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Optologix
CUNY Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC)
85 St. Nicholas Terrace, New York, 10031
Laura Motta-Mena, Ph.D.
C 915-346-1896, T 212-413-3223
www.kglab.org
laura.motta-mena@asrc.cuny.edu
Industry:
__ X __ Pharma
__X__ Biotech
_____ Medical Device
_____ Diagnostic
_____ Other (declare)
Management:
• Executive Leadership
Laura Motta-Mena, Ph.D.
(co-founder)
Kevin Gardner, Ph.D.
(co-founder)
• Board - TBD
• Scientific Advisory Board - TBD
Number of Employees: none
Finance:
• Auditor - TBD
• Financing to Date - public funding
(High Risk-High Impact Grant
from Cancer Prevention Research
Institute of Texas)
• Amount of Financing Sought $500K for R&D and startup costs
from public sources (NIH and
NSF) 2016-2018
$1-2M for R&D and expanding
product line from private sources
(Angel, VC, Strategic Partner)
2018-2020-21
Legal:
• Corporate - Not incorporated
• IP
Patent Filed 11/2012
Patent Published 05/2013
Application #: PCT/US2012/065493
Executive Summary:
Optologix is a spinout company from CUNY ASRC and UT
Southwestern Medical Center. The company is based on a technology
developed by co-founders Drs. Motta-Mena and Gardner. The
technology is a research tool that uses light instead of chemicals to
activate gene expression in cells. Areas of application include
preclinical target validation studies and biomedical research at
universities. We have IP protection and have demonstrated proof-ofconcept studies in a Nature publication. The technology is in use by
early adopters in 40 academic labs and one biotech company. We’re
surveying these customers to understand their wants, needs, and
concerns.
Company History: We are pre-company formation. Dr. Motta-Mena, a
Senior Scientist at CUNY ASRC, has 10 yr research experience, 8
publications, & over 60 citations. She has experience setting up a
research lab from the ground up & managing small groups. Dr.
Gardner is Director of the Structural Biology Initiative at CUNY ASRC
and an internationally recognized leader in the structural biology field.
Dr. Gardner discovered small molecule anti-cancer therapeutics that
were licensed to Peloton Therapeutics Inc. and are now in Phase I
trials.
________________________________________________________
Market Opportunity / Unmet Need:
Target selection is a key early step in the drug discovery process that
initiates the commitment of substantial time and resources to
determine whether a target is viable ($121M spent on preclinical R&D
per approved drug). Our technology opens new and powerful ways to
validate new targets at the earliest stages of drug discovery, helping
focus and expedite research efforts on the best new targets.
Products/Services – Launched & Pipeline:
Light-inducible transcriptional effect system (LITE switch): a lightregulatable gene expression tool.
Intellectual Property:
Application #: PCT/US2012/065493, owned by UT southwestern
Medical Center
Commercial / Technical Milestones:
- Publication of proof of concept studies for LITE switch product:
Motta-Mena LB et al., (2014) Nat Chem Biol, 10(3): 196-202
- Early adopters in 40 academic labs worldwide and one biotech
company in Boston (enEvolv Inc.) are currently using LITE switch
- Begin formal discussion with UT Southwestern to license IP (Summer
2015)
Competition:
Commercially available expression tools use chemicals to regulate
gene expression with poor spatial and temporal resolution. In contrast,
LITE switch can control gene expression with unprecedented spatial
and temporal resolution and eliminate the off-target effects that come
from adding chemicals to cells.
Financial Projections (Unaudited):
$500K from public sources (e.g. NIH, NSF) to sustain R&D efforts for
first 2 yrs and launch business
$1-2M from private sources (Angel, VC, Strategic Partner) to expand
product line and R&D for 2-3 yrs after public funding period
Please indicate primary purpose of Presentation:
Business Development, advice on corporate structure, input on product
line, advice on setting short and long term goals
Team Building, enlist new team member for CEO role,
Business and Science Advisors, experienced entrepreneurs in Life
Science tools market, Scientists and Business Development Personnel
previously at Life Science reagent companies (Thermo Fisher
Scientific, Promega, Clontech etc), Engineers with experience in
illumination equipment.
Investment, connect with VCs/Angels/Strategic Partners and foster
relationships, which could become future investors in 2018