Reports + Research
AgTools Wins First Place at John G. Watson Pitch Competition
AgTools is a software company that provides real-time data on fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, and ornamentals as well as incorporates additional data, such as weather, oil prices, and consumer trends. The goal is to close the communication gap in the agriculture supply chain from farmers to grocers to improve decision making that can reduce food waste and increase profits. AgTools won the $50,000 first place prize and the $10,000 audience choice award. The full list of finalists can be found here.
Merck Acquires Calporta’s Preclinical TRPML1 Agonists for $586 Million
The acquisition of Calporta marks the second exit from Avalon Ventures’ 2013 build-to-buy deal with GSK. In September, GSK bought Sitari Pharmaceuticals for the company’s celiac disease program, which left four remaining companies to find corporate partners or further venture funding. COI Pharma, the venture-pharma entity which houses the portfolio companies, took Calporta to JP Morgan 2019 to kick-off partnering and fundraising. From those efforts came this deal with Merck. According to BioCentury, news on the three remaining companies will be announced in the coming months.
ViaCyte and Athersys Report Clinical Trial Data at Annual Regenerative Medicine Meeting
At the annual Cell and Gene Meeting on the Mesa, which took place this year in Carlsbad, ViaCyte presented preliminary data showing that the company’s stem cell-derived product candidate for severe cases of type 1 diabetes could produce insulin. Athersys is developing a “multipurpose cell product” called MultiStem, which is in Phase 3 clinical trials for stroke. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the company is now planning a Phase 2 clinical trial to test MultiStem in trauma patient, with the goal of temporarily reducing hyper-inflammation.
Read + Listen
POW: Podcast of the Week
On WOW Podcast, PharmaVoice talks with Casey Lynch, serial entrepreneur and cofounder and CEO of Cortexyme, which recently went public. Corexyme is developing a treatment that targets a specific pathogen found in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients that causes neurodegeneration and other pathology in animal models
It’s Happening Here
November 21:
Biocom’s Annual “Celebration of Life” Dinner will take place November 21 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla.
January 20-25:
The 19th Annual PepTalk at The Protein Science Week will take place January 20-25 in downtown San Diego.
Client disclosure: COI Pharma, ViaCyte
Tags: Biotech, Biotech Briefing, Life Sciences, technology, Venture Funding
