AUSTIN, TX – June 1, 2016 – Curtana Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held, preclinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing a novel therapy for glioblastoma (GBM), was recognized as one of the Rice Alliance 10 Most Promising Life Science Companies at the 2016 Texas Life Science Forum held on May 26 at the BioScience Research Collaborative in Houston. The competition, with over 500 in attendance, was hosted by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, BioHouston and Texas Healthcare and BioScience Institute. The companies were chosen by industry experts and investors.
One of a group of tumors referred to as gliomas, GBM is the most common and most aggressive of malignant primary brain tumors in adults. Curtana is targeting the transcription factor Olig2, which is critical for tumorigenesis and regulates the survival and expansion of GBM. Typically, Olig2 is not active in normal brain tissue and is not found in normal tissues outside the central nervous system. However, it is highly expressed in all diffuse gliomas and nearly 100% of glioma cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are positive for the CD133 stem cell marker. The relevance for therapy derives from the finding that over-expression of Olig2 drives turmorigenesis and promotes resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“It is a great honor for Curtana to be recognized as a most promising life science company by the esteemed panel of judges,” said Gregory Stein, M.D., M.B.A. and Chief Executive Officer, Curtana Pharmaceuticals. “Brain cancer is a devastating disease with few therapeutic options and a median survival time of less than 15 months. We are focused on a novel adjunct therapy to improve treatment success and survival times.”
More than 50 startup companies presented their three-minute business plan presentations at the forum. An additional six Nasdaq-listed life science companies provided status updates.
“Every year the quality of companies improves," said Rice Alliance Managing Director Brad Burke, who announced the winners at the event. "This year we had a diversity of companies, both in offerings as well as maturity. We highlighted 52 startups in addition to six more mature Nasdaq listed companies. These companies demonstrated the diversity of innovation, talent, investment, potential and success in life science industry.”
The event is one of the largest life science venture capital conferences in the Southwest and featured more than 40 industry and investment speakers. Among the 500 attendees were venture capitalists and other investors, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, business leaders and service providers.
About Curtana Pharmaceuticals
Curtana Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2013, is a privately held, preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Austin, Texas. In August 2014, the company was awarded a $7.6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Curtana focuses on the development of novel first-in-class, small molecule therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells in the central nervous system for the treatment of glioblastoma and other cancers. Curtana’s Olig2 inhibitors will be the only adjuvant treatment for nearly all gliomas, including high-grade glioblastomas, which specifically targets the cancer stem cells and is a potent radiosensitizer. For more information, visit www.curtanapharma.com.
About The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University’s nationally recognized initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education and the launch of technology companies. It was formed as a strategic alliance of three Rice schools: the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. Since inception in 1999, more than 1,700 early-stage companies have presented at the 170+ programs hosted by the Rice Alliance and raised more than $3.3 billion in funding.
About BioHouston
BioHouston, Inc. is a non-profit corporation founded by Houston area academic/research institutions. We are leading a broad effort to establish the Houston region as a vigorous global competitor in life science and biotechnology commercialization. Our mission is to create an environment that will stimulate technology transfer and research commercialization, thereby generating economic wealth for the Houston region and making it a global competitor in life science commercialization. BioHouston’s activities provide the greatest leverage in making the Houston region a world-class competitor in the life science industry. All of our activities are designed to: CONVENE people and organizations that need to come together to make the life science industry in Houston ignite, including scientists, intellectual property and product development experts, venture capitalists, pharmaceutical companies, and others. COMMUNICATE and interact so that people and organizations can learn from one another, share information and explore opportunities. CATALYZE the discoveries and commercial development so that the true potential of the life science industry in Houston can be unlocked.
One of a group of tumors referred to as gliomas, GBM is the most common and most aggressive of malignant primary brain tumors in adults. Curtana is targeting the transcription factor Olig2, which is critical for tumorigenesis and regulates the survival and expansion of GBM. Typically, Olig2 is not active in normal brain tissue and is not found in normal tissues outside the central nervous system. However, it is highly expressed in all diffuse gliomas and nearly 100% of glioma cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are positive for the CD133 stem cell marker. The relevance for therapy derives from the finding that over-expression of Olig2 drives turmorigenesis and promotes resistance to chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
“It is a great honor for Curtana to be recognized as a most promising life science company by the esteemed panel of judges,” said Gregory Stein, M.D., M.B.A. and Chief Executive Officer, Curtana Pharmaceuticals. “Brain cancer is a devastating disease with few therapeutic options and a median survival time of less than 15 months. We are focused on a novel adjunct therapy to improve treatment success and survival times.”
More than 50 startup companies presented their three-minute business plan presentations at the forum. An additional six Nasdaq-listed life science companies provided status updates.
“Every year the quality of companies improves," said Rice Alliance Managing Director Brad Burke, who announced the winners at the event. "This year we had a diversity of companies, both in offerings as well as maturity. We highlighted 52 startups in addition to six more mature Nasdaq listed companies. These companies demonstrated the diversity of innovation, talent, investment, potential and success in life science industry.”
The event is one of the largest life science venture capital conferences in the Southwest and featured more than 40 industry and investment speakers. Among the 500 attendees were venture capitalists and other investors, entrepreneurs, industry representatives, business leaders and service providers.
About Curtana Pharmaceuticals
Curtana Pharmaceuticals, founded in 2013, is a privately held, preclinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Austin, Texas. In August 2014, the company was awarded a $7.6 million grant from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Curtana focuses on the development of novel first-in-class, small molecule therapeutics targeting cancer stem cells in the central nervous system for the treatment of glioblastoma and other cancers. Curtana’s Olig2 inhibitors will be the only adjuvant treatment for nearly all gliomas, including high-grade glioblastomas, which specifically targets the cancer stem cells and is a potent radiosensitizer. For more information, visit www.curtanapharma.com.
About The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship
The Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship is Rice University’s nationally recognized initiative devoted to the support of technology commercialization, entrepreneurship education and the launch of technology companies. It was formed as a strategic alliance of three Rice schools: the George R. Brown School of Engineering, the Wiess School of Natural Sciences and the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business. Since inception in 1999, more than 1,700 early-stage companies have presented at the 170+ programs hosted by the Rice Alliance and raised more than $3.3 billion in funding.
About BioHouston
BioHouston, Inc. is a non-profit corporation founded by Houston area academic/research institutions. We are leading a broad effort to establish the Houston region as a vigorous global competitor in life science and biotechnology commercialization. Our mission is to create an environment that will stimulate technology transfer and research commercialization, thereby generating economic wealth for the Houston region and making it a global competitor in life science commercialization. BioHouston’s activities provide the greatest leverage in making the Houston region a world-class competitor in the life science industry. All of our activities are designed to: CONVENE people and organizations that need to come together to make the life science industry in Houston ignite, including scientists, intellectual property and product development experts, venture capitalists, pharmaceutical companies, and others. COMMUNICATE and interact so that people and organizations can learn from one another, share information and explore opportunities. CATALYZE the discoveries and commercial development so that the true potential of the life science industry in Houston can be unlocked.
