| Name | Title | Contact Details |
|---|
The Rare Cancer Research Foundation (RCRF) is dedicated to curing rare cancers through strategic investments and innovative collaborations that catalyze effective research and accelerate deployment of promising therapies. While rare cancers accounted for just over 25 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in 2013, they comprised more than 40 percent of all cancer deaths. RCRF`s goal is to develop research infrastructure for each rare cancer.
Apogee Therapeutics is a biotechnology company seeking to develop differentiated biologics for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other inflammatory and immunology indications with high unmet need. Apogee`s antibody programs are designed to overcome limitations of existing therapies by targeting well-established mechanisms of action and incorporating advanced antibody engineering to optimize half-life and other properties. The company`s two most advanced programs are APG777 and APG808, which are being initially developed for the treatment of AD and COPD, respectively. Based on a broad pipeline and depth of expertise, the company believes it can deliver value and meaningful benefit to patients underserved by today`s standard of care.
The mission of 4D Molecular Therapeutics is to design and develop transformative gene therapy products using our proprietary technology to create novel adeno-associated virus variants to be utilized as treatments for serious unmet medical conditions. Our products are unlocking the full potential of gene therapy to treat, and potentially cure, genetic diseases. A large number of patients and diseases, who previously were not treatable by gene therapy, will be addressable by 4D products. 4D has one of the deepest and most diverse product pipelines in the gene therapy field. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have emerged as a favored delivery vehicle for gene therapy in the human body. They can deliver the genes for therapeutic proteins to accessible tissues in the body and are generally considered safe. Several AAV gene therapy products are in late-stage clinical development, and one product is approved in the EU (Glybera, Uniqure). However, these first-generation AAV vectors have limited utility for the majority of diseases. Many of these common AAV were discovered as laboratory contaminants and monkey infections, for example; they have not been customized as targeted medicines. In contrast, 4D customized AAV vectors, and the products made from them, are designed to unlock the full potential of gene therapy. Through 4D`s Therapeutic Vector Evolution, we are able to create customized vectors solutions to overcome the hurdles identified with first-generation AAV vectors. 4D is creating the ultimate gene therapy products to cure genetic diseases using new customized delivery vehicles (vectors) to shuttle genes into the cells in any organ in the body. This 4D “library” of vectors will soon include several for the liver, several for the brain, several for the heart, the eye, muscle, and so on. Doctors will be able to hand pick a vector for any patient based on the organ that is diseased.
Twist Bioscience is a synthetic biology company based in San Francisco, California. The company has developed a proprietary silicon-based manufacturing process for the production of synthetic DNA. Twist Bioscience serves Life Science researchers who are changing the world for the better. Coming from diverse fields of medicine, agriculture, industrial chemicals and data storage, scientists use our synthetic genes, oligo pools, and NGS target enrichment to better lives and improve the sustainability of the planet. Twist Bioscience is uniquely positioned to help accelerate these efforts by providing precision at a scale that is otherwise unavailable. Our technology overcomes inefficiencies and enables cost-effective, rapid, precise, high-throughput DNA synthesis and sequencing. We offer both the quality and quantity researchers need now to rapidly realize opportunities ahead.