Dan Kisner

Sequenom, Inc. engages in the provision of early patient management information. It develops and commercializes molecular diagnostic testing services that serve women's health and oncology markets. The company was founded by Hubert Koester and Charles R. Cantor in October 09, 1996 and is headquartered in Burlington, NC.

Sequoia Pharmaceuticals discovers and develops unique treatments for viral diseases including HIV/AIDS and HCV-induced hepatitis with a focus on the growing global problem of drug-resistant disease. Most new anti-viral drugs were designed to block the most prevalent form of a pathogen, but these drugs become less potent due to the emergence of drug-resistant mutations. Sequoia's is to discover and develop new antiviral which are active against the most prevalent form of the virus but also anticipates the emergence of drug resistance forms thereby maintaining potency over time. Sequoia's differentiating approach is to identify a constellation of atomic interaction points which are necessary and sufficient for enzymatic function. Sequoia's protease inhibitors have been designed to interact preferentially with only these atoms, thus allowing non-critical mutations to occur without resulting in a decrease in drug potency. The foundation of Sequoia's novel Resistant-Repellent™ technology is a drug discovery tool that enhances the efficiency with which drugs are designed. It is based on an understanding of the chemical and physical nature of the molecular targets, the enzymes and receptors to which drugs bind, combined with an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that cause drug resistance. Sequoia is also discovering and developing a unique series of pharmacokinetic enhancers (PKEs) to work in combination with its own, and its partners', antiviral therapies. These sets of molecules improve the PK of existing therapeutics and reduce interpatient variability. This represents a unique approach to an important need in HIV treatment today. Sequoia is also looking to extend this novel PKE approach to other areas. Its PKEs are designed to inhibit a particular CYP isozyme and therefore change the metabolism of a co-administered therapeutic agent. The combination of PK Enhancer and the therapeutic agent enables reduced dosage and less frequent administration of the therapeutic agent.

Kémia, Inc. discovered and developed novel small molecule therapeutics for inflammation, cancer, HIV, diabetes and bone diseases. The firm specialized in the fields of medicinal and analytical chemistry, biology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical development. The company was founded in 2002 and was headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Tolerx, Inc. operates as a biopharmaceutical company in the discovery and development of therapies for immune-mediated diseases. They are also engaged in preclinical development of monoclonal antibody product candidates that engage the body’s immune system and promote and enhance immune responses. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Cambridge, MA.

Avera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops drugs and therapies. The company's pharmaceutical compounds are used to identify opportunities for therapeutic advances in the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Avera Pharmaceuticals was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Idun Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company that engages in the discovery and development of human therapeutics to control apoptosis. The company was founded by John C. Reed, Robert H. Horvitz, and Lawrence C. Fritz in March 1993 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

EMulate Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage therapeutic device company, which engages in the business of developing noninvasive therapies for cancers and other serious diseases. The firm is also involved in developing treatments for multiple disease areas that affect human health. The company was founded by Bennett Mike Butters and John Kingma on February 7, 2002 and is headquartered in Bellevue, WA.

KAI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discovers and develops biopharmaceutical drugs. It is a multiple, novel clinical-stage programs in the areas of cardiovascular, renal, and pain. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, CA.

Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company that focuses on the development and commercialization of novel medicines to treat chronic diseases. The firm engages in developing emricasan, an orally active pan-caspase inhibitor, for the treatment of patients with chronic liver disease and is designed to reduce the activities of human caspases. It also develops CTS-2090, an orally active selective caspase inhibitor, for diseases involving inflammasome pathways. The company was founded by Alfred P. Spada, Jennifer Giottonini Cayer, and Steven J. Mento on July 13, 2005 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Aberdare Management Co. LLC (Aberdare Ventures) is a venture capital firm founded in 1999 by Paul H. Klingenstein. The firm is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Part of GSK Plc, Smithkline Beckman Corp is a private company that manufactures pharmaceutical products. The company is based in Philadelphia, PA. Smithkline Beckman was acquired by Smithkline Beecham Plc on July 27, 1989 for $16,082.37 million.

Adaptive Therapeutics, Inc. develops pharmaceutical products. It develops drugs for applications in anti-bacterial, fungal, viral, and cancer therapeutics. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA

Part of Boston Scientific Corp., Lpath Therapeutics, Inc. develops pharmaceutical products focused on bioactive signaling lipids as targets for treating and diagnosing important human diseases. The private company is based in San Diego, CA. Lpath Therapeutics was acquired by Neighborhood Connections, Inc. on November 30, 2005 for $23.13 million.

Lpath, Inc. operates as a biotechnology company, which focuses on the discovery and development of lipidomic-based therapeutic antibodies, an emerging field of medical science that targets bioactive signaling lipids to treat a wide range of human diseases. It develops three drug candidates, each of them into clinical trials, and built evidence to support their approach of targeting bioactive lipids to treat a wide range of diseases. The company was founded by Roger Allen Sabbadini in September 1997 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

MPEX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. develops and manufactures therapies for antibiotic resistance with focus on gram-negative organisms. It offers Aeroquin (MP- 376), an aerosol formulation of levofloxacin for the treatment of pulmonary infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, as well as antibiotic programs to address antibiotic resistance in gram negative organisms. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

Caliper Technologies Corp. is a private company that provides microfluidic technology and laboratory automation solutions to the life science, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries worldwide. The company is based in Mountain View, CA. The company was founded by J. Michael Ramsey.

Symphony Allegro, Inc. manufactures biopharmaceutical drugs. It develops clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar, migraine, and panic attack disorders. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Rockville, MD.

Oncternal Oncology, Inc. is a clinical-stage oncology company, which engages in the development of novel therapies for both rare and common cancers. The company was founded by Lauren Otsuki and Cam L. Garner and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.