2015 Emerging Company Showcase

Alitair Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Morristown NJ: A specialty pharmaceutical company with a focus on the respiratory space, currently developing two Orphan drugs for bronchiectasis.

BMSEED, LLC, Tempe, AZ: Developed a monitoring device for traumatic brain injury that utilizes a stretchable gold film that monitors electrophysiological activity in cells and tissue.

Cenna Biosciences, San Diego, CA: Developing a novel disease-modifying small peptide to block amyloid production in Alzheimer’s Disease.

DepyYmed, Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Has developed Trodusquemine – a highly selective inhibitor of the critical protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) enzyme with applications in oncology, diabetes, and obesity and is currently being developed as a therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer.

Escend Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Menlo Park, CA: Developing small molecule therapeutics for cancer orphan indications, including therapeutics that kill cancer stem cells in chronic myelogenous leukemia and related hematologic malignancies.

Inflammatory Response Research Inc., Santa Barbara, CA: Developing therapeutics for the treatment of inflammatory disorders and conditions including influenza, common cold, and traumatic brain injury.

Innovimmune, Brooklyn, NY: Developing oral small molecule NME immunomodulatory drugs for the treatment of Autoimmune and ImmunoInflammatory Diseases.

Intrommune Therapeutics, New York, NY: Developing a revolutionary new treatment platform for food allergies that is safe, effective and convenient. Intrommune’s first product is a therapy for patients who suffer fro​m peanut allergy.

Kenkodo, Potsdam, Germany: Developing a cloud based, personal digital health monitor that measures metabolic changes in blood samples and by tracking lifestyle information submitted via the Kenkodo smartphone application.

Memgen, Houston, TX: Clinical-stage biotech company. Our ISF35 cancer immunotherapy with checkpoint inhibitors cures 40% of mice with B16 melanoma tumor. Phase I/II clinical trial of ISF35 and Keytruda in refractory metastatic melanoma starting February 2016 at MD Anderson Cancer Center.

NeuroGenetic Pharmaceuticals, Del Mar, CA: Developing a novel approach to the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease by modulating the activity of the key enzymes involved in the production of Amyloid beta 42, a primary component of amyloid plaques.

NeurOp, Inc., Atlanta, GA: Small molecule drug discovery company targeting various subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors for the treatment and prevention of CNS disorders including stroke (cerebral ischemia), Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, depression, and neuropathic pain.

PHD Biosciences, New York, NY: Developing small molecule targeted enzyme inhibitors for oncology and sickle cell disease that operate by unique mechanisms of action from all known therapeutics.

Phoenix Nest, Inc., Brooklyn, NY: Developing treatments for Sanfilippo Syndrome IIIC and IIID, using approaches that include enzyme replacement and chaperone therapies.

Symbiotic Health, New York, NY: Developing a treatment for C. difficile infections using a novel targeted delivery method of therapeutic bacteria in stable oral capsules to restore the microbiome of the gastrointestinal tract.

SynZyme Technologies LLC, Sioux Falls, SD: Developing therapeutic agents for the treatment of hypoxia and impaired blood flow using their platform superoxide dismutase mimetic nanoparticles to control vascular superoxide. This platform has demonstrated efficacy in preclinical models of stroke, in traumatic brain injury accompanied by hemorrhagic shock, and in sickle cell disease. Additional indications include use in pre-hospital emergency care and in cancer therapy.

Theragnostic Technologies, Stony Brook, NY: Focusing on research and development of high performance multifunctional nanotechnology-enabled materials and devices.

Traverse Biosciences, Stony Brook, NY: Commercializing novel drug candidates for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and related conditions affecting humans and companion animals.

Vala Sciences, San Diego, CA: Developing a miniaturized, cell-based optogenetic multiparametric assay for high-throughput cardiotoxicity testing in an automated platform.

Zoetic Pharmaceuticals, Buffalo, NY: Developing a nanoparticle-based platform technology to enhance the safety and efficacy of biotherapeutics by reducing immunogenicity and extending the half-life of IV injected biotherapeutics.