Adiso
Advancing Novel Therapies for Inflammatory Diseases
Adiso creates medicines to treat inflammatory diseases, to improve the lives of patients and their families with an innovative pipeline of small molecules (neutrophil modulation, inflammasome inhibition) and single strain live biotherapeutic products (SS-LBP), all with novel mechanisms of action.
Allysta
A Peptide Therapy for Dry Eye Disease
Allysta has developed a peptide fragment therapy that both locally suppresses the autoimmune attack while simultaneously restoring tear volume, an improvement over the current standard of care.
The molecule is in phase I clinical trials. They are also exploring a subcutaneous formulation of the peptide for other inflammatory diseases.
Apellis
Targeting the Complement Pathway in Innate Immunity
Complement-mediated disorders stem from overactive innate immune activity. Apellis is developing an injectable peptide therapy that inhibits the C3 complement protein in diseases like paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, C3 glomerulopathy, geographic atrophy of the eye, and cold agglutinin disease. C3 inhibition reduces the severity of symptoms that C5 inhibition does not affect.
Apellis recently announced positive Phase 3 data in PNH and are looking to advance trials in many other complement disorders.
Biothea
Revolutionizing the Treatment of Severe Allergic Reactions and Anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis, also called allergic or anaphylactic shock, is a sudden, severe and life-threatening allergic reaction. Biothea is focused on revolutionizing the treatment of severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis by providing needle-free, convenient and cost effective alternative to currently available products.
IM Therapeutics
Inhibiting Recognition of Self Proteins for Diabetes and Celiac Disease
IM Therapeutics has developed a computational screening platform that models HLA-antigen binding. Using this platform, they have discovered an enantiomer of an approved drug that inhibits the binding of insulin to the HLA complex on immune cells, preventing the immune system from targeting and destroying the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Apart from Type 1 diabetes, IM Therapeutics’ platform is also being used to develop therapies for other autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease.
Inotrem
Modulating the Master Switch of Innate Immune Signaling
Patients with septic shock experience a physiological overreaction to immune system signaling, a cytokine storm, that can be deadlier than the original infection itself, resulting in a 40-60% mortality rate.
Inotrem is a French company that has developed an inhibitor of TREM-1, the master switch of cytokine signaling. By inhibiting this target, the positive feedback loop of uncontrolled cytokine signaling is shut down and the patient’s chances of recovery are increased. Inotrem is testing this molecule in several phase 2 clinical trials.
Kezar Life Sciences
Inhibiting Overactive Immune Signaling in Lupus and MS
Kezar has developed an inhibitor of the immunoproteasome which cleaves precursors into inflammatory cytokines as well as inhibiting the secretion of these molecules. They have shown positive animal data in a variety of autoimmune indications.
They are currently in phase 2 trials for lupus nephritis and polymyositis.
Neutrolis
Targeting the Dark Side of DNA
Neutrolis is developing first-in-class therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases by targeting Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), a fundamental arm of the innate immune system which plays an important role in chronic and acute diseases. Neutrolis employs the exDNASE platform, based on naturally occurring enzymes that degrade the extracellular chromatin that form NETs, and powers the creation of natural and engineered enzyme analogs that are capable of treating several acute and chronic unmet medical needs.
Revolo Biotherapeutics
Resetting the Immune System in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Asthma
Revolo Biotherapeutics employed human epidemiological studies to discover two proteins that modulate the innate immune system in both asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Rather than merely effecting symptomatic relief, these proteins normalize the immune set-point back to a balanced equilibrium. This confers long-lasting therapeutic benefit without the need for chronic drug administration.