b'GelSana Therapeutics diseases, accounting for approximately half of known GelSana is a biomaterials company developing new productsgenetic predispositions. RA is a chronic disease that to heal wounds, particularly chronic wounds, a problemoccurs in approximately 1% of the worlds population and for diabetics but also present in other patients. Systemicleads to extensive joint destruction and increases the risk inflammation in these patients leads to issues withof cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, resulting inCU Innovations & significantly increased early mortality. Treatment requires vascularization and healing, and chronic wounds are prone toconsistent and aggressive tactics to control symptoms,Startup Foundryinfection. Todays wound dressings increase inflammation bymanage pain, and stop disease progression. Severe cases of RA interacting with the tissue that is trying to heal. GelSana hasare most commonly treated with expensive biologic drugs, such developed a proprietary hydrogel that prevents the foreignas Humira, which while effective for some patients, globallyAs a way to fuel the next generation of startups, body response and can promote anti-inflammatory andsuppress the immune system. RheumaGen has the potentialorganizations are seeing the immense value in pro-healing conditions. These gels could have applicabilityto change the entire RA paradigm: Instead of suppressing across multiple wound types and have shown substantiallyinvesting in real estate, specifically for early-stage decreased healing time in preclinical studies. As anthe immune system, RheumaGen simply instructs it that nocompanies. Seeing a critical need for additional lab added benefit, the hydrogel can be formulated to deliverresponse is needed. As a result, no inflammation, joint pain, space, the team at CU Innovations has launched a therapeutics in a sustained manner over time, eliminatingor bone loss should follow.new space that it hopes will foster expansion for the need to continually reopen the wound bed and reapplyValidus Cellular Therapeutics early-stage bioscience companies. ointments. These gels will be a valuable tool to heal wounds that are showing limited response to other healing solutions. Validus is developing the first cell therapy targeting bacterialCU Innovations, led by Kimberly Muller, J.D., is the technology infections. The company believes the current strategy to producetransfer arm for the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical HepQuant novel small molecule chemical antibiotics is broken therapeuticallyCampus. CU Innovations handles traditional licensing for new HepQuant is a privately-held company with unique, patentedand economically. Validus approach leverages knowledge ofcompanies and inventions with an additional focus on anything and patent-pending technology for evaluating the liver inimmunomodulatory capabilities of stem cells to produce an innaterelated to innovation, including the CU Healthcare Innovation patients with chronic liver disease. Currently, there is noimmune stimulatory reaction to resolve infections. Using stemFund, with $50 million under management. Director of Licensing effective liver function test available. The liver enzyme panelcells to increase innate immune activity at the site of infection Heather Callahan, Ph.D., J.D., EMBA, said CU Innovations helps referred to as Liver Function Tests measures variable liverwill not result in emergence of new resistance. founders navigate the complexities of spinning up a business, damage. Biopsies have been the gold standard to understandVona Oncology from venture capital and business development to external disease severity in liver disease, but companies developingpartnerships and collaborations. drugs to treat liver disease are losing billions by errors in biopsyVona Oncology is committed to developing life-savingLocated on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, reads due to sampling error and reading error (pathologistsmedicines for patients affected by aggressive cancers. CancerINVESTINGCU Innovations is keenly focused on supporting startups and has cant agree on fibrosis scores). There are many diagnosticsremains the single-largest and most significant healthIN COLORADOSrecently launched a new lab to lend a helping hand to companies companies developing new non-invasive technologies tochallenge of our time. The companys lead drug candidate, assess biopsy metrics, but these are surrogates of surrogatesVDX-111, is being developed in preclinical studies for theINFRASTRUCTURE requiring space to grow, said Gali Baler, Ph.D., MBA, Director of and are measuring the results of damage, not the actualtreatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), whichInvestments and Venture Development. The breadth of life sciencesThat need for space for the startup companies is one of the big functional health of the liver. Company data has shown thataffects approximately 20% of women diagnosed with breast measuring liver function with HepQuant correlates more withcancer and for which there are very few effective treatmentwork in Colorado gives us aissues weve had, Callahan said of the bioscience startup space detecting risk for outcomes than biopsy fibrosis. Changes inoptions available. While chemotherapy and some newlypreview of the speed, precision,in Colorado. liver function are more predictive of disease progression andapproved immunotherapy options have become the mainstayThats where the Foundry comes in. The Foundry is a dedicated outcomes, and functional improvement in response to therapyof treatment, not all patients experience a meaningful responseand personalization we canenvironment designed to help solve the need for space for may be indicative of a lower risk for outcomes. Data showsnecessitating demand for new options. Of those who doexpect from healthcare in thestartups emerging from the university. Located within the HepQuants tests are highly reproducible and can detect arespond, many often experience harmful side effects, diseasecoming years. Everything fromBioscience 1 building at Fitzsimons Innovation Community, the significant response in a short time frame in a small number ofrelapse, treatment resistance, and/or disease progression.5,500-square-foot space provides an ideal landing spot for fast-patients in response to liver interventions. The companys goal is to validate that VDX-111 represents arapid, point-of-care testing togrowing, early-stage companies to continue their maturation.promising new treatment option for TNBC. Vona Oncology hastargeted cancer treatments toThe Foundry provides a collaborative space where startups RheumaGen obtained an NCI Fast-Track SBIR grant for moving VDX-111cell and gene therapies to treatcan share ideas, create a community, and be part of something RheumaGen is developing a pipeline of human leukocyteinto clinical trials. Its IND-enabling studies are designed andbigger, said Baler. It supports rapid acceleration of our antigen (HLA) gene-editing therapies to cure rheumatoidanticipated to demonstrate strong efficacy in TNBC tumordisease to AI-enabled tools tospinouts, allowing them to attract VC funding, compete for arthritis (RA) and other major autoimmune diseases.models, with low toxicity of VDX-111 in animals. PK/PD studiesassess and predict health. Itstalent, and ultimately make a difference for patients.HLA is the main genetic factor related to autoimmunewill also be conducted under this grant mechanism. an exciting time to build theIn addition to wet lab space, it includes office suites, storage,future for health innovation. and IT support. Baler and Callahan are excited for its potentialin advancing promising companies. Continued on next page8Fitzsimons Innovation Community Annual Innovation Report 9'