We have been very quiet on social media lately, but as we are gearing up for BIO this week, we wanted to give a recap on what we have been up to over the past year!
1)?Carbonic anhydrase 1 (Car1) program advancements: We have made a ton of progress on our Car1 program over the past year. In short, Car1 is highly expressed by mast cell precursor cells. We are developing novel small molecule inhibitors to Car1 that impair mast cell development. Our goal is to safely reduce mast cell numbers for people with severe allergic disorders, including systemic mastocytosis, food allergy, and asthma. Over the past year, we have advanced a lead Car1 inhibitor that is orally available, potently impairs mastocytosis development in mice, and does not induce toxicity in rats.
2)?Initiation of our carbonic anhydrase 4 (Car4) therapeutic program: Last July, we initiated a second carbonic anhydrase-targeted program, for Car4. Car4 is highly downregulated proteins in the lungs of patients with COPD-emphysema and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). We have identified that Car4 treatment protects mice from emphysema onset and improves survival following pulmonary fibrosis induction in established murine models of emphysema and pulmonary fibrosis, respectively. Importantly, we have identified novel mechanisms of action for why Car4 is protective in these diseases. We are thrilled to have licensed this technology from Rutgers and to have advanced this technology over the past year so that we can help provide emphysema and IPF patients with a critically needed novel therapy!
3)?NJ-DOL Innovation and Research Fellowship Program (IRFP) postdoc award: In January, we were awarded with an IRFP grant from the NJ-DOL that provides funding for a NJ startup to bring on a postdoctoral fellow. With that award, we were elated to bring on John Ponessa to our team! Dr. Ponessa is an expert in carbonic anhydrase research whereupon his thesis focused on the role of Car4 in pulmonary disease. Dr. Ponessa is helping us to advance both our Car1 and Car4 therapeutic programs over the next year!
4) Dr. Adrian Piliponsky joins our Scientific Advisory Board (SAB): We are thrilled to announce that Dr. Adrian Piliponsky joined our SAB in January of this year! Dr. Piliponsky is a renowned expert in mast cell biology and models of mast cell disease.
5)?Funding from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJ-EDA) Commission on Science, Innovation, and Technology (CSIT): Last but not least, we received two grants from the NJ-EDA CSIT earlier this year, including a $25,000 SBIR direct funding award and a $40,000 Catalyst Research and Development (R&D) Voucher. We are ecstatic to receive these awards, as they will allow us to substantially advance our therapeutic programs!
We have been up to much more, but this post is already way too long. We look forward to meeting with all of you that are traveling to San Diego for BIO next week!
