AgeChem Venture Fund

Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. develops treatment for end stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis. The company develops fluid retaining polymers for therapeutic uses, such as treatment of kidney diseases. Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Aerpio Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company based in Cincinnati, Ohio, is dedicated to developing innovative compounds for treating ocular diseases and diabetic complications. Its lead product candidate, razuprotafib, is a small molecule that activates the Tie2 pathway and has completed a Phase IIb clinical trial for diabetic retinopathy. The company is also advancing ARP-1536, a humanized monoclonal antibody in preclinical stages for diabetic vascular complications, and GB004, a selective stabilizer of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha, currently in a Phase 1b clinical trial for inflammatory bowel disease. Additionally, Aerpio is working on a bispecific antibody targeting wet age-related macular degeneration and diabetic macular edema through intravitreal injection. The company has partnered with Quantum Leap Healthcare Collaborative to evaluate razuprotafib for treating acute respiratory distress syndrome in COVID-19 patients. Founded in 2011 as a spin-out from Akebia Therapeutics, Aerpio adopts an outsourced approach to pharmaceutical development, leveraging the expertise of its management team.

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for kidney diseases. Its primary product, Auryxia, is a ferric citrate formulation used to manage serum phosphorus levels in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those on dialysis. The company is also advancing vadadustat, an oral treatment for anemia associated with CKD, which is currently in Phase III trials. Akebia has established collaboration agreements with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation for the development and commercialization of vadadustat in various global markets, including the United States and Japan. Additionally, Akebia has a research and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to develop compounds targeting hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylases. Founded in 2007, Akebia is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Alethia BioTherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Montreal, Canada, specializing in the discovery and development of monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics. The company focuses on critical areas such as cancer-associated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, ovarian cancer, and cancer-induced bone loss. Its product portfolio includes Isogranulatimide, a G2 checkpoint inhibitor that enhances the efficacy of various DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents, and sCLU, a glycoprotein linked to several malignancies, including prostate and breast cancers. Additionally, Alethia BioTherapeutics offers AB-0447, which targets a specific antigen prevalent in over eighty-five percent of ovarian cancer cases, and AB-0440, a protein that plays a role in osteoclast differentiation. Established in 2002, the company employs patented STAR discovery technology to develop therapeutics aimed at invasive carcinomas and associated complications.

Medicago Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Quebec City, Canada, specializing in the research, development, production, and commercialization of vaccines. The company employs proprietary plant-based manufacturing and Virus-Like Particle (VLP) technologies to create innovative vaccines and therapeutics aimed at infectious diseases and public health challenges. Medicago's product pipeline includes a candidate for the H5N1 pandemic influenza VLP vaccine, which has successfully completed a Phase I clinical trial, as well as an H1N1 VLP vaccine and seasonal influenza vaccines. The company has established collaboration agreements with organizations such as Viridis S.A. and Genopole biopark for the manufacturing of its vaccines, and with Philip Morris International to develop a therapeutic protein. Medicago was incorporated in 1997 and continues to focus on addressing emerging health threats through its advanced vaccine technologies.

Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. develops treatment for end stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis. The company develops fluid retaining polymers for therapeutic uses, such as treatment of kidney diseases. Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for kidney diseases. Its primary product, Auryxia, is a ferric citrate formulation used to manage serum phosphorus levels in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), including those on dialysis. The company is also advancing vadadustat, an oral treatment for anemia associated with CKD, which is currently in Phase III trials. Akebia has established collaboration agreements with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation for the development and commercialization of vadadustat in various global markets, including the United States and Japan. Additionally, Akebia has a research and license agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica NV to develop compounds targeting hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylases. Founded in 2007, Akebia is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Conatus Pharmaceuticals Inc. is a biotechnology company that specializes in developing innovative therapeutics for liver diseases and chronic conditions with significant unmet medical needs. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in San Diego, California, the company has focused on its lead product candidate, Emricasan, an orally active caspase protease inhibitor currently in Phase IIb clinical trials for various liver-related conditions, including post-orthotopic liver transplant complications and liver fibrosis linked to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Additionally, Conatus is advancing CTS-2090, an orally active inhibitor of caspase 1, which is in the preclinical stage for treating chronic diseases associated with inflammasome pathways. The company has also entered into a collaboration agreement with Novartis to conduct three Phase IIb clinical trials. In May 2020, Conatus Pharmaceuticals was acquired by Histogen Inc. in a reverse merger transaction.

Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. develops treatment for end stage renal disease patients undergoing dialysis. The company develops fluid retaining polymers for therapeutic uses, such as treatment of kidney diseases. Sorbent Therapeutics, Inc. was founded in 2005 and is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Alethia BioTherapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Montreal, Canada, specializing in the discovery and development of monoclonal antibody-based therapeutics. The company focuses on critical areas such as cancer-associated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, ovarian cancer, and cancer-induced bone loss. Its product portfolio includes Isogranulatimide, a G2 checkpoint inhibitor that enhances the efficacy of various DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic agents, and sCLU, a glycoprotein linked to several malignancies, including prostate and breast cancers. Additionally, Alethia BioTherapeutics offers AB-0447, which targets a specific antigen prevalent in over eighty-five percent of ovarian cancer cases, and AB-0440, a protein that plays a role in osteoclast differentiation. Established in 2002, the company employs patented STAR discovery technology to develop therapeutics aimed at invasive carcinomas and associated complications.

Altair Therapeutics was a biopharmaceutical company that focused on developing therapeutics to treat human respiratory diseases.

Advitech is a life science and technology company with the mission to discover and commercialize patented, scientifically supported natural health products. Effective and safe, these products target immune system disorders, such as psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease. Advitech produces Dermylex (R) for the treatment of mild to moderate psoriasis. Advitech has developed a research program to develop new applications in the field of wound healing. This development program stems from the two technological platforms XP-828L and IM.

Ocera Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing innovative treatments for patients suffering from acute and chronic liver diseases, addressing a significant unmet medical need. The company's lead product, OCR-002, functions as an ammonia scavenger and is being investigated in both intravenous and oral formulations to treat hyperammonemia. Recently, Ocera completed a Phase 2b clinical trial named STOP-HE, which assessed the safety and efficacy of intravenously administered OCR-002 in alleviating neurocognitive symptoms associated with acute hepatic encephalopathy in hospitalized patients with elevated ammonia levels. Ocera is currently preparing for a meeting with the FDA to discuss the intravenous program and explore potential development pathways for its therapeutics.

Sonexa Therapeutics, Inc., a pharmaceutical company, engages in the development of therapeutics drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. It develops ST101, a small and orally active molecule compound that penetrates the blood-brain-barrier. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in San Diego, California.

Chlorion Pharma is a start-up biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for pain and epilepsy that quell neuronal hyperactivity by correct aberrant chloride homeostasis.