GVP and Georgia Biosciences Seed Fund Portfolio Companies

GVP and Georgia Biosciences Seed Fund Portfolio Companies
Georgia Venture Partners has invested in a diverse collection of early-stage Georgia companies who share the common thread of proprietary technology, unmet clinical and market needs, and the leadership of a driven entrepreneur. While many are based on technologies within Georgia's research universities, we also invest in the nation's leading inventions that could come to fruition in early-stage Georgia companies. For more information on these companies, please click on the links below.

	Abeome Corporation www.abeomecorp.com Abeome is an emerging biotechnology company dedicated to leveraging its proprietary hybridoma technology to accelerate and improve development of monoclonal antibodies for life sciences and clinical medicine. Abeome's DiSH (Direct Selection of Hybridomas) technology--pioneered by Dr. Richard Meagher at the University of Georgia--is focused on breaking down the two major bottlenecks of screening of hybridomas: quality and speed. DiSH offers a dramatically improved process for rapidly selecting desired hybridomas that are genetically stable and produce antibodies with optimal binding characteristics, and driving unprecedented efficiencies in screening for new clinical targets. GVP has invested alongside the State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center). For more information contact CEO Michael Wanner at mike.wanner@abeomecorp.com.
	AerovectRx Corporation www.aerovectrx.com Ed Cannon leads AerovectRx, an early stage venture developing an inhaled drug delivery platform based on technology originally developed at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with support from the U.S. government and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. AerovectRx is developing vibrating mesh nebulizers to deliver drugs and vaccines. AerovectRx's nebulizers have the unique property of a disposable mesh and medication cartridge, offering the competitive advantage of meshes that don't clog, especially when macromolecules are used. One of AerovectRx's nebulizers recently received 510k approval from the FDA. GVP has invested alongside the Emergent Growth Fund and the ATDC Seed Capital Fund. For more information contact CEO Ed Cannon, Ph.D. at ecannon@aerovectrx.com.
	Aruna Biomedical Inc www.arunabiomedical.com Founded by serial entrepreneur Jim Stice and UGA Professor Steve Stice PhD, Aruna is a developmental stage company commercializing primary human neural progenitor cells for research purposes. While human neural progenitor cells are sold by several companies, those cell assay products are not available to neural researchers in an easy to use adherent monolayer format. Two recent University of Georgia inventions now make it practical for Aruna to reliably deliver neural progenitors and motor neurons to researchers as single layers. The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center) has invested alongside a number of high-net worth individuals. For more information contact CEO Jim Stice at jimstice@charter.net.
	Axona Inc. Inventors Jonathan Glass MD and James Powers PhD have formed Axona, a seed stage venture, with GVP to develop inhibitors of an enzyme called Calpain. Because Calpain is involved in the degradation of neuronal axons, inhibitors of Calpain may be useful in treating a number of neurodegenerative conditions. The Company will further the development of its lead drug candidate, AK295, as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), building on promising murine preclinical data. As there are currently no treatments that prevent or repair the axonal degeneration that causes peripheral neuropathy, Calpain inhibition using AK295 offers the potential of a breakthrough treatment for CIPN. GVP has invested alongside the State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center). For more information contact Jim Heitner, at jim@georgiavc.com.
	Biofisica www.biofisica.com Led by CEO Rafael Andino, Biofisica is developing and selling POSiFECT, essentially a bandage that incorporates electrostimulation to augment wound healing. The Company has encouraging data from treating human subjects who had stage 3 and stage 4 ulcers. Biofisica's POSiFECT is currently being sold in the UK and is approved in the EU and Canada. The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center) has invested alongside the Unilever Venture Fund, the Novartis Venture Fund, and a number of high-net worth individuals. For more information contact CEO Rafael Andino at rafael.andino@biofisica.com.
	CytoDome Cytodome is developing an implantable local drug delivery device based on a novel technological approach that will regulate drug uptake by ailing brain tissue.
	ICON Interventional, Inc. www.icon-us.com ICON Interventional, Inc., led by CEO Jack Merritt, is a cardiovascular medical device company developing bare-naked and drug eluting stents based on a proprietary stent material, Nuloy(TM). The Nuloy(TM) material has inherent properties which allow for manufacture of stents with extremely thin struts, increased strength, radiopacity and deliverability, and decreased elastic recoil compared with that in existing stent materials. ICON is also developing a bioabsorbable stent platform based on its Micro-Electro-Mechanical-System (MEMS) technology for use in peripheral vessels. The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Development Technology Center) has invested alongside high-net worth individuals from the medical device industry. For more information contact CEO Jack Merritt at jackm@icon-us.com.
	InsectiGen www.insectigen.com Clifton Baile PhD leads InsectiGen, an agricultural biotechnology company whose core science is derived from the research of Michael Adang at the University of Georgia. InsectiGen is developing novel biotechnology-derived insecticides based on the discovery that a fragment of the Bt toxin receptor found in the insect gut can potentiate the insecticidal properties of Bt toxin when the two proteins are ingested together. InsectiGen plans to develop the transgenic crop opportunity by licensing/collaborating with partners such as Pioneer Hi-Bred, and to focus its own investment on the biopesticides market. net-worth individuals from the AgBiotech industry. Additional investors include The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center) and high net-worth individuals from the AgBiotech industry. For more information contact CEO Cliff Baile, PhD at cbaile@arches.uga.edu.
	MetaStatix www.metastatix.com Founded by Dennis Liotta at Emory University and Tony Shuker, Metastatix is developing compounds to treat cancer and HIV that inhibit the CXCR4 receptor. CXCR4 is a receptor on cells for SDF-1 (stromal cell derived factor 1), which is utilized by metastasizing cancer cells, as well as being a coreceptor for the AIDS virus. Metastatix, led by CEO Carol Gallagher, has IND approval for MSX-122 for Phase I clinical studies in the US and has developed a portfolio of structurally unique molecules. GVP are investors in a $35 million Series B financing led by Frazier Healthcare Ventures and joined by Series A coinvestors H.I.G. Ventures, The Aurora Funds, CM Capital, SR One, MedImmune Ventures, and original seed stage investors and Series A coinvestors Centrosome LLC and the State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center). For more information contact CEO Carol Gallagher, Pharm. D at cgallagher@metastatix.com.
	PhysioStream, Inc. Physiostream, Inc. is developing products around its core physiological monitoring and diagnostics platform comprised of novel, ultra low powered transmission devices and a data visualization and analysis system that was developed at MIT. CEO Jagi Gill is leading the development of electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyogram (EMG) analytics products to serve multiple industries. The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Development Technology Center) has invested alongside a high-net worth individual. For more information contact CEO Jagi Gill, MD/PhD. at gill@physiostream.com.
	Scientific Intake www.scientificintake.com Led by CEO William H. Longley, Scientific Intake is developing an insert, called the DDS (dental diet system) system, that goes in the mouth to mimic torus palatinus in humans-in essence a protuberance in the mouth that slows one's food intake so that the satiety response can catch up with one's food intake, resulting in fewer calories consumed, and subsequent weight lost. The Company has recently started a medical device pivotal trial using the new 510k de novo pathway. If the device were approved, it would be the first class II Non-Significant Risk (NSR) medical device approved by the FDA, and the Company would be able to make FDA-approved weight loss claims for overweight and obese patients. The State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center) has invested alongside a number of high-net worth individuals. For more information contact CEO William H. Longley at wlongley@scientificintake.com.
	Stheno www.sthenocorp.com Led by CEO Bill Edens, Stheno has developed the Magneto-Optical Phase Enantiomeric Detector (MOPED) for detection of chiral molecule impurities in racemic mixtures found in small molecule drug development. Now commercially available, MOPED is an online chiral detection system that is inexpensive, robust enough for manufacturing lines, and has the sensitivity required for quality control. This technology is important to the regulation of drugs, as its more sensitive detection limits allows the FDA to mandate higher levels of purity from pharmaceutical manufacturers. Appropriately positioned, Stheno’s MOPED could be a disruptive technology that could potentially redefine the FDA-mandated limits for chiral impurities. GVP has invested alongside New England Partners Capital, L.P., Healthcare Capital Partners, Acorn, LLC, and the State of Georgia (Seed Capital Fund administered by the Advanced Technology Development Center). For more information contact CEO Bill Edens PhD, MS, at wedens@sthenocorp.com.