Traversa Therapeutics and sanofi-aventis enter into a research agreement for the development of Traversa's RNAi delivery technology
San Diego, California, USA - (BUSINESSWIRE) March 25, 2010 - Traversa Therapeutics announced today the signing of a research agreement with sanofi-aventis for the validation and development of Traversa's RNAi delivery technology: PTD-DRBD. Under the agreement, the companies will study short interfering RNA (siRNA) complexed to PTD-DRBD, with the ultimate goal of developing drugs using this technology.
"We are thrilled to be working with the high caliber global team of sanofi-aventis, and look forward to a successful research collaboration," said Hans A Petersen, President and CEO of Traversa. "This agreement will allow sanofi-aventis to select lead RNAi candidates and provide Traversa with a better understanding of the strengths of our RNAi delivery technology. We are excited to be working with sanofi-aventis to conduct this research, and hope to advance the treatments selected during this collaboration into IND-enabling studies and into the clinics."
About Traversa
Traversa Therapeutics, Inc. (www.traversathera.com) is a San Diego, California-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of RNAi technologies. The company strives to rapidly advance siRNA platform delivery technologies for use in its internal oncology programs and by sanofi-aventis in targeting a wide variety of acute, chronic and infectious human diseases.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to improve the lives of everyone. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY). For more information, please visit: www.sanofi-aventis.com
Traversa Appoints Curt W. Bradshaw, Ph.D. as VP of Research & Development
SAN DIEGO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Traversa Therapeutics, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel RNA interference (RNAi) technologies, announced today the appointment of Curt W. Bradshaw, Ph.D., as the company's Vice President of Research and Development. With extensive life science industry experience, Dr. Bradshaw provides Traversa with key leadership expertise to support the company's ongoing efforts to advance its RNAi technologies into the clinics.
"We have significantly strengthened Traversa with the addition of Dr. Bradshaw, whose unique and broad background is marked by achievement in both venture-backed and large pharmaceutical environments, supporting both preclinical and clinical therapeutic development of synthetic biologics. He has distinguished himself as a highly-regarded life science executive and we are excited to count him among the talented individuals that comprise our leadership team." stated Hans A. Petersen, Traversa's President and Chief Executive Officer.
"Dr. Bradshaw is a stellar and exacting scientist. His biologics and chemistry background are directly applicable to advancing Traversa's RNAi technologies through IND enabling studies and into the clinics. We are ecstatic that he has joined the Traversa team", said Steven F. Dowdy, Ph.D., Traversa's Scientific Founder.
Prior to joining Traversa, Dr. Bradshaw was the Vice President of Chemistry at CovX. Dr. Bradshaw is credited with co-inventing multiple clinical candidates, jointly establishing regulatory and intellectual property strategy, and expanding the technology base to novel classes of experimental therapeutics. Dr. Bradshaw was a key member of the CovX management team before, during and after that company's acquisition by Pfizer. As a scientist and life science executive with nearly eighteen years of industry experience working with peptides, proteins, small molecules and bioconjugations, Dr. Bradshaw has proven expertise in bringing synthetic biologics to the clinic. His work has also included tenures with leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies Ligand Pharmaceuticals and Abbott Laboratories. While at Ligand and Abbott, Dr. Bradshaw developed drug substance manufacturing strategies and processes for numerous pre-clinical, clinical and approved pharmaceuticals.
Traversa Therapeutics Completes Series B Financing
Company Continues to Advance toward the Clinic with Novel RNA Interference Technologies
LA JOLLA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Traversa Therapeutics, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical Company developing novel RNA interference (RNAi) technologies, announced today the successful completion of its Series B financing, raising $5 million. The financing was led by Morningside Venture Investments Ltd., and joined by Mesa Verde Venture Partners and existing investors.
Proceeds from the investment will support the advancement of Traversa's RNAi oncology programs into clinical trials. "We are pleased to have completed this financing and are thrilled at the level of industry support that we are receiving," said Hans A. Petersen, MBA, Traversa's President and Chief Executive Officer. "These funds, in conjunction with pending collaboration and licensing revenue will provide the Company with two years of operating cash, and will enable Traversa to begin its first Phase I clinical trial."
"RNAi continues to show promise as a new drug class in the fields of oncology, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases and ophthalmology. We are very pleased to continue supporting Traversa's development efforts through this investment," said Isaac S. Cheng, M.D. of Morningside. In conjunction with the financing, Dr. Cheng has joined Traversa's board of directors representing Series B shareholders.
Traversa Therapeutics announces appointment of William G. Kaelin, Jr., M.D. and Yitzhak Tor, Ph.D. to the Company's Scientific Advisory Board
La Jolla, CA - March 24, 2009 - Traversa Therapeutics, a preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel RNA interference (RNAi) technologies, today announced the appointment of William G. Kaelin, Jr., M.D. and Yitzhak Tor, Ph.D. to the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. "We are delighted that both Dr. Kaelin and Dr. Tor have joined our scientific advisory board to guide the advancement of our technologies toward and into the clinic." said Hans A. Petersen, MBA, President and CEO of Traversa.
"Drs. Kaelin and Tor bring significant expertise and depth to Traversa's platform siRNA delivery technologies and the Company's oncology programs. We are ecstatic that they have joined Traversa's scientific advisory board", said Steven F. Dowdy, Ph.D., Traversa's Scientific Founder.
William G. Kaelin Jr., M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and currently serves as Associate Director for Basic Research at the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. He obtained his undergraduate and M.D. degrees from Duke University and completed his training in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he served as chief medical resident. He was a clinical fellow in medical oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and later a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of David Livingston, during which time he was a McDonnell Scholar. Dr. Kaelin is a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and the Institute of Medicine. He recently served on the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors, the AACR Board of Trustees, and the Institute of Medicine National Cancer Policy Board. He is a recipient of the Paul Marks Prize for cancer research from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Prize from the AACR.
Yitzhak Tor, Ph.D. is a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Traylor Scholar in Organic Chemistry, at the University of California, San Diego. He carried out his doctorate work with Abraham Shanzer at the Weizmann Institute of Science focusing on the development of synthetic siderophores. He earned his Ph.D. in 1990 and crossed the Atlantic for a postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology, with Peter B. Dervan. After three fascinating years in Pasadena where he was exposed to the remarkable area of nucleic acids, he left California to take his first faculty appointment at the University of Chicago. In 1994, after exactly one year, he moved to the University of California, San Diego. His research interests are diverse and include RNA-small molecule interactions, the development of novel antiviral and antibacterial agents, the synthesis and utilization of modified nucleosides, nucleotides and oligonuelcotides, as well as the development and implementation of new drug delivery vehicles. He is the Editor in Chief of Perspectives in Medicinal Chemistry.
Traversa Raises $2M to Advance RNAi Delivery in Angel-Led Series A Financing
LA JOLLA, Calif. February 04, 2008 - Traversa Therapeutics, Inc. a privately held developer of RNAi delivery technologies, announced today the completion of a $2 million Series A financing led by the San Diego Tech Coast Angels and joined by investors Mesa Verde Venture Partners and Morningside Group.
Traversa was founded with technology developed by Professor Steven F. Dowdy, Ph.D., and his research group at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the University of California San Diego (UCSD) relating to siRNA delivery and the induction of RNA Interference (RNAi).
"There is a great need for novel short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery platforms. This technology has shown outstanding delivery characteristics in pre-clinical models, as well as in vitro delivery to nearly all cell types and entire cell populations assayed in a non-cytotoxic fashion. These cell types include primary cells, T cells, B cells, Macrophage, huESC and tumor cells, where other delivery approaches have failed,” noted Dr. Dowdy, co-founder of Traversa.
"We are very pleased with the impact that our investors have already made in developing new opportunities for the Company," said Hans A. Petersen, President and CEO of Traversa. "The technology has received an outstanding level of interest for use with human therapeutics, and as a high throughput screening reagent, providing the Company with both long-term growth prospects and a short-term revenue stream to augment this financing. Traversa is currently being evaluated by several large pharmaceutical companies to treat diseases of the eye and nose, metabolic diseases, cancer and infectious diseases."
Dr. Francois Ferre, co-CEO of Althea Technologies and lead angel investor, has joined the board. Both Dan Wood of Mesa Verde Venture Partners and Roger Flugel of Sanderling Ventures (www.sanderling.com) are board observers. Sanderling Ventures and a Morningside Group entity are limited partners of Mesa Verde Venture Partners.
About the San Diego Tech Coast Angels
San Diego Tech Coast Angels (www.techcoastangels.com) is a group of private investors who invest in and assist early-stage, Southern California companies. It is the San Diego network of the Southern California-based Tech Coast Angels organization, which also has networks in Santa Monica and Newport Beach.
About Mesa Verde Venture Partners
Mesa Verde Venture Partners' (www.mesaverdevp.com) charter is to invest in a diversified portfolio of early-stage biotechnology and medical technology companies in the southwest. Areas of focus include drug discovery/tools, medical devices and diagnostics and healthcare information technology. Mesa Verde Venture Partners is the successor fund to IngleWood Ventures of San Diego. Sanderling is the lead investor behind Mesa Verde Venture Partners.
About Morningside Group
Morningside Group (www.morningside.com) is a diversified investment group founded in 1986 by the Chan family of Hong Kong. It is engaged primarily in private equity and venture capital investments. The group has investments in North America, Europe, across Asia-Pacific, and since 1992, in Mainland China. Morningside Group was one of the earliest institutional investors in China's internet industry and in recent years has been an active investor in China's emerging biotechnology sector.
About Traversa Therapeutics
Traversa Therapeutics, Inc. is a La Jolla, California-based biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of RNAi delivery technologies. The company strives to rapidly advance siRNA platform delivery technologies for use internally and by other pharmaceutical companies in targeting a wide variety of acute, chronic and infectious human diseases. Traversa also markets its technology for high throughput RNAi screening applications.
Contacts
Traversa Therapeutics, Inc.
Hans Petersen, 858-454-8400
www.traversathera.com
- March 25, 2010 Traversa Therapeutics and sanofi-aventis enter into a research agreement for the development of Traversa's RNAi delivery technology
- January 6, 2010 Traversa Appoints Curt W. Bradshaw, Ph.D. as VP of Research & Development
- April 2, 2009 Traversa Therapeutics Completes Series B Financing. Company continues to advance toward the clinic with novel RNA interference technologies.
- March 24, 2009 Traversa Therapeutics announces appointment of William G. Kaelin, Jr., M.D. and Yitzhak Tor, Ph.D. to the company's scientific advisory board
- February 4, 2008 Traversa Raises $2M to Advance RNAi Delivery in Angel-Led Series A Financing
