Ensol Biosciences

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.

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.

Transposagen Biopharmaceuticals is a biotechnology company. It develops and provides early gene editing technology for disease modeling, bioproduction, and phenotypic screening. The company serves the research needs of both academic and drug discovery investigators. It was founded in 2003 and is based in Lexington, Kentucky.

IIT Research Institute (IITRI) is a contract research organization (CRO) that aims to provide non-clinical toxicology and other drug development services to government and industry. IITRI offers particular expertise in oncologics drug development, inhalation toxicology and technology, carcinogenesis and cancer prevention, and biodefense. IITRI's Drug Discovery Division is a research-based group whose focus is the design and synthesis of new small molecule therapeutics for cancer and infectious disease.

Carmot Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company. It is focused on the discovery and development of disease-modifying therapies for people living with metabolic diseases including obesity and diabetes. It utilizes chemotype evolution, a pioneering drug discovery platform, to identify novel incretin receptor signaling targets and develop a broad pipeline of therapeutics. The company was founded in 2008 and is based in Berkeley, California.

InterveXion Therapeutics is a drug discovery and development company focused on antibody-based therapies for treating human disease. The company are developing monoclonal antibodies to treat substance abuse from PCP and methamphetamine.