Alpine Meridian is a NYC-based early stage venture firm focused on the Internet, digital media, fintech, data, software, and e-commerce.

Alpine Meridian

Boston Harbor Angels is a group of proven business leaders interested in investing a portion of their assets in high growth, early stage companies. The group was formed in February 2004 and since then has made a number of investments in companies in medical devices, IT, consumer products, business products, specialty materials, Internet, aviation, etc. They believe they contribute more than money to the companies they fund and welcome the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs open to take advice, yet having the smarts and determination to make the company successful.  Their focus is on early stage companies usually looking to raise $250K to $1.5M, where they can fund a portion of the round and syndicate the deal with other angel groups or early stage venture funds. The stage of the company should be close to commercialization, while the company should have a clear and defensible competitive advantage. They are looking for capital efficient businesses, which can reach profitability with less than $5M of equity investment and provide at least 10X return on the investment within 5 years.  They do not invest as a fund - each of their members makes his or her individual investment decision but they collaborate in Due Diligence. They have a deep expertise in the life sciences field where they usually take the position of a lead investor, but are open to any opportunities that can make a strong business case. In some cases they prefer to be the follow on investor if they cannot identify a person with strong expertise within their group.  The groupâ€™s strategy is directed by an executive committee which consists of 8 people elected by the group: Wayne Griffith (chairman), Bill McPhee, Henry Kay, Jay Schwartz (membership director), Steve Andress, Peter Miller, Don Freeman and Mic Williams (president and founder). The groupâ€™s day-to-day operations are managed by Boris Batchvarov (managing director).  They receive 20-30 business summaries each month, out of which they select 8 companies to make a personal presentation to their screening committee. The screening committee consists of volunteers from the group. The presentations are 10 min long followed by 10 min Q&A. 4 of the companies are invited to present to the whole group, with the idea to get the people interested and decide to perform a Due Diligence with the companies before making an investment.

Boston Harbor Angels

Oracle Investment Management, Inc. (OIM) is a fundamental research driven investment management company that is exclusively focused on the global health care and bioscience industries. The firm was founded by Larry N. Feinberg in 1993. Mr. Feinberg has been a leading investor and securities analyst in the health care industry for over 30 years.  The current Health Care industry is characterized by rapid and disrupting changes driven by innovation and regulation. Besides the passage of Health Reform legislation, demand for health care is also accelerating as the population of the developed world ages. At 17% of GDP, health care spending in the United States is more than 4 times greater than the amount spent on national defense. These forces provide opportunities for both long and short investing, based on our fundamental security selection process.

Oracle Investment Management Inc.

Adage Capital Management is a Boston-based $8.9B Money Management firm focused on managing S&P 500 assets predominantly for Endowments and Foundations such as Harvard University, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, the American Red Cross and the Getty Foundation. Adage and its predecessor, the Select Equity Group at the Harvard Management Company, has outperformed the S&P index in each of the last 15 years by an average of 3.5%.   The fund is run by Phill Gross, who prior to founding Adage, was a Healthcare and Retail analyst, equity research director and partner at the Harvard Management Company for 18 years..

Adage Capital Management

Prospect Hill Growth Partners is an established Boston-area private equity firm focused on operational value creation in middle-market growth companies. Founded in 1995 as J.W. Childs Associates and rebranded to Prospect Hill Growth Partners in 2019, They continue to focus on North American consumer and healthcare services businesses.

Prospect Hill Growth Partners

Averill Master Fund

Pyramid Biosciences

Pyramid Biosciences is dedicated to discovering and developing targeted therapeutics for a wide range of disorders that are regulated by the tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) family. By precisely and selectively modulating the actions of these fundamental cell surface receptors, we can control the key signaling pathways responsible for a patient’s disease, condition, or symptoms.

Pyramid Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. Founded in 2015, the company's lead program is PBI-200, an orally-active, central nervous system (CNS) penetrant tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor targeting genetically defined cancers, including primary and metastatic brain cancers. PBI-200 is currently in a global Phase 1/2 clinical trial.

Pyramid Biosciences Expands Oncology Pipeline with In-Licensing of GQ1010, a Potential Best-in-class TROP2 Targeted Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC), from GeneQuantum Healthcare

Pyramid Biosciences and GeneQuantum Healthcare Announce Preclinical Data for GQ1010, a Potential Best-In-Class TROP2-Targeted Antibody Drug Conjugate, at the 2023 AACR Annual Meeting

Pyramid Biosciences Appoints Brian Lestini, MD, PhD as Chief Executive Officer

Pyramid Biosciences Names Nushmia Khokhar, MD, as Chief Medical Officer

Pyramid Biosciences Names Biren Amin as Chief Financial and Strategy Officer

Pyramid Biosciences Receives Orphan Drug Designation for PBI-200 From FDA

Pharmaceutical Technology

Therapeutics that target specific areas/tissues to minimize treatment side effects.

Tissue Targeting Therapeutics

Pyramid Biosciences and Genequantum Healthcare enter license agreement for ADC targeting TROP2

Pyramid Biosciences is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing precision therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. Founded in 2015, the company's lead program is PBI-200, an orally-active, central nervous system (CNS) penetrant tropomyosin receptor kinase (TRK) inhibitor targeting genetically defined cancers, including primary and metastatic brain cancers. PBI-200 is currently in a global Phase 1/2 clinical trial.
In April 2023, Pyramid Biosciences entered an exclusive license agreement with GeneQuantum healthcare to develop and commercialize GQ1010, a potential best-in-class antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting TROP2, worldwide except for Greater China. GQ1010 utilizes a unique site-specific conjugation technology and incorporates a novel linker-payload which may lead to improved stability, safety and potency. preclinical data suggests GQ1010 has a broader therapeutic margin compared to more advanced TROP2 ADCs. TROP2 is highly expressed in various tumors including breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian, and prostate cancer.
Pyramid Biosciences focuses on programs targeting clinically validated mechanisms with potential best-in-class properties that can address areas of high unmet need in cancer. The company aims to develop transformative medicines for patients with cancer by leveraging its expertise in oncology drug development.
Key customers and partnerships
In April 2023, Pyramid Biosciences entered a partnership with GeneQuantum healthcare to develop and commercialize the TROP2-targeted antibody-drug conjugate GQ1010. This collaboration aims to rapidly advance the worldwide development of GQ1010 to help patients overcome cancer. The agreement brings together GeneQuantum's proprietary technology and Pyramid's capabilities in delivering transformative cancer medicines.

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 Generation Bio is a biotechnology company developing non-viral genetic medicines for rare and prevalent diseases. The company's proprietary platform combines immune-quiet DNA (iqDNA), a novel variant of closed-ended DNA, with a cell-targeted lipid nanoparticle (ctLNP) delivery system and a rapid enzymatic synthesis (RES) manufacturing process. This platform is designed to create gene therapies with drug-like properties, offering durable gene expression, the ability to re-dose for individual patient titration, and the potential to sustain effect over a lifetime. Generation Bio's approach aims to enable multi-year durability from a single dose, deliver large genetic payloads, and allow titration and redosing to adjust or extend expression levels in each patient. The company's pipeline includes programs for liver diseases such as hemophilia A, phenylketonuria (PKU), and Wilson's disease, as well as eye disorders like Stargardt disease and Leber congenital amaurosis type 10. In October 2023, Generation Bio announced the development of iqDNA, which demonstrated cytokine levels and tolerability comparable to chemically modified messenger RNA in mice and non-human primates. Generation Bio's RES manufacturing process has the potential to produce ceDNA at a scale of hundreds of millions of doses.
 
 
 
 
 Key customers and partnerships
 
 
 
 
 In March 2023, Generation Bio entered into a strategic partnership with Moderna to develop non-viral genetic medicines. The collaboration combines Moderna's expertise with Generation Bio's platform technologies to expand their respective non-viral genetic medicines pipelines. Under this partnership, Moderna is using Generation Bio's ctLNP delivery system and iqDNA technology to advance two immune cell programs and two liver programs. The deal included a USD 40 million upfront cash payment and a USD 36 million equity investment from Moderna. Generation Bio will also receive future development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments, along with royalties on worldwide net sales of immune cell-targeted and liver-targeted products. The partnership aims to develop new lipid nanoparticles and expand in vivo immune cell targeting as a new class of genetic medicines.
 
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Generation Bio

Oncopeptides AB is a biotech company focused on developing therapies for difficult-to-treat hematological diseases, particularly multiple myeloma. The company's lead product, PEPAXTO (melphalan flufenamide, also known as melflufen), received FDA approval in February 2021 for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma who have received at least four prior lines of therapy. PEPAXTO is the first anticancer peptide-drug conjugate approved by the FDA for this indication. The drug works by leveraging aminopeptidases, which are overexpressed in multiple myeloma cells, to release cytotoxic agents.
In August 2022, the European Commission granted marketing authorization for Pepaxti (melphalan flufenamide) in combination with dexamethasone for the treatment of adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three prior lines of therapies. Oncopeptides' research is based on two technology platforms: Peptide Drug Conjugates (PDC) and Small Polypeptide based Innate Killer Engagers (SPiKE). The PDC platform allows for efficient drug distribution in the body, enabling a wide therapeutic window and an optimized benefit-risk profile. The SPiKE platform utilizes the immune system to fight cancer by targeting natural killer cells, potentially reducing dose-limiting side effects while maintaining clinical efficacy.
As of 2023, Oncopeptides was conducting one clinical phase 3 study and six clinical phase 2 studies. The company's pipeline includes innovative drug candidates for difficult-to-treat hematological diseases, with the potential to expand into new indications. Oncopeptides' approach is science and data-driven, focusing on bringing innovation to patients with rare hematological diseases.

Oncopeptides

Neurona Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on developing regenerative cell therapy candidates for the treatment of neurological disorders. The company's lead investigational candidate, NRTX-1001, is being evaluated in an ongoing Phase I/II clinical trial for drug-resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). NRTX-1001 is a regenerative neural cell therapy derived from human pluripotent stem cells. It consists of fully-differentiated neural cells called interneurons that secrete the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Delivered as a one-time dose, these human interneurons are intended to integrate on-target and durably silence seizure activity in the epileptic region of the brain. In December 2023, Neurona presented early data from five participants in the ongoing study of NRTX-1001. Two patients who received the therapy more than a year prior experienced at least a 95% reduction in overall seizure frequency. NRTX-1001 is manufactured in Neurona's in-house GMP facility using proprietary methods. Beyond epilepsy, Neurona is also evaluating NRTX-1001 for potential application in Alzheimer's disease. The company's pipeline includes other cell therapy candidates such as investigational myelinating glial cells and gene-edited cells for undisclosed indications.

Neurona Therapeutics

Evox Therapeutics is a biotechnology company specializing in exosome therapeutics. The company utilizes its proprietary DeliverEX technology to engineer exosomes for drug delivery to specific organs, including the brain and central nervous system. Evox's approach aims to overcome limitations of genetic medicines such as gene therapy, gene editing, and RNA therapeutics by enabling safe, non-immunogenic repeated delivery to cells and tissues that are challenging to reach with other drug delivery technologies.
The company's technology focuses on harnessing and engineering the natural delivery capabilities of extracellular vesicles, known as exosomes, to develop a new class of therapeutics for treating severe rare diseases. Evox's intellectual property portfolio includes more than 100 granted patents across key jurisdictions, covering various aspects of exosome-based drug design, development, and manufacturing. In May 2023, Evox was granted a US patent for a method of purifying engineered exosomes using ultrafiltration and size-based separation steps, which is widely used in exosome therapeutics.
In June 2023, Evox acquired Codiak Biosciences' engEx-AAV technology platform, which enables active loading of adeno-associated virus (AAV) into exosomes. This technology has demonstrated improved AAV delivery, increased expression breadth in preclinical models, and shielding of AAVs from neutralizing antibodies. The acquisition aligns with Evox's strategy to enhance exosome-mediated delivery for genetic medicines such as gene therapy and genome editors.

Evox Therapeutics

Aro Biotherapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company based in Philadelphia that specializes in developing tissue-targeted genetic medicines. The company's core technology is a proprietary protein platform called Centyrins, which enables efficient and tissue-specific delivery of siRNA and other genetic drugs. Aro's lead candidate, ABX1100, is being developed for the treatment of Pompe disease, a rare genetic disorder characterized by toxic glycogen accumulation in muscles. ABX1100 comprises a CD71 receptor-binding Centyrin conjugated to a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that targets the Gys1 gene, reducing levels and activity of the Gys1 enzyme in muscle tissues. The therapy has shown promising results in preclinical studies, demonstrating potent and muscle-specific reductions in Gys1 mRNA and protein in the Pompe mouse model. In October 2023, Aro initiated a Phase 1 clinical trial of ABX1100 in Canada, with initial data expected in 2024. The US Food and Drug Administration granted ABX1100 Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease status. Beyond Pompe disease, Aro is exploring the potential of its Centyrin-siRNA conjugate programs for developing new treatments for autoimmune disorders.

Aro Biotherapeutics

Therapeutics that are designed to target specific cells to reach designated target sites

Therapeutics that are designed to target specific protein or protein receptors to reach designated target sites

Therapeutics that use different targeting approaches, such as bone-targeting or pressure-based, to help therapeutics identify specific target sites

Companies that offer contract research and manufacturing facilities that focus on tissue-targeting therapeutics for life sciences organizations

Pyramid Biosciences

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