Portfolio Companies
Coley Pharmaceutical http://www.coleypharma.com
Coley Pharmaceutical Group was founded in 1997 as a biopharmaceutical
company to discover, develop and commercialize TLR Therapeutics™, a
novel class of drug candidates that direct the immune system to fight
select diseases including cancer, asthma and allergic disorders, and
to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines. TLR Therapeutics act on a
specific class of immune system receptors, called Toll-like receptors.
Coley closed its Initial Public Offering in August 2005 taking in proceeds
of $96 million, plus $10 million from a concurrent private placement
with Pfizer. Coley was later acquired by Pfizer Inc. January 14, 2008.
Numerous application of TLRs are being developed by Pfizer and with
partners, including Sanofi-Aventis, Merck, and Novartis Vaccines. As
the licensor of seminal intellectual property conceived by then UI Professor
Arthur Krieg and others, the University of Iowa Research Foundation
enjoys a close and collaborative relationship with Pfizer.
VIDA Diagnostics http://www.vidadiagnostics.com
Founded in 2004, VIDA is the leader in pulmonary image analysis and
therapy planning. The company develops and markets software solutions
that unlock the power of high-resolution computerized tomography (CT)
image data sets of the lung. VIDA's aim is to substantially improve
the detection, staging, treatment planning, endoscopic treatment and
follow-up care for acute and chronic lung disease, such as lung cancer
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). VIDA’s lead product,
Pulmonary Workstation 2 received FDA 510(d) clearance in 2008. VIDA
is located in Iowa City, Iowa. Recent
article on VIDA.
Optherion http://www.optherion.com/
Founded in 2006, Optherion, Inc. is a biotechnology company developing
diagnostic and disease-modifying therapeutics for the management and
treatment of early-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and
other chronic diseases involving the alternative complement cascade.
Optherion’s intellectual properties are based on recent scientific discoveries
linking specific genes to AMD and various renal diseases. AMD is the
leading cause of blindness in people over 60 in the developed world.
In October, 2007, the company raised $37 million in start up financing.
In September, 2008, Optherion, Inc. won the Edwards Angell Palmer &
Dodge Award for most venture capital raised in the biotechnology sector.
The award is made to companies with an innovative product and a business
model that demonstrates potential for future success. The company was
also recognized as one of 100 technology “companies to watch” for 2008.
Optherion is located in New Haven, Connecticut, USA and on the biotechnology
campus of the University of Iowa in Coralville, Iowa, USA.
Exemplar Genetics, Inc
http://www.exemplargenetics.com
Founded in 2008, Exemplar Genetics is based in Sioux Center, Iowa. The
firm bridges the considerable gap between the laboratory mouse and human
testing with a patented process featuring a substantially improved animal
model: the pig. The core technology from the laboratory of one of the
university’s most distinguished research professors, Howard Hughes Medical
Institute Investigator Michael Welsh. The new venture is dedicated to
improving understanding of a variety of genetic diseases and assisting
with the discovery of new medical therapies. Exemplar Genetics started
as a partnership with Trans Ova Genetics, one of the state’s leading
biotech companies, also of Sioux Center, and the University of Iowa.
Terpenoid Therapeutics Inc. Founded in 2007, Terpenoid Therapeutics Inc., a University of Iowa spinout company with two broad drug development programs, both aimed at treating cancer. The first lead molecule is based on targets within the cholesterol metabolic pathway and is intended to treat metastatic bone disease associated with prostate and breast cancer and multiple myeloma. The second lead is being developed to treat brain cancers. Drug development at Terpenoid Therapeutics Inc. is based on research from the UI departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Internal Medicine and Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at the UI. The company was founded by Drs. Raymond J. Hohl, associate chair of internal medicine, and David F. Wiemer, chair of the Department of Chemistry in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The company is based in Coralville, Iowa.
Ovamed GmbH http://www.ovamed.org/english/home/home.html
Founded in 2003, Ovamed GmbH specializes in the development of new treatments
using complete biological organisms. Helminthic therapy, developed by
scientists at the University of Iowa, is a new and purely biological
approach to treat autoimmune diseases such as Crohn`s disease and Ulcerative
colitis. Ovamed GmbH was established by Detlev Goj and Alexander Beese,
first under the name of Biocure GmbH (changed into Ovamed GmbH in 2004).
The company resides in the village of Barsbuettel, Germany, close to
the city of Hamburg.