relief to patients in need — has kept us going. For those building companies, navigating uncertainty, or exploring AI in their industries, I hope this episode provides a dose of inspiration and some actionable lessons from our journey. A huge thank you to Chris Picardo and Madrona for the continued support and belief in our mission to redefine what’s possible in small molecule therapeutics. Tune in wherever you get your podcasts: YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gHbJwqQE Madrona (Full Transcript):  https://lnkd.in/gnnuSGcz

134

6 Comments

Happy to announce we have joined forces with SpliceBio to combat diseases caused by mutations in large genes, granting certain exclusivity rights over our proprietary set of split-inteins (Splittera). The official disclosure in comments 👇

32

5 Comments

In a notable prelude to #JPM2025, Tune Therapeutics has announced a $175M Series B funding round to advance its epigenetic editing platform. Epigenetic editing represents a compelling alternative to traditional gene-editing technologies, focusing on controlling gene expression without altering the underlying DNA. This approach offers the potential for safer, reversible therapies and could play a major role in tackling diseases like cancer, rare genetic disorders, and neurological conditions. The last few years haven’t been easy for genetic medicine. Challenges like delivery limitations, scalability, and concerns over off-target effects have underscored how complex translating genomic innovation into real-world treatments can be. Tune’s focus on fine-tuning gene activity rather than permanently rewriting the genome offers an alternative to overcoming some of these barriers. Let's hope that after such a significant investment, the interest in editing as a transformative technology will grow . As JPM 2025 kicks off, many of us will watch out for where exciting conversations about genetic medicines will go. Read the full article in the Endpoints News: https://lnkd.in/e8CFVEHW #JPM2025 #Epigenetics #Biotech #GenomicMedicine #HealthcareInnovation

16

1 Comment

MassBioDrive harnesses the power of MassBio’s global life sciences network to help new founders launch their biotech startups. We announced our #MassBioDrive Spring 2024 Cohort back in March, and as we near the end of the eight-week program, we are highlighting our five emerging biotech companies chosen to participate. Today, please meet DoriNano! Q: Tell us about your company and what you’re developing. What are you most excited about? A: DoriNano, a Harvard spinoff, pioneers the use of DNA origami nanoparticles as a transformative delivery platform for combination immunotherapies, offering precise cellular targeting and minimal effective doses of cargo for treating serious diseases. Our mission is to develop safe, effective, and affordable combination nanomedicines that overcome past limitations in nanoparticle-based therapeutics. We are particularly excited about the multifaceted potential of DNA origami nanoparticles, which have the potential to revolutionize the nanotechnology delivery landscape. Q: What advice do you have for other biotech companies just getting started? A: Starting a biotech company requires resilience, a willingness to learn, and openness to suggestions. Every challenge presents an opportunity for growth. Embrace the journey, endure sacrifice, minimize complaints, learn from setbacks, and move forward. Building the right team is the key and most challenging sector. Surround yourself with dedicated individuals who share your vision.  Q: What has been most impactful or surprising to you since joining the MassBioDrive program? A: The MassBioDrive program's structured approach, coupled with the dedication of organizers and mentors, has been very impactful. The informative working sessions cover vital aspects of company launch, regulatory compliance, legal considerations, CMC considerations, investment strategies and pharma partnering. As a scientist-turned-entrepreneur, these resources have been invaluable, providing comprehensive guidance tailored to our needs. The interactive Q&A sessions during both mentor sessions and working sessions have deepened our comprehension and helped address questions regarding the company’s development. Learn more about DoriNano: https://lnkd.in/eXJ7PQ_X Learn more about MassBioDrive: https://lnkd.in/eAEMRZ-b Yang (Claire) Zeng

21

At PROTEINA, our recent publication on bioRxiv demonstrates the groundbreaking capabilities of the Single molecule Protein Interaction Detection (SPID) platform in advancing antibody development with finely-tuned affinities. I’d like to highlight two groundbreaking aspects from this study that are particularly significant: 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐃𝐑𝐬: Our targeted edits within the Complementarity Determining Regions (CDRs) of antibodies have led to the discovery of affinity-enhancing mutations. These modifications have successfully produced sub-nanomolar affinity candidates, setting a new benchmark for antibody affinity maturation. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The ability of PROTEINA’s SPID platform to rapidly characterize over 3,000 antibodies weekly is revolutionizing our understanding of antibody-antigen interactions. This capability is crucial for accelerating the development of tailored therapeutic interventions.   Almost forgot to mention this! Keep an eye on the future contributions of PROTEINA’s Jihye Jo well!

27

4 Comments

November 27 and December 02, 2024 headlines from the Collabrity Report, a daily summary of financings for therapeutic biotechnology company executives and investors - www.collabrityreport.com New! Collabrity Report (CR) Analytics Novartis’s $1 Billion Acquisition of PTC Senti’s $38 Million Private Placement XOMA’s $20 Million Acquisition of Pulmokine TransCode’s $8 Million Private Placement Hepion’s Merger with Pharma Two B

6

2 Comments

Excited to announce the 2025 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Protein Engineering, this second GRC on Protein Engineering will be held at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI from July 27th to August 1st 2025 https://lnkd.in/g-763SeF. please come join us if you would be interested in this exciting field. Different fields have experienced a transformative expansion in research distinction and capabilities. There now exists a strategic opportunity for protein engineering to take the lead and spearhead the integration of this joint effort, reflected by The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2024. We believe that this GRC conference will create a gateway for the next generation of engineers and researchers, and will be a vehicle toward future development in the midst of an amazing convergence of multiple cutting-edge areas in protein engineering and its applications. Confirmed speakers include the Nobel Laureate Prof. Frances Arnold and distinctive scientists showing below: 1.            Fundamental Principles of Protein Engineering Possu Huang (Stanford University)/Frances Arnold (CalTech, Nobel Laureate)/Huimin Zhao (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) 2.    Biosensors and Imaging Jennifer Prescher (UC Irvine)/Jin zhang (UC San Diego)/Robert Campbell (Tokyo University)/Nathan Shaner (UC San Diego) 3.    Rational Design of New-to Nature Proteins Jiri Damborsky (FNUSA-ICRC & Masaryk University, Czech Republic)/Joelle Pelletier (University of Montreal)/Sílvia Osuna (University of Girona & ICREA, Spain)/Koga Nobuyasu (Osaka Univ, Japan) 4.    AI for Protein engineering Zhongyue John Yang (Vanderbilt University)/ Jennifer Listgarten (UC Berkeley)/Doug Barrick (Johns Hopkins University) 5.    Biocatalysis and Industrial applications Carlos Martinez (Pfzer)/ Stephanie Galanie (Merck)/Zhi Li (National University of Singapore, Singapore)/Brent Dorr (Ginkgo Bioworks) 6.    Protein Engineering for Synthetic Biology Pimchai Chaiyen (Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC), Thailand)/Weixin Tang (University of Chicago)/Jay Keasling (University of California, Berkeley) 7.    Directed Evolution for Enzyme Optimization Yang Yang (University of California Santa Barbara)/Leilei Zhu (Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China)/Miguel Alcalde (Institute of Catalysis, CSIC, Spain)/Chang Liu (University of California, Irvine) 8.    Protein engineering for Immunotherapy and other diseases Anna Wu (Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope)/Xue Gao (University of Pennsylvania)/Bingfei Yu (University of Southern California)/Wilson Wong (Boston University) 9.    Repurposing Protein for Novel Chemistry and Applications Stefan Lutz (Codexis Inc)/Xiongyi Huang (Johns Hopkins University)/Xiaojing Gao (Stanford University)

46

3 Comments

Torigen’s name carries deep meaning for me, and our journey reflects the power of innovation and resilience. I’m proud to share the journey behind the name and how it reflects the mission that guides us every day. 🔗 Building Torigen: What’s in a Name #VeterinaryMedicine #CancerResearch #Torigen #Entrepreneurship #Biotech #Innovation #VeterinaryOncology

92

5 Comments

At Windhaul, we are committed to propelling growth and success for small to mid-sized clinical stage biotech companies. Our mission is straightforward: to elevate the value of biotech firms and their programs with patients, healthcare providers, and investors. Windhaul distinguishes itself as a premium boutique consulting firm and provider of innovative flexible staffing solutions leveraging highly experienced professionals. We specialize in navigating dynamic global regulatory landscapes and integrating forward thinking commercial and market access insights into the strategic decision-making process. Our team consists of seasoned industry leaders, including former c-suite executives and functional heads, who bring invaluable hands-on leadership and management expertise throughout the journey of developing and approving new therapies. Clients choose Windhaul for our immediate effectiveness and capability to seamlessly integrate expert consultants into their teams on an interim or fractional basis. Whether guiding the clinical, regulatory, or commercial development of complex biologics or cutting-edge therapies such as cell and gene editing products, Windhaul excels across the entire product lifecycle. Let's collaborate to drive innovation and create enduring value together. #Biotech hashtag #RegulatoryAffairs hashtag #CommercialStrategy hashtag #MarketAccess hashtag #DrugDevelopment hashtag #BiotechConsulting hashtag #BiotechStaffing hashtag #BiotechInvesting https://www.windhaul.com/

37

Jonathan Montagu, CEO of MassBio member HotSpot Therapeutics, Inc., writes on the #LifeSCiVC blog about hopes around an immuno-oncology spring this year, aligning with the emergence of #biotech from its own long winter. Jonathan points out that after the #lifesciences industry dove headfirst into I-O “to address the substantial need that still persists for many cancer patients with a range of tumor types,” much of the second-generation agents fell short. He writes about why he’s optimistic that new approaches have started to turn the tide. What are your thoughts on the I-O space right now? https://lnkd.in/eMh62Z8j #immunooncology #oncology #patientdriven

28

🎉 Huge congratulations to Orum Therapeutics for their deal yesterday! Vertex bolts on Orum's Degrader-Antibody Conjugate(DAC) conditioning agents to ImmunoGen's ADC conditioner, acquired in March 2023. But what drives Vertex to explore novel conditioner candidates?   Traditional conditioning agents are poorly tolerated and have posed significant challenges for Hematopoietic Stem Cell (#HSC) Cell and Gene Therapies (CGT), such as Vertex's Casgevy. These hurdles are now being addressed by novel, less aggressive conditioners, as above. For instance, companies like Actinium Pharmaceuticals are also advancing novel conditioning agents in this space. Thus, improved conditioning agents will play a crucial role in expanding the application of HSC CGT.   Another critical challenge in HSC CGT is effective #mobilization. Emerging CGTs often require a higher yield of HSCs than conventional HSC transplantation in cancer. When it comes to in vivo approaches, having more HSCs available in peripheral blood will be critical since ex vivo collection and engineering are not feasible. Thus, there is a growing demand for enhanced HSC mobilizers in this evolving field.   Here comes #GPC201, a potential best/fastest-in-class HSC mobilizer currently in phase 2 clinical trials in the US. It is demonstrating superior features for HSC transplantation in multiple myeloma. As the universe of various CGT pipelines expands rapidly, GPC201 is poised to showcase its full potential.   I eagerly anticipate the transformative impact of pairing GPC201 with novel conditioning agents to enhance patients' HSC transplantation experiences.   Curious about GPC201? 👉👉👉 GPCR Therapeutics

14

Genomic Expression Inc was invited to present its OneRNA® platform and liquid biopsy platform at Stand Up to Cancers Innovasion Summit in New York hosted by the New York Genome Center. It is a great honor and opportunity to expand and strengthen our relationship with #SU2C Hosted by the New York Genome Center, the event provided an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships with SU2C, its founders, collaborators, and supporters. I presented our OneRNA® platform for a very distinguished audience, including SU2C donors, leading researchers from institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Stanford University School of Medicine, Bruce R. (author of "Early Detection"), potential customers and collaborators (Merck and Exact Sciences), and SU2C founders which include Katie Couric, @Rusty Robertson, Pam Williams, Sue Schwartz - in total 8 #amazing #women. This event highlighted SU2C's powerful mission-driven to effect change in #cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment—and honoring the legacy of those affected by cancer, including Laura Ziskin Productions (producer of The Emperor of All Maladies). #VC investment in Diagnostics  Of the $2B invested in diagnostics in 2024, only $140M has been invested in Seed and Series A companies (Silicon Valley Bank). In comparison, the total VC investment in healthcare is $30B. #Diagnostics have had a greater impact on cancer survival than drugs This is the conclusion in Bruce Rathners' book "Early Detection". This challenges the current funding and payment structures in healthcare. For more insights, check out my review of the book with my 5 cents on how diagnostics and #AI will change everything https://lnkd.in/ecA4MUpE About Genomic Expression and the OneRNA® Platform Our OneRNA® platform revolutionizes cancer care by analyzing tumor RNA to match patients with the most effective therapies. Clinically validated in breast and ovarian cancer, OneRNA® is ready to scale and save lives now. Genomic Expression is supported by industry veterans and has raised $6.5M in grants and $4.5M in lifetime revenue. Invest in Genomic Expression on StartEngine The lack of traditional VC funding for diagnostics drives our focus on alternative funding methods. We are ready to launch OneRNA® commercially in breast and ovarian cancer. StartEngine is a registered broker that conducts extensive due diligence and accepts less than 5% of the companies that approach them (less than Y Combinator). We are raising $1.2M now, which can be quickly expanded to $5M after the financials are audited. Establishing an account is similar to any bank account - > invest here https://lnkd.in/e_jbSKhS Stand Up To Cancer #liquid #biopsy #RNA #bcsm #breastcancer #CancerResearch #brca #genetictesting #breastcancerawarenessmonth #breast #cancer. Kirsten Dinesen Norman Friedland, Esq. Kim T. Julian Adams https://lnkd.in/e8QF8M6m

21

2 Comments

Hey Chamath Palihapitiya, we (at Caltech and Esperto Medical) saw your post today! We'd love to talk with you. We can prove from first-principles physics, that the *only way* to measure true blood pressure (no references, no inference learning -- human or machine, no calibration) is with Resonance Sonamanometry. We measure blood pressure at 100Hz (10x faster than the maximal rate of change of physiology -- and well above the required Nyquist Rate of sampling), and from this waveform can trivially derive other metrics (e.g. respiration, pulse, etc). The device in the paper is from 2022 -- here is what the newer, wearable version looks like. We intend for our first device to be indicated for critical care and surgical use cases; our second for at home use for RPM (imagine just the strap of your favorite smart watch -- we won't be needing to build a watch head). #bloodpressure #caltech Jeff Huber, Philip Nelson, Mark Stevenson, Marty Waters, Vern Norviel, Michael Frumkin Apple, Google, BD, Edwards Lifesciences, Masimo, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, Dexcom, Abbott, GE HealthCare, Philips

102

18 Comments