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Abbott Biotech Ventures, Inc. (ABVI) is a subsidiary of Abbott dedicated to making venture capital investments in emerging biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Unlike traditional venture capital firms, ABVI characterizes an investment’s success by its potential to significantly increase Abbott’s strategic growth, and not solely by its financial return. ABVI Investment Focus ABVI’s area of focus is on emerging biotech and pharmaceutical companies that have the potential to provide long-term strategic growth options for Abbott. Companies with programs ranging from pre-clinical (18 months prior to first-in-human) to early proof-of-concept are of highest interest for potential investment by ABVI. Given the early stage nature of these investments, ABVI will often syndicate with other venture capital investors or participate as a follow-on investor in a syndicated venture. ABVI Investment Criteria ABVI is interested in promising opportunities with large markets, differentiated competitive advantages, strong intellectual property protection, and viable clinical and reimbursement pathways. ABVI invests in areas that are strategic to Abbott such as neuroscience, immunology, cardiology, virology, and oncology, as well as emerging or more opportunistic areas of innovation that have the potential to complement Abbott’s existing portfolio or to expand Abbott’s future business reach. ABVI uses a rigorous, systematic process to identify, screen, and select opportunities. The team uses both internal and external experts to help assess technical and commercial opportunities for potential investments. In addition, ABVI looks for companies with a managerial team that has a strong track record in identifying and developing successful commercial opportunities.

Eniluracil/5-FU/leucovorin has promise to produce therapeutic advantages over iv 5 FU and capecitabine

Eniluracil inactivates dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), thereby preventing the formation of α fluoro-β-alanine (F-BAL), and conferring 100% oral bioavailability and a 5 hr half life on 5 fluorouracil (5 FU).  An open-label Eniluracil, 5-FU and leucovorin vs. capecitabine (4:3 randomization) Phase II trial for metastatic breast cancer is in progress. Study drugs are administered orally for 1st- or 2nd-line treatment for metastatic disease in patients previously treated with an anthracycline and a taxane. Arm 1: eniluracil/5-FU/leucovorin administered once/week for 3 weeks/4 weeks. Arm 2: capecitabine (1000 mg/m2) taken bid for 14 days/21days.  Arm 2 patients with disease progression could crossover to take eniluracil/5-FU/leucovorin in Arm X.  Eniluracil/5-FU/leucovorin has been active and well tolerated in both Arm 1 and Arm X.  The primary endpoint, progression-free survival, will be determined approximately 7.5 months after the trial is enrolled with 140 evaluable patients, expected in 2Q 2013.    

• APEIRON Biologics AG, based in Vienna, Austria, is a biotech company with a focus on biological and immunological approaches to treat cancer and related conditions. The company was founded by Professor Josef Penninger and became operational in 2006. Apeiron currently employs around 25 people and is led by a management team with strong background in drug development, especially in cancer immune therapy.
• Apeiron has a portfolio of innovative projects, five of which are in clinical development. Its lead project APN311 is in an ongoing phase III trial in neuroblastoma, with more than half of the patients already recruited.

APIM Therapeutics AS is a preclinical biotech company developing novel peptide anti-cancer drugs for various oncology indications. 

Targeting a novel, stress-induced therapeutic intevention point, the company’s current preclinical lead, ATX-101, sensitizes cancer cells to the action of >15 different chemotherapeutic drugs across multiple indications. The company has achieved proof-of-concept in selected in vivo and ex vivo cancer models of solid tumors (e.g. bladder, prostate) and blood cancer (myeloma, leukemia) in combination with >5 clinical drugs. 

APIM Therapeutics is venture capital financed. Current investors include Sarsia Seed, Birk Venture, Ro Invest and NIK. The company is seeking to raise additional funding in 2012-2013 in order to drive continuous preclinical development of ATX-101 to IND within a period of 18 months. 

Astex Pharmaceuticals is dedicated to the discovery and development of novel small molecule therapeutics with a focus on oncology.  The Company is developing a proprietary pipeline of novel therapies and is creating de-risked products for partnership with leading pharmaceutical companies.  Astex Pharmaceuticals developed Dacogen® (decitabine) for Injection and receives significant royalties on global sales.

 

For more information about Astex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., please visit http://www.astx.com.

BerGenBio AS develops novel cancer therapeutics against highly invasive and drug resistant tumors; its R&D is directed towards targeting the tumor microenvironment, EMT and cancer stem cells. Our lead program BGB324 is a first in class Axl inhibitor will enter Ph1 in January 2013 and has shown preclinical activity in many cancers, including AML, NSCLC, breast, pancreatic and melanoma.

The company is built on proprietary state-of-the-art RNAi technology dedicated to identifying and validating novel cancer targets, other programs are in the drug discovery and lead optimization stages.

The company located in Bergen, Norway. It is funded by a syndicate of Norwegian investors and seeking qualified co-investors for a €12m series B at YE 2012.

 

Corporate

• Ceronco Biosciences is developing new drugs to fight cancer based on the short-chain sphingolipid (SCS) technology discovered in a collaborative research project at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) and Erasmus MC.
• Proof of principle has been established in combining the SCS-technology with doxorubicin in highly relevant animal models. Addition of the SCS leads to increase in uptake of doxorubicin, specifically in cancer cells, and subsequently a significant reduction in tumor growth and increase in overall survival. At the same time no increase in severity of expected side effects or new side effects were noted.
• Ceronco is now taking this first product (CB001) into clinical trials, with expected start of the first clinical trial early 2013.

Technology

• A major barrier for uptake of chemotherapeutic drugs is the cellular membrane of a cancer cell. A new class of short-chain sphingolipids (SCS) has been identified which insert themselves into the cellular membrane and lead to catalysis of drug-membrane translocation. This results in increased uptake of a large variety of amphiphilic chemotherapeutic drugs.
• Tumor Cell Membrane Modulation using the SCS-technology is a novel and unique method to increase the efficacy of chemotherpaeutic drugs.

Products

• CB001: GluCer-enhanced liposomal doxorubicin
• CB002: SCS-enhanced mitoxantrone

DCPrime is a Dutch biotech company which has developed a novel approach to cancer vaccines. The company’s unique platform technology consists of sustainable dendritic progenitor cells (DCOne™) and a proprietary method to expand these and to create functional mature dendritic cells (DC).

These cells, in some indications loaded with cancer antigens for targeted treatment, are used as standardized, off-the-shelf, therapeutic products that can stimulate the patient’s immune system in a specific manner. The platform combines the power of DC-based vaccines with the advantages of allogeneic stimulation of the immune system, and the simple logistics of off-the-shelf products.

Edinburgh BioQuarter is the commercialisation arm of the University of Edinburgh Medical School and Veterinary College. We have recently spun out several companies in the devices, informatics and CRO space. Current companies in incubation include:

• FibromEd, which is developing improved hepatocyte products for drug toxicity testing
• Asclepius, an orphan drug company focused on rare renal disease
• Edinburgh Molecular Imaging, a new imaging technology focused on rapid diagnosis of lung pathology including fibrosis
• Therapivo, a new approach to the treatment of metastatic cancer based on phenotypic drug development
• Vaccine company which is utilising novel adjuvant technology
• Anti-infective company with broad spectrum anti-viral technolgy focused on respiratory infections  

EpiTherapeutics is developing novel innovative cancer drugs based on the world leading research in epigenetics conducted by Professor Kristian Helin and his group at Biotech Research & Innovation Centre (BRIC) at University of Copenhagen.

EpiTherapeutics' development programs are focused on enzymes involved in the regulation of transcription in cancer - current programs target histone demethylases and methyltransferases. Subsequent developments may identify other potential clinical indications outside oncology.

In December 2010, Epitherapeutics signed a drug discovery collaboration with Abbott Laboratories.

 

Epitherapeutics employs 25 FTE and is headquartered in Copenhagen.