Healthcare’s Once-in-a-Generation Disruption

The cost of healthcare in the United States continues to rise and the availability continues to decline. Healthcare spending accounts for 18% of U.S. GDP, and the costs in the U.S. are the highest in the world, increasing 130% in just the last decade. With this complexity comes an opportunity for entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors. iSelect is focused on finding technologies and innovations that reduce costs, increase accessibility, and improve quality of care.

iSelect Portfolio Companies

iSelect focuses on early-stage healthcare companies that are poised to help push the next healthcare revolution forward. We deliberately invest in companies that can make a positive impact on our society, as well as on the bottom line.

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Established: 2019
Location: Davis, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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BCD Bioscience discovers, develops and understands naturally occurring carbohydrate based prebiotics that enable unprecedented control of the microbiome for beneficial health and nutritional outcomes.

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Established: 2013
Location: Cambridge, MA
Prior Round Funding: Seed

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Cocoon Biotech is a biomaterials company that uses fibroin, a protein derived from the cocoon of the silkworm, to both replace unsustainable ingredients and provide the foundation for a new generation of innovative products.

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Established: 2008
Location: St. Louis, MO
Prior Round Funding: Series B

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Cofactor Genomics is a precision medicine company that focuses on RNA for its understanding of disease – initially cancer but with applicability across many diseases.

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Established: 2014
Location: Seattle, WA
Prior Round Funding: Series B

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Cyrus Biotechnology is a drug discovery company that has developed and is employing innovative protein design software to make highly differentiated therapeutics. The company is building both internal and partnered protein biologics that are engineered to be safer, longer lived, more efficacious and more readily manufactured than those currently available.

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Established: 2015
Location: Germantown, TN
Prior Round Funding: Series B

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Entac Medical is developing noninvasive devices for predictive and diagnostic medicine based on a novel, patented, platform technology, Previs Audio Spectral Analysis. Their first product is used to predict post operative ileus after GI surgeries.

Register for more information about Entac Medical, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2012
Location: St. Louis, MO
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Euclises Pharmaceuticals is developing novel enzyme (COX-2) inhibitors designed to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy safely

Register for more information about Euclises Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 0
Location: San Francisco, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Overview

Faeth Therapeutics, Inc (“Faeth” of the “Company”) is clinical stage biotechnology company targeting cancer therapeutics. Faeth’s highly personalized precision nutrition program is designed to deprive tumors of the nutrients they need to grow. The Faeth Program includes meals, therapeutics, and on-demand support from Faeth nutritionists

Problem & Opportunity

More than 1.6 million people in the US are diagnosed with cancer each year, and close to 600,000 people die from it, making cancer the second leading cause of death.[1]

For many years, cancer has been thought of primarily as a genetic disease. New research suggests that while genetics may initiate cancers, it is metabolic interactions that cause the tumors to thrive and proliferate. Cancer cells grow continuously and rapidly, and they do this with metabolic processes that are distinct from that of healthy cells.[2]

Given that the research on the metabolic nature of tumors is new, researchers have not deployed this knowledge in the form of approved therapies. Oncologists have instead traditionally relied on the four pillars of cancer treatment: surgery, radiation, small molecules (targeted therapies or radiation), and increasingly immunotherapy (targeting the immune system to detect and kill cancers).

Solution & Technology

Faeth is developing a paradigm shift in oncology: using our metabolism to beat cancer through nutrition. The founders (see Team below) are world class researchers in oncology and have found that pairing a precision nutrition regiment with a known cancer therapeutic (chemotherapy, radiation, etc.) can greatly improve the efficacy of the therapeutic.

Faeth has three main components:

  1. Precision nutrition (e.g., an insulin suppressing diet or the targeted elimination of certain amino acids that have been implicated in tumor growth)
  2. Pairing the precision nutrition protocol with a known therapeutic intervention that has been shown to be more effective in animal models with a precision nutrition regiment
  3. Software and mobile application for patients to find treatment information, improve compliance, and build community

Faeth’s first three assets are in Phase 1 clinical trials. The first clinical trial pairs an insulin suppressing diet with a known cancer therapeutic that the Company has licensed from Takeda. The second two programs involve an amino acid restricted diet with existing and approved chemotherapies. These clinical trials are currently for pancreatic, colorectal, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, with more therapies in preclinical studies addressing other cancers.

Business Model & Commercial Traction

Faeth’s therapies are not currently in market. However, the Company has convened reimbursement panels consisting of representatives from large insurance companies, including Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna. The payer panel indicated that Faeth, based on other approved drugs in adjacent markets, is well positioned to receive reimbursement for its cancer therapies.

Competition & Differentiation

Faeth’s is the first of its kind in its metabolic approach to cancer treatment. Historically, cancer has been treated by surgery, radiation, drugs, or immunotherapies. Cancer drugs have predominantly focused on mutating growth signaling through small molecules. Some historical approaches focused on the metabolic pathways themselves, but Faeth’s approach is novel in that it goes upstream and focuses on controlling nutrients.

Deal Summary

Faeth is raising $55M of Series A Preferred Stock at a $165M pre-money valuation led by S2G Ventures (Benson Hill, Arable, et al.). Other participants include Khosla Ventures, Future Ventures, and Digitalis Ventures. Proceeds from the round will be used for continuing the clinical trials for its first three assets, R&D, and G&A. The Offering will close on September 14th, 2022 but iSelect needs to notify the Company of our interest by early June 2022.

If you have further questions, please reach out to your iSelect representative. Please let us know at your earliest convenience if you would like to participate.

Investment Disclaimer

Investments in private placements are speculative, illiquid and carry the risk of complete loss. In addition to the foregoing risks, the adverse economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown and could materially impact this investment. Certain securities as designated are offered through North Capital Private Securities, member FINRA / SIPC. This document does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security or interest in any fund or other issuer which can only be made through official offering documents that contain important information about risks, fees and expenses. Any investment information contained herein has been secured from sources we believe are correct, but we make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of such information and accept no liability thereof. The information contained herein is subject to discussion, completion and amendment.

Red Herring Disclaimer

Faeth Therapeutics, Inc. (the “Company”) is seeking financing but has not obtained definitive investment documents for any such financing at this time. Moreover, iSelect Fund Management, LLC has not completed its due diligence review and approval of an investment in the Company. This information is being provided to you now because there is likely to be a short period of time between reaching definitive terms on any financing and the time when investors are required to decide to participate in such financing. Information contained herein is subject to completion or amendment. No securities for any proposed offering for the Company may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the definitive investment documents are provided for all investors to review.

Any final offer and sale of securities of Faeth Therapeutics, Inc. shall be subject to completion of the due diligence requirements set forth by the iSelect Investment Committee, including a review of a final Securities Purchase Agreement setting forth the full terms of such offering.

Existing Investors

Khosla Ventures, Future Ventures, KdT Ventures

Team

Anand Parikh, J.D. (CEO and Co-founder): Former CFO at Virta Health.

Oliver Maddocks, PhD (Head of Research and Co-founder): Professor of Cancer Biology & Metabolism, University of Glasgow

Lew Cantlay, PhD (Co-founder): Director Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine Founder: Agios (NASDAQ), Petra, Volastra

Greg Hannon, PhD (Co-founder): Director of CRUK (Cancer Rearch UK) Cambridge Institute

Scott Lowe, PhD (Co-founder): Chair of Cancer Biology & Genetics at Memorial Sloan Kettering; Founder: ORIC (NASDAQ)

Sid Mukherjee, MD PhD (Co-founder): Asst. Prof., Columbia; Pulitzer Prize Winner; Time 100 Most Influential People; Founder: Vor (NASDAQ)

Karen Vousden, PhD (Co-founder): Chief Scientist of CRUK; Group Leader, Crick Institute; Director, Bristol Myers Squibb

Marcus Goncalves, MD PhD (Co-founder): Assistant Professor Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Weill Cornell Medicine New York

Ben Hopkins, PhD (Co-founder): Asst. Prof., Genetics Genomics & Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York

Simon Knott, PhD (Co-founder): Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences & Associate Director, Center for Bioinformatics and Functional Genomics, Cedars Sinai Medical Centre Los Angeles

[1] CDC

[2] American Journal of Pathology

Register for more information about Faeth Therapeutics and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2012
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Prior Round Funding: Series D

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Flywheel offers a SaaS platform that provides cloud-scale data management and computational analysis.

Register for more information about Flywheel Exchange, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2015
Location: Saint Louis, MO
Prior Round Funding: Series B

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Geneoscopy is developing next generation diganostics that use stool-derived RNA to prevent, detect, and guide treatment for gastrointestinal diseases.

Register for more information about Geneoscopy, Inc and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2016
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Prior Round Funding: Series C

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GeneMatters is a digital health platform that provides scalable, on-demand genetic counseling to meet the rapidly growing demand for genetic services.

Register for more information about Genome Medical, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2014
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Gila Therapeutics is developing a treatment for obesity using naturally occurring hormones known to induce satiety, leading to weight loss.

Register for more information about Gila Therapeutics, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Healionics, Inc. has developed a novel bio-material called STAR, that features strong anti-infective properties and significant reduction in the formation of scar tissue around implanted medical devices coated with the material.

Register for more information about Healionics, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2015
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Prior Round Funding: Seed

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HepaTx is a cell therapy company developing stem cell technologies to produce low-cost and scalable sources of liver cells that can be used to preserve or regenerate liver function in patients with liver failure.

Register for more information about HepaTx Corp. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2015
Location: Cambridge, MA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Holobiome is developing a platform for microbiome-based therapeutics to treat diseases of the central and enteric nervous systems.

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Established: 2012
Location: St. Louis, MO
Prior Round Funding: Series B

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Immunophotonics has developed a novel polymer that retains cancer antigens after an ablation procedure. Injected into the tumor site after the procedure, it primes the immune system for a systemic wide response to the tumor and its metastases.

Register for more information about Immunophotonics, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2012
Location: Davis, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series D

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Evolve Biosystems is an infant nutrition that develops microbial products that are key to the development of gut & immune health.

Register for more information about Infinant Health and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2014
Location: New York, NY
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Mend is a health & nutrition startup focused on delivering nutritional & digital interventions that improve patient recovery and accelerate the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices.

Register for more information about Mend Nutrition, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2017
Location: Natick, MA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Mercy BioAnalytics is on a mission to save lives through the early detection of cancer. Their patented approach analyzes extracellular vesicles and shows promise in offering a highly sensitive screening test for early-stage cancers.

Register for more information about Mercy BioAnalytics, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2015
Location: Exton, PA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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MOBILion Systems is an analytical instrumentation company using ion mobility to substantially improve the ability to see and identify previously undetectable, clinically significant molecules in minutes.

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Established: 2013
Location: San Diego, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series B2

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Molecular Assemblies is developing an enzymatic DNA synthesis platform technology. Molecular Assemblies’ novel enzymatic DNA synthesis platform has the potential to fundamentally transform how we write genetic building blocks with applications across food, healthcare, energy, and beyond.

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Established: 2008
Location: Willoughby Hills, OH
Prior Round Funding: Series C

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Neuros Medical, a medical device company, develops an electrical nerve block to treat chronic pain for conditions including neuroma/residual limb pain and chronic post-surgical pain.

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Established: 2015
Location: Boston, MA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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Nix Biosensors is developing a wearable device and biosensor system platform that monitors hydration in real-time, helping reduce health incidents associated with dehydration while improving performance for athletes, laborers, military personnel and the elderly.

Register for more information about Nix, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2019
Location: Berkeley, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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TBD

Register for more information about Pow Genetic Solutions, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

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Established: 2018
Location: St. Louis, MO
Prior Round Funding: Seed

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Readout (or The Company) has developed a low-cost breath-analysis device with clinical grade accuracy for measuring blood-ketone levels, an important indicator of a patient’s metabolism.

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Established: 2015
Location: Burlingame, CA
Prior Round Funding: Series A

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SciBac is developing a platform technology called MERGE that enables the Company to efficiently combine desired traits of two microbes into one stable hybrid organism through lab-induced directed evolution.

Register for more information about SciBac, Inc. and the entire iSelect portfolio.

Meet Our Selection Committee

Our Healthcare Selection Committee consists of industry and subject matter experts who help guide iSelect’s investment decisions. With firsthand experience and a true pulse on the industry, we consider these individuals key to our success in finding and investing in healthcare innovation.

Ruchir Sehra, M.D., is a medtech executive with extensive experience in early (private), mid (public), and late stage (acquisition) medical device companies in various health and disease areas. Dr. Sehra currently serves as the CEO…

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Surekha Trivedi is VP Strategic Development at Danaher. She is a Senior Strategy, M&A, and Product Development Executive with a deep understanding of the life sciences, diagnostics, and healthcare markets. Recognized as a strategy expert…

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Jill Davies is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for GeneMatters. Jill has more than 20 years’ experience in the genetics field, with leadership in clinical services, telehealth, product development, business development and operations. Prior to…

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Vice President of Research at Matatu, Nathan McNulty is microbiologist with a passion for addressing complex problems in healthcare, nutrition, and agriculture using innovative technologies, carefully conducted science, and teamwork.

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Emily Fassi is a board-certified genetic counselor with experience counseling adults and children about genetic diagnoses and predisposition to genetic conditions. She currently works at the Mountain States Tumor Institute with patients who have a…

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Dr. David Messina has spent the last 20 years in computational biology and genetics. He worked on the Human Genome Project at Washington University in Saint Louis, mapped disease genes at the University of Chicago,…

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Dr. Bruce German is a Professor and Chemist of Food Science and Technology at the University of California, Davis and researches the role of fats and other components in the diet. He develops ways to…

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A regulatory professional with over 27 years of experience in the medical products industry, Melissa currently serves as Founder, President and CTO at Graematter, Inc. and Senior VP Regulatory at Topera. Specialties include regulatory intelligence research and reporting,…

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Andrew Daniels

Andy Daniels is a seasoned business executive and successful entrepreneur, an active angel investor, and serves on multiple governing boards with companies in the areas of venture capital, wealth management, agriculture, healthcare, technology innovation, commodity…

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Dr. Paul D. Olivo, M.D., Ph.D., has been the Chief Scientific Officer of Apath, LLC since 2000 and served as its President. Dr. Olivo is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at BioGenerator, where he previously served as a…

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Bobby Sandage

Bobby Sandage is currently President and CEO of Euclises, Chairman of the Board of Immunophotonics, member of the board of directors of EDIS, and a member of the Cultivation Capital life sciences fund investment committee. He was…

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Gian Cavallini oversees the development and execution of Advanced ICU Care’s medical staffing growth strategy and leads the implementation of various initiatives to position the company for continued growth. His expertise in development and operations,…

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Michael Beat

Presently leading Arch Cancer Care as Medical Director, Dr. Beat is a local expert in collaborative prostate cancer management. At a national level, he contributes to physician leadership committees within the US Oncology Network. Having earned an executive…

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Mr. Beuttenmuller possesses over 30 years experience in Corporate Finance with Emerson Electric, Esse Health, Essence Healthcare and Innovare. He is experienced in financial analysis, risk management, mergers and acquisitions, new business development, start-ups, strategic…

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Professor of Internal Medicine – Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation at UUniversity of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine and former Professor of Medicine and Genetics at Washington University…

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Dr. John Talley, Chief Science Officer for Euclises Pharmaceuticals and SARmont,  brings over thirty years experience and a record as one of the world’s most successful medicinal chemists. He is best known as the co-inventor…

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Bryce Rutter

Dr. Rutter is founder and CEO of Metaphase Design Group, a design firm serving industrial, commercial and consumer product and packaging clients internationally.  He is an acknowledged specialist in ergonomic product design and a leading…

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Mark has served as ProteoSense’s CEO since 2013. Previously, Mark served as CEO/COO of several startups, including Assurex Health (2006-09). Mark earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Univ. of Dayton and an M.S….

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Before joining OTMIR in 2016, Brian Buntaine worked for more than 15 years in the life sciences industry. He began his career as a lab manager at Washington University in St. Louis. In 2003, Brian joined…

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Edwards was employed for 42 years in the pharmaceutical and life sciences arenas. From 1990 to 2010, he held Regulatory Affairs positions of increasing responsibility at TAP/Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Lake Forest, Illinois. …

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Michael Nichols

Michael Nichols, Ph.D. presently serves as an investor and C level management for various startups. He serves as an Analyst for Vinlogx, a platform that acquires, stores, and analyses internal vehicle information enabling solutions across…

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David Christenson

David Christenson joined BioGenerator as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence in 2015 focusing primarily on healthcare and specifically in information technology, care delivery and payment, and services. Over a 30-year career, David has developed a substantive background in…

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Renaldo Cataldo

An accomplished senior executive with start-ups, growth, and turn-around organizations, Renato developed a healthcare technology corporation, HealthTech Solutions, from a small start-up of 3 people to a national provider of technical solutions to health care…

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Join Our Healthcare Innovation Network

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Resources and News

RNA Is Becoming the New DNA, Opening New Doors in Medicine

RNA Is Becoming the New DNA, Opening New Doors in Medicine

If a person’s DNA is the roadmap of their lifetime health, their RNA is more of a real-time barometer, recording what happens in their body on a minute-by-minute basis. Our DNA stores and transfers genetic information, but remains little changed throughout our lives. At best, it can tell us about the probability we will someday develop various diseases — whether or not we will get cancer, for instance, or be susceptible to diabetes or heart disease — but it  can’t tell us much about our current health.

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Gila Therapeutics Completes Phase I Clinical Trial

Gila Therapeutics Completes Phase I Clinical Trial

Obesity drug developer, Gila Therapeutics, recently took a big step toward FDA approval for its new weight control treatment, completing its Phase I clinical trial in August. Gila is developing a novel intra-oral delivery of PYY, a well-known satiety hormone, to help...

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Resistant Hypertension: Ending the Death Sentence

Resistant Hypertension: Ending the Death Sentence

Physicians have been fascinated with blood and the circulatory system for hundreds of years. Records dating back to early Roman times prove that bloodletting was in wide use as a treatment for disease at least 2,000 years ago, and leeches have been used in medicine...

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Gila Therapeutics: New Solutions for the Obesity Crisis

Gila Therapeutics: New Solutions for the Obesity Crisis

Obesity is the single largest health crisis facing the world today. More than one billion people worldwide are overweight or obese, accounting for 38% of the population. In the U.S., a full 68% of adults, or some 200 million people, are overweight. On average, obese...

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