Transforming autoinflammatory disease treatment
Though inflammation is normally a healthy part of the body’s response to injury or infection, some people experience a dysfunctional immune response. The resulting chronic inflammation can damage the body and lead to further disease. Current therapies for chronic inflammatory diseases such as Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and ankylosing spondylitis often work by suppressing the immune system, and treat symptoms rather than addressing the root causes of the disease. However, only 25% of patients benefit from these therapies long term. What if – instead of working against the immune system – we figured out how to restore its balance and function?
Promakhos Therapeutics aims to do just this. Founded in the spring of 2021 and based in Boston, Massachusetts, we develop transformative therapies that restore the function of the immune system, allowing the body to control inflammation and heal.
Meet the team
We are entrepreneurs, scientists and drug discovery professionals.
Katerina Chatzi, Ph.D.
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and President
Postdoc, Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
Postdoc, Biophysics
KU Leuven
PhD., Biochemistry and Microbiology
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Katerina Chatzi, Ph.D.
Co-founder, Chief Executive Officer and President
Katerina Chatzi is a co-founder and the Chief Executive Officer and President of Promakhos Therapeutics. Katerina is a distinguished scientist-entrepreneur with expertise in immunology, protein secretion, biochemistry, bacteriology, cell biology and business development. She has performed biomedical research for over 15 years across four different countries, uncovering fundamental principles underlying bacterial secretion, protein folding, antibiotic resistance, and cell cycle regulation.
Katerina’s scientific journey started at the University of Crete, where she studied mechanisms underlying tolerogenic immunosuppression during pregnancy in mice. She then received an Erasmus fellowship to study antibiotic resistance at Uppsala University in Sweden. Returning to Greece, she received the Excellent Academic Performance Award and started her Ph.D. training to study and reconstitute bacterial secretion systems. For her work, she was awarded the prestigious Heraclitus II fellowship from the National Strategic Innovation Program. Katerina then continued her research on bacterial secretion and protein folding as a Research fellow at the KU Leuven in Belgium.
Katerina arrived in the United States of America to work as a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University. Recognizing her passion for translational research, she engaged in various business development programs across the Harvard and Massachusetts ecosystems. Through her exposure to different scientific fields as well as clinical and business environments, Katerina realized how her skills can help in the development of novel immunomodulatory therapeutics. She assembled a team and founded Promakhos Therapeutics to carry out her vision.
Jasper E. Neggers, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Secretary
Postdoc, Medical Oncology
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Postdoc, Target Identification & Validation
Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
PhD., Functional Genomics & Chemical Biology
KU Leuven
Jasper E. Neggers, Ph.D.
Co-Founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Secretary
Jasper Edgar Neggers is a co-founder and the Chief Scientific Officer and Secretary of Promakhos Therapeutics. Jasper is an entrepreneurial, pioneering and innovative scientist with a background in microbiology, immunology, cell biology, target identification and validation, drug discovery and functional genomics. His commitment to entrepreneurship, scientific inquiry and translational research stems from his natural curiosity for biology and biotechnology, which manifested as he grew up in the Netherlands.
Jasper performed his Ph.D. studies at the Rega Institute for Medical Research at the KU Leuven, Belgium. He was among the first scientists to apply CRISPR/Cas to genetically engineer human cells. Jasper collaborated with Karyopharm Therapeutics to validate the mechanism of action of the now marketed anticancer drug Selinexor (XPOVIO®) and the clinical stage drug KPT-9274. In Belgium, Jasper also invented a CRISPR-based genetic screening approach for identification of the cellular target of new candidate drugs.
Jasper arrived in the USA as a postdoctoral fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard to spearhead a team of researchers to identify and validate new therapeutic targets for cancer. He quickly distinguished himself and was awarded a Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation fellowship. As a fellow, Jasper developed an updated compendium of synthetic lethal interactions in cancer, helped identify new metabolic vulnerabilities in pancreatic cancer and continued developing new CRISPR/Cas applications. His work has nominated several new high-priority therapeutic targets for cancer and has led to the initiation of new drug discovery campaigns. As a rising scientific leader, Jasper was on his way to become an assistant professor after receiving the National Cancer Institute Pathway to Independence Award for Outstanding Early-Stage Postdoctoral Researchers. However, ultimately, Jasper wants his research to translate into patient impact and felt that an academic career would not provide the right environment to pursue his vision. So, he handed back his million-dollar grant money and joined Katerina to co-found Promakhos Therapeutics.
Sofía M. Martínez Navarro
Research Associate
Postgraduate in Bioengineering management
University of California, Riverside
Bachelor of Science
Universidad Europea
Sofía M. Martínez Navarro
Research Associate
I am a biotechnology researcher passionate about innovation and learning. Complementary to my degree in biotechnology, I have a minor in management of biotechnological companies and a minor in molecular architecture. I am looking forward to being able to apply the knowledge gained during my years of study to the real world. I am also training as a professional piano player, and I am enrolled at the Rodolfo Halffter Conservatory. Learning music has allowed me to acquire a more artistic and creative vision as well as broaden my horizons.
Advisors & collaborators
Joshua R. Korzenik, M.D.
Clinical & Scientific
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Resnek Family Distinguished Chair in Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Director of the Resnek Family Center for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Research
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Founding Director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Joshua R. Korzenik, M.D.
Dr. Korzenik is a specialist in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy that focuses on developing new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis. He is also well recognized for his compassion and dedication to his patients and for his integrative team approach to patient care. He is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the Founding Director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Director of the Resnek Family Center for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Research at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Resnek Family Distinguished Chair in Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Korzenik has been involved in inflammatory bowel disease research and patient care for almost 25 years. His insights in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have opened new avenues of research and possible therapies, and he was among the first investigators to research the intestinal microbiome for clues about the role it may play in the development of inflammatory bowel disease as well as in its management through nutrition and therapeutics. Dr. Korzenik is an author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and research papers and frequently speaks at professional meetings. He was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2013 by the New England Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and was awarded the Torch of Friendship in 1999 by the Mid-America Chapter in St. Louis. Moreover, he has sequentially been selected as a Top Doctor by Boston Magazine in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
Dr. Korzenik has led and was involved in many major clinical trials of new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease. For example, he has initiated a different therapeutic approach to Crohn’s disease through a set of multi-center clinical studies utilizing granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte macrophagecolony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as therapeutic agents. In addition, based on an understanding of ulcerative colitis as a vascular disease and under-appreciated properties of heparin, he has previously developed clinical trials using heparin for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. His research has also focused on uncovering better biomarkers that can guide drug development and determine which interventions tested in clinical trials may be most effective and on understanding what initiates and perpetuates inflammation.
Séverine Vermeire, M.D., Ph.D.
Clinical & Scientific
Professor of Medicine
KU Leuven
Research Director of Biomedical Sciences
KU Leuven
Séverine Vermeire, M.D., Ph.D.
Prof. Dr. Séverine Vermeire obtained her MD from KU Leuven in 1995 and a PhD at the same University in 2001. She further trained at the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Paraguay (1993), at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics in Oxford, UK (1997-1998) and at the Montreal General Hospital McGill University Canada in 2000–2001. She is staff member at the Gastroenterology & Hepatology Department of the University Hospital Leuven and Full Professor of Medicine at the KU Leuven. Since 2021, she is Research Director of Biomedical Sciences at KU Leuven.
Prof. Vermeire is actively involved as principle investigator in RCTs with new therapeutic compounds and has been lead investigator on several of these programs. Her scientific work resulted in more than 600 peer-reviewed articles and focuses on the role of the microbiome and genetic susceptibility in IBD and on identifying prognostic and predictive signatures of treatment response. She participated in the International iCHOM consortium on development of Patient-Centered Outcomes for Inflammatory Bowel Disease.
She was awarded an Advanced H2020-European Research Council (ERC) Grant (2016-2022) and was President of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation (ECCO) from 2014-2016 and of the Belgian IBD Research & Development (BIRD) Group from 2011-2013.
Juan Patarroyo, B.Sc.
Research & Development
Mentor/Advisor
UF Innovate
Director, Science Operations & Strategy
Lab Central
Juan Patarroyo, B.Sc.
Juan Patarroyo is an experienced biomedical scientist and life sciences operations expert with over 25 years of experience in immunology/microbiology, with specific expertise on mucosal immunology and the microbiome. He is fascinated by the interplay between the immune system (and in extension the body) and the commensal microbes and their associated (by)products. By understanding and leveraging this interplay, he strongly believes that we can develop meaningful and safe immunomodulatory drugs to treat and cure disease.
Juan has designed, executed, and supervised a large range of in vitro and in vivo studies to evaluate immune signaling and candidate molecules for go/no-go drug development decisions within pharma (Novartis, Pfizer, Vedanta Biosciences) and academia (UCSF). He has built and managed R&D labs of newly formed biotechnology companies (Vedanta, Commence) and advised life sciences companies on science strategy and operations at LabCentral. His work has directly contributed to the advancement of several drug candidates to preclinical testing and of VE303 (Vedanta) to the clinic. Most recently, Juan was a Principal Scientist at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research and established a discovery platform harnessing the gastrointestinal microbiome to identify next-generation small molecules for autoimmune and allergic conditions, with a focus on discovering therapeutics that promote wound healing and epithelial barrier function in inflammatory bowel disease.
Early on, Juan has helped shaped our understanding of the role of major histocompatibility (MHC) class II restricted antigen processing and presentation in the central nervous system and in the role played by myelin-specific antibodies in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a model of multiple sclerosis. He has also been involved in studies characterizing the mechanism and protective effect of glatirameracetate (Copaxone), atorvastatin (Lipitor) and anti-CD20 antibody (Rituxan) in CNS autoimmune disease. Juan then joined the multiple sclerosis group at Pfizer to support the discovery and development of new drugs. There, he evaluated new anti-inflammatory biologics and small molecules. As the role of the microbiome in human health became established, he led evaluated natural ligand derivatives for their ability to promote immunotolerance and mucosal repair in inflammatory bowel disease.
Tomi K. Sawyer, Ph.D.
Drug Discovery & Development
Chief Drug Hunter & President
Maestro Therapeutics
Adjunct Professor, Center for Drug Discovery
Northeastern University
Adjunct Professor, Departments of Chemistry, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Tomi K. Sawyer, Ph.D.
Tomi Sawyer serves as a drug discovery and development consultant. Tomi is an accomplished and entrepreneurial drug hunter, medicinal chemist and chemical biologist with a track record of developing both peptide and small molecule drugs. Tomi has over four decades of industrial experience in both pharma and biotech and is well known for his contributions to GPCR, kinase, protease and protein-protein interaction drug discovery. He is the inventor of the marketed drugs Afamelanotide (Scenesse®, Clinuvel) and Ponatinib (Iclusig®, Ariad Pharmaceuticals [now Takeda]) and is credited with over 600 scientific publications, patents, and presentations.
Tomi is currently the Chief Drug Hunter and President of Maestro Therapeutics, a consulting/advisory enterprise that supports peptide drug discovery in academia, biotech and pharma. Tomi Sawyer has recently retired from his position as Distinguished Scientist, Global Chemistry at Merck Research Laboratories. In this role, he provided leadership to the Peptide Drug Hunter Network and several peptide R&D programs as well as innovative core capabilities and knowledge engine. He previously also served as the Chief Scientific Officer of Aileron, Senior Vice President, Drug Discovery at Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Senior Director, Chemical Sciences at Pfizer and was a past President of the American Peptide Society.
Tomi is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts and the Northeastern University Center for Drug Discovery. In addition, he is a Distinguished Alumni Entrepreneur from his undergraduate alma mater, Minnesota State University at Moorhead, and previously served as a member of the MSUM Alumni Foundation Board of Directors. At his graduate alma mater, the University of Arizona, Tomi is a Distinguished Alumni Entrepreneur and has received a Professional Achievement Award from the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the College of Science.
Alexander Bryant, Ph.D.
Pharmacology & Toxicology
President
Lightship Scientific Consulting, LLC
Alexander Bryant, Ph.D.
Dr. Alexander Bryant is a pharmacology-toxicology expert with over 20 years of experience in drug development. He previously served as the Vice President of Preclinical Research and Development, Pharmacology and Toxicology at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Prior to his role at Ironwood, he was a senior director in preclinical pharmacology at Microbia.
At Ironwood and Microbia,he was responsible for the preclinical discovery, development and toxicology of linaclotide (LINZESS®), a non-systemic oral drug for treating irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C). He authored a large part of the NDA for linaclotide’s FDA approval.
Dr. Bryant is now the President of Lightship Scientific Consulting, which provides innovative advice and solutions from experienced pharmaceutical and biotech R&D professionals. His team of expert consultants can provide advice on every aspect of the drug discovery and development process.
Caroline Kurtz, Ph.D.
Drug Development
CSO Partner
Lightship Scientific Consulting
Chief Development Officer
Synlogic Inc.
PhD., Immunology
Harvard University
Caroline Kurtz, Ph.D.
Caroline Kurtz, Ph. D, provides scientific and strategic guidance for drug development stage programs grounded in over 29 years of experience developing unique products for patients with metabolic and gastrointestinal diseases. Dr. Kurtz’s direct experience includes leadership in preclinical, clinical development and regulatory affairs for products in the stages of lead identification through marketing authorization. She brings specific expertise in developing novel therapeutic platforms, operating through local delivery in the GI tract, and rare disease drug development. In addition, throughout her career Dr. Kurtz has been a leader in the establishment of strong cross-functional and cross-company collaborations and teams.
Prior to joining Lightship Scientific Consulting, Dr. Kurtz was Chief Development Officer at Synlogic Inc, a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing engineered living cell therapies for the treatment of rare metabolic and immune-mediated diseases. At Synlogic, Dr. Kurtz oversaw translational research and development activities for discovery and clinical stage programs for inflammatory bowel disease, oncology and rare metabolic diseases, including advancing into Phase 3 the investigational product SYNB1934 for phenylketonuria. Prior to Synlogic, Caroline served as Vice President and Program Lead at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, bringing the novel peptide drug linaclotide, (LINZESS®), from preclinical development through commercialization for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation. LINZESS is now one of the most highly prescribed products for patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Dr. Kurtz also worked at GelTex/Genzyme, overseeing the discovery and development of polymers for the treatment of infectious diseases, including leading a clinical stage program for the treatment of C. difficile colitis.
Her early scientific training was in the fields of immunology, virology, and autoimmune demyelinating diseases. Dr. Kurtz holds a Ph.D. in Immunology from Harvard University, and a BSc (summa cum laude) in Biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire.
Mary Christian, PharmD., MBA
Regulatory Expert
Senior Vice President, Regulatory
C4 Therapeutics
Mary Christian, PharmD., MBA
Dr. Christian is a pharmaceutical and biotech executive with more than 20 years of regulatory and drug development experience across pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. She has created high functioning, fit-for-purpose teams for emerging biotech, envisioned and built new capabilities in large pharma (e.g. Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology Strategic Collaborations, leading to success in >$50M in development partnerships), and led R&D efforts across a variety of therapeutic areas including, but not limited to, CNS, immunology, and immuno-oncology in all phases of development.
Dr. Christian serves as the Senior Vice President of Regulatory at C4 Therapeutics, a clinical stage biotech developing a pipeline of targeted protein degraders for oncology. Besides her role at C4, Dr. Christian also serves as a scientific advisor to several emerging biotech companies and lectures at MIT on Regulatory Strategies for developing drugs and devices.
Prior to C4, Dr. Christian was the Senior Vice President of Regulatory, Quality and Compliance at Lyndra Therapeutics, a rapidly growing clinical stage biotech whose mission is to reinvent medicine for a healthier world. She was also a founding member of Cyclerion Therapeutics, a spinout of Ironwood Pharmaceuticals focused on serious and orphan diseases, where she led Regulatory, Quality and Pharmacovigilance. Before her role at Cyclerion, Dr. Christian was Vice President of Global Regulatory Affairs at Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, where she transformed the regulatory organization, successfully negotiated approval of a stalled marketing application for Linzess® in China, advanced rare disease assets into Phase 1 and 2 and built organization models that enabled the spinoff of various assets.
Prior to joining the world of biotech in Boston, Dr. Christian created and led successful and innovative teams at Bristol-Myers Squibb by identifying novel ways to accelerate research and the delivery of medicines to patients globally. Dr. Christian also held roles of increasing responsibility in Global Regulatory Affairs at Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development (now Janssen Pharmaceutica) across several therapeutic areas.
News
October 31, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics closes first financing round
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics closes first financing round
Promakhos Therapeutics has closed its first round of financing after participating in the summer 2021 batch of Y Combinator, a Silicon Valley accelerator. The newly raised funds will be used to support preclinical drug development and to establish a pipeline for the discovery of new molecules for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases. The round was backed by various angel investors and large biotech funds.
October 1, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics welcomes Dr. Joshua Korzenik and Dr. Jean-Frédéric Colombel to the scientific advisory board
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics welcomes Dr. Joshua Korzenik and Dr. Jean-Frédéric Colombel to the scientific advisory board
Promakhos Therapeutics is proud to announce that Dr. Joshua Korzenik and Dr. Jean-Frédéric Colombel have joined the company's scientific advisory board.
Dr. Korzenik is a visionary and specialist in Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endoscopy that is well recognized for his compassion and dedication to his patients. He brings over 25 years of experience in clinical research that focuses on developing new therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and primary sclerosing cholangitis. His insights in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis have opened new avenues of research and possible therapies, and he was among the first investigators to research the intestinal microbiome for clues about the role it may play in the development of inflammatory bowel disease as well as in its management through nutrition and therapeutics. Dr. Korzenik is an author of over 100 peer-reviewed articles and research papers and frequently speaks at professional meetings. He was named Humanitarian of the Year in 2013 by the New England Chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America and was awarded the Torch of Friendship in 1999 by the Mid-America Chapter in St. Louis. Moreover, he has sequentially been selected as a Top Doctor by Boston Magazine in 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the Director of the Crohn's and Colitis Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Director of the Resnek Family Center for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Colombel is a world-renowned specialist in gastroenterology and immunology and a leading authority in inflammatory bowel disease. He has been leading inflammatory bowel disease research for over 35 years and implements and leads major clinical trials. Dr. Colombel was previously the President of the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organization (ECCO) (2008–2010) and Chair of the International Organization for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IOIBD) (2010–2012). He has been awarded the United European Gastroenterology Federation (UEGF) Research Prize in 2009, the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation (CCF) Clinical Research Award in 2014 and the Sherman Prize in 2018. His research is perhaps most well-known for his contributions to the identification of major susceptibility genes for the development of Crohn's disease, the identification of a new subtype of Escherichia coli associated with Crohn's disease, as well as the development of the Anti-Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Antibody (ASCA) test. Dr. Colombel has authored over 980 peer-reviewed papers, is a current associate editor of Gastroenterology and has also been an associate editor of other major gastroenterology journals including Gut and Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics. Currently, Dr. Colombel serves as a Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein Inflammatory Bowel Disease Clinical Center and the Director of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Center.
Both Dr. Korzenik and Dr. Colombel are valuable additions to our team and we are pleased to be working with them.
September 22, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics selected for official residency at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics selected for official residency at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab
Promakhos Therapeutics is thrilled to announce that the company has been selected to become an official resident of the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab.
Promakhos Therapeutics presented its vision to the 9-member Harvard Life Lab Selection Committee, which included leading experts in the life sciences, renowned faculty members of the Harvard ecosystem, the Dean of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Medical School Executive Director of Therapeutics Translation. After deliberation by the selection committee, Promakhos Therapeutics was then accepted as an official resident of the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab.
About the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab
The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is a fully equipped, shared wet laboratory space accompanied by a collaborative co-working office space for early-stage biotech and life science start-ups founded by Harvard students, alumni, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows. The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is part of the Harvard Innovation Labs and is located at Harvard's Allston Campus in Massachusetts, near the Harvard Business School. As part of the Harvard Innovation Labs ecosystem, ventures at the Harvard Pagliuca Life Lab have continued access to the business-building and industry-specific programming and the mentors and advisors available at the Harvard Innovation Labs.
The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab was made possible by the support and generosity of Judy and Stephen Pagliuca and is operated in partnership with LabCentral.
September 22, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics joins the Harvard Innovation Labs Launch Lab X GEO 2021-2022 Cohort
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics joins the Harvard Innovation Labs Launch Lab X GEO 2021-2022 Cohort
Find the external announcement here
Promakhos Therapeutics is excited to announce that it will join the Harvard Innovations Labs Launch Lab X GEO 2021-2022 cohort.
Launch Lab X GEO is a global ecosystem where Harvard alumni ventures come to connect with each other, deepen their relationships, and take their work to scale in unexpected and powerful ways. Rather than an accelerator format, the program focuses on leadership circles which provide coaching, community, and opportunities to learn from global thought-leaders from within the Harvard ecosystem and beyond. In addition, the program offers on-demand access to a curated network of mentors, industry insiders, and learning resources and provides foundational programming in the form of Founder Talks and Tactical Workshops to further inspire and support entrepreneurs.
Teams that complete the program will also be invited to an online Demo Day in May/June 2022, where teams are given the opportunity to present their company to a diverse audience of industry leaders, investors and alumni.
July 15, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics joins Y Combinator for the Summer 2021 Batch
News
Mountain View, California, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics joins Y Combinator for the Summer 2021 Batch
Promakhos Therapeutics is excited to announce that the company has received backing by the world-renowned startup accelerator Y Combinator.
As part of the Y Combinator program, Promakhos Therapeutics joins an impressive network of innovators, entrepreneurs and companies, including well-known companies such as Reddit, Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks and Benchling. Moreover, Promakhos Therapeutics will participate in the Y Combinator S21 acceleration program to continue its mission to develop new therapeutics for inflammatory disorders. The S21 acceleration program offers unique access to key resources and tailored mentoring over the summer and culminates into Demo Day, a virtual event at the end of August in which Y Combinator's latest batch of companies will present their vision to potential investors.
About Y Combinator
Y Combinator (YC) is an American seed money startup accelerator founded in 2005. It is located in the heart of Silicon Valley (Mountain View, California) and is considered as one of the most successful startup incubators in the Valley. The program has helped launch over 3,000 companies since its inception. These companies currently hold a combined valuation of over $300B.
July 14, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics engages with the AstraZeneca Exchange program
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics engages with the AstraZeneca Exchange program
Promakhos Therapeutics is excited to announce that it has been selected to engage with AstraZeneca through their Exchange Mentoring program.
The AstraZeneca Exchange Mentoring program leverages AstraZeneca's scientific and commercial expertise in a business-to-business advisory model to encourage and support life sciences entrepreneurs and start-ups to innovate. It is based on the idea that innovation does not happen in isolation - if the sector grows, all companies, and most importantly, patients benefit.
Through the program, Promakhos Therapeutics will establish additional relationships with leading industry partners and will further refine its innovative ideas into long-term success.
About AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational, science-led biopharmaceutical company. Its medicines are used by millions of patients across the world and includes medicines in disease areas involving oncology, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, infection, neuroscience, respiratory, and inflammation. AstraZeneca is perhaps best known for developing the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
June 15, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics interviewed by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
News
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics interviewed by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
This is an extract of the original article published by the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio). To learn more about their MassCONNECT program and how MassBio supports early-stage startups, visit: https://www.massbio.org/innovation-services/.
Why did you choose to apply for MassCONNECT?
We applied for the MassCONNECT program because it offers direct access to a large network of industry experts in the world of life sciences. We are first-time entrepreneurs, and we were eager to explore the life sciences world outside of academia. As seasoned scientists with experience in performing translational research, we felt that we were poised to utilize the MassCONNECT program and the support available through its expert network to its fullest to translate our scientific ideas into a compelling business case. Moreover, as the business was just starting out, we felt that MassCONNECT would provide a great way for us to expand our network and connect with the local life sciences and biotech industry, in addition to providing guidance on the process of fundraising and securing laboratory space in Massachusetts.
How does your idea/technology/product improve patient outcomes?
Promakhos Therapeutics is developing new drugs for inflammatory disorders. Current therapies are immunosuppressive, do not work very well, often require injection and can cause significant side effects. Instead of immunosuppression, we focus on local and controlled modulation of specific elements of the immune system to restore homeostasis. We use our expertise in immunology, cell biology, bacteriology, and drug discovery to develop oral immunomodulatory small molecules with limited side effects.
What are the biggest challenges you face as an emerging startup? How did MassCONNECT seek to address those?
The biggest challenge as an emerging therapeutics startup is no doubt the continuous need to secure financing. As a therapeutics company, the high upfront costs of starting laboratory operations and obtaining the required equipment as well as the limited ways to generate revenue can be especially prohibitive. Managing and establishing a plan to tackle this challenge is an intimidating task and often requires an integrated approach incorporating unique facets of an individual company. MassCONNECT is specifically focused on life sciences and provided us with key insights on fundraising that helped us break down our unique goals and needs. The in-depth discussions with our MassCONNECT mentors then provided us with clarity to plan and ultimately develop a solid fundraising strategy. Furthermore, the program significantly expanded our network.
The second biggest challenge as an emerging therapeutics company is translating the scientific vision and expertise into a compelling and clear business case. With its large network of leading industry experts of diverse backgrounds, MassCONNECT is perfectly poised to help founders develop their story with real-life feedback. The intense nature of the meetings and the background of the mentors helped us to communicate our scientific vision. As a result, the mentors were able to provide tailored business advice and perspectives. At the end of the program, we significantly refined our investor pitch, business strategy and our ability to tell our story to a diverse audience.
How has the Massachusetts ecosystem supported your efforts as a startup? What separates Massachusetts from other leading life sciences clusters across the United States?
The Massachusetts ecosystem is excellent for starting a biotech. As founders of Promakhos Therapeutics, we are both from different European countries and have had the privilege to carry out biomedical science in many different places. The quality, amount, depth, concentration, and resourcefulness of the scientific industry in Massachusetts is unparalleled. We cannot imagine a better environment to start a life sciences company. The high density of highly qualified industry experts, life science companies and translational and highly innovative research and medical institutes provides an astonishing breeding ground for scientific innovation and collaboration. On top of these resources, Massachusetts also has a rich history of industrial development, innovation, and initiatives and has a rich tradition in supporting its businesses and entrepreneurs through its open-minded vision and its focus on scientific rigor and discipline.
May 7, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics engages with Morrison & Foerster LLP through the selective emerging growth company program
News
Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics engages with Morrison & Foerster LLP through the selective emerging growth company program
Promakhos Therapeutics is excited to announce that it has been selected to engage with Morrison & Foerster LLP through their selective and exclusive emerging growth company program.
Morrison & Foerster LLP is a globally renowned, international law firm specialized in representing large corporations as well as leading technology and life sciences corporations. Its clients include some of the largest financial institutions, Fortune 100 companies, investment funds and high potential startup companies. Over the years, Morrison & Foerster LLP has supported the growth and development of many companies into leading industry players and household brands.
April 26, 2021
Join Promakhos Therapeutics at the final showcase event of the MassBIO® MassCONNECT® program Cycle I 2021
News
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
Join Promakhos Therapeutics at the final showcase event of the MassBIO® MassCONNECT® program Cycle I 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics would like to invite you to our first public showcase event!
The event will be hosted by MassBio® as a virtual webinar on May 5, 2021, 12:00~1:30 PM EST.
Register here.
Participating Startups
Advanced Silicon Group
Promakhos Therapeutics
Unravel Biosciences
Agenda
12:00 PM Welcome
Introductions from MassBio® & MassCONNECT® Sponsors
12:15 PM Company Presentations
Advanced Silicon Group
Promakhos Therapeutics
Unravel Biosciences
12:45 PM Q&A and Networking
01:30 PM Close
About
MassCONNECT® is MassBio®'s flagship Innovation Services program. Innovation Services convenes, connects, and catalyzes innovation in the life sciences ecosystem, serving as a platform to source, accelerate, partner and fund innovation. MassCONNECT® is an entrepreneur mentorship program that matches entrepreneurs and founders with seasoned life sciences professionals as they seek to commercialize their technologies.
April 20, 2021
Promakhos Therapeutics starts laboratory operations at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab
News
Allston, Massachusetts, United States of America
Promakhos Therapeutics starts laboratory operations at the Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab
Promakhos Therapeutics is excited to announce that its scientists have been selected to join the Harvard Pagliuca Life Lab for Spring 2021, with the option to extend its stay through an official application process in the summer.
The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is a fully equipped, shared wet laboratory space accompanied by a collaborative co-working office space for early-stage biotech and life science start-ups founded by Harvard students, alumni, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows. The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab is part of the Harvard Innovation Labs and is located at Harvard's Allston Campus in Massachusetts, near the Harvard Business School. As part of the Harvard Innovation Labs ecosystem, ventures at the Harvard Pagliuca Life Lab have continued access to the business-building and industry-specific programming and the mentors and advisors available at the Harvard Innovation Labs.
The Pagliuca Harvard Life Lab was made possible by the support and generosity of Judy and Stephen Pagliuca and is operated in partnership with LabCentral.
Support
Partners
Network
