Bikam

Active Pass is a Canadian biotechnology company that is engaging in genomic-based drug discovery and is developing drugs that inhibit ABC transporters. ABC or (ATP binding cassette) is a term that describes the interconnected group of molecular engines or pumps that function as a transportation system which moves compounds across the biological membranes. These ABCs are very closely associated with human diseases like Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. The Active Pass management team is an accomplished group with experience in many aspects of drug discovery and development. Besides employing full time pharmaceutical development professionals, Active Pass has made wise use of a group of several key partnerships with different pharmaceutical groups. The company cultivates these partnerships in order to access new capabilities or expertise to advance the company's own technologies. More specifically, these partnerships include the Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Organization as well as the National Institute of Health). The company hopes to add new personnel to cover emerging areas of emphasis like clinical and regulatory affairs, business development and finance as they grow.

is discovering compounds that selectively inhibit replication of the hepatitis C virus, and advancing preclinical development of compounds from this hepatitis C virus drug discovery program, while also developing a late-stage product for lupus. They aim to generate either first-in-class or best-in-class products that will address diseases for which current therapies are inadequate.

Echelon Biosciences is a company that received a SBIR Phase I grant for a project entitled: Near Infrared Substrates for Imaging Autotaxin Activity In Vivo. Their project aims to synthesize ATXRed, an in vivo imaging agent that is specifically activated by the enzymatic activity of autotaxin. Autotaxin is an extracellular enzyme that generates the phospholipid growth factor lysophophatidic acid (LPA). LPA is involved in a variety of biological functions, such as angiogenesis, wound healing, brain development, immunological competence and the regulation of blood pressure. Both LPA and autotaxin have also been implicated in numerous diseases, especially metastatic cancer. Autotaxin was identified as one of the 40 most induced genes in aggressive breast cancer. The broader impacts of this research are the discovery and commercialization of tools that easily highlight specific biological pathways in living organisms. ATXRed will be welcomed by basic researchers in many fields associated with autotaxin and LPA. However, the utility extends beyond the basic research sphere. ATXRed smart probes could also aid pharmaceutical researchers searching for pharmacological inhibitors of autotaxin and LPA receptor agonists and antagonists. ATXRed would be a powerful tool in many rodent models of human cancer. In vivo autotaxin imaging probes could also aid in the clinic by helping to identify and monitor disease progression and treatment. Ultimately, ATXRed could help guide surgical resection of tumorstumors previously identified by the smart probe to have elevated autotaxin activity. In total, ATXRed probes have the potential to impact basic research, drug discovery and the clinic as a prime example of molecular medicine applied from bench to bedside.

Terpenoid Therapeutics is a drug discovery and development company focused on treatments for cancer. The company are developing a portfolio of small molecule- based compounds primarily for treatment of prostate, brease, brain, lung and colon cancers.

VivoPath is a preclinical screening company, offering the company's clients discovery and development services for in vivo testing. VivoPath aims to provide integrated in vivo studies led by established experts in drug development. Efficacy is established for animal models in the areas of metabolic disease, inflammation, neurodegenerative disease, and infectious diseases. Formulation screening is carried out to select the most appropriate delivery system for administration. Pharmacokinetic evaluation is carried out to assess exposure and bioavailability. Tolerability is assessed with evaluations of clinical signs, clinical chemistry and hematology. The resulting program aims to deliver the client an in vivo therapeutic index (TI) report on which to assess candidates for subsequent development. VivoPath can also help clients at any individual step in this preclinical screening process. VivoPath's commitment is to provide scientific expertise in in vivo drug discovery in order to increase productivity from research into drug development.

GNI's "gene network" technology is based on a combination of wet lab work and lots of computing power to figure out how the 30,000-plus protein-making genes in the human genome interact. Its primary product is a drug discovery engine to quickly identify genes for drug development, as well as figure out which genes are affected by a given drug.