The Bio Report

Targeting a Convergence of Signaling Pathways that Drive the Growth and Spread of Cancer

In cancer, the rigorous translational machinery of the human body goes haywire, causing an overproduction of proteins that fuel the growth and spread of tumors, as well as enabling them to evade the immune system. Effector Therapeutics is developing a new class of cancer therapies called selective translation regulator inhibitors, or STRIs, that can inhibit the production of proteins that drive a cancer. We spoke to Steve Worland, president and CEO of Effector, about the company’s new class of therapies, how they target a central node where two major cancer signaling pathways converge, and how they pack the punch of a combination therapy in a single drug.

Moving from Preservation to Restoration with Off-the-Shelf Cell Therapies

While cell therapies hold great promise for not only halting the progression of degenerative disease but potentially restoring the body, cost has remained a barrier. Lineage Cell Therapeutics is developing allogenic cell therapies that don’t rely on modifying a patient’s own cells, making them scalable and less costly than autologous ones. At the end of last year, the company entered into a partnership with Genentech to develop and commercialize OpRegen, its experimental cell therapy for dry age-related macular degeneration. We spoke to Brian Culley, CEO of Lineage Cell Therapeutics, about the company’s platform technology for off-the-shelf cell therapies, how its platform works, and what the collaboration with Genentech will do to advance the technology.

Using Gene Therapies to Treat Chronic, Inflammatory Conditions

A broad range of serious diseases involve chronic inflammation, which causes both pain and progressive damage. Xalud Therapeutics is developing a locally-delivered, non-viral gene therapy that is designed to harness the ability of interleukin-10 to regulate the immune system and restore homeostasis. The company’s lead indication is in osteoarthritis We spoke to Diem Nguyen, CEO of Xalud, about the role inteleukin-10 plays in regulating multiple pathways in the immune system, Xalud’s gene therapy, and the indications the company is pursuing.

Unlocking the Full Potential of Antibody Therapies

Traditional antibody discovery depends, in part, on a bit of good fortune that banks on the hope that either screening antibody libraries or exposing an organism to an antigen will result in the discovery of a compelling therapy. Yanay Ofran, CEO of Biolojic Design, says the problem with this approach is that it ignores many of the performance-related aspects of an antibody beyond its ability to bind to a target. His company’s AI platform for antibody discovery seeks to capitalize on the full capabilities of antibodies to develop smarter therapies that can serve as molecular switches and act conditionally. We spoke to Ofran about Biolojic’s platform technology, how it mimics the way the immune system makes antibodies, and why its approach will lead to smarter therapies.

Combatting Superbugs and Emerging Viruses

The rise of antibiotic resistance and the threat of emerging viral pathogens have created global public health threats. Recce Pharmaceuticals is developing a new class of synthetic anti-infectives that it says can overcome the hyper-cellular mutation of bacteria and viruses. What’s more, the company says their potency doesn’t diminish even with repeated use. We spoke to James Graham, CEO of Recce, about its synthetic anti-infectives, how they work, and why they can be used repeatedly against a broad range of bacteria and viruses.

How a Plant-Derived Gel Halts Bleeding in Seconds

Whether in an operating room or in a trauma situation, the ability to quickly stop bleeding represents a critical need in healthcare. At the end of December, Cresilon filed for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to market its hemostatic gel to rapidly stop bleeding. The filing follows the launch of Vitigel, Cresilon’s hemostatic gel for the animal health market. We spoke to Joe Landolina, co-founder and CEO of Cresilon, about how he developed the plant-derived gel, the significant need he is seeking to address, and how the gel is able to halt bleeding in a matter of seconds.

Exploiting a Vulnerability in Cancers

In cancer, synthetic lethality refers to a state in which two genetic mutations that alone may allow a cancer cell to survive will kill it when they exist simultaneously. Cyteir Therapeutics is seeking to exploit that strategy with what it calls next-generation synthetically lethal therapies to treat a wide range of cancers. We spoke to Markus Renschler, president and CEO of Cyteir therapeutics, about synthetic lethality, Cyteir’s pipeline, and life as a small public biotech in 2022.

Democratizing AI

AI Dynamics is seeking to make AI accessible. Though its NeoPulse platform can be used across industries, the life sciences is one of the key markets the company is targeting with its technology being used to do everything from target identification for drug development to diagnosing and triaging TB patients by the sounds of their cough. We spoke to Rajeev Dutt, CEO and president of AI Dynamics, about the company’s core AI technology, how it seeks to make AI accessible, and why he believes it can transform drug development and healthcare by moving the needle on costs.