Tag Archives: codagenix

CFB Client Secures $3M Public and Private Investment

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Codagenix, Inc., a clinical stage, venture and public-sector-funded small business, announced it has secured an additional $3M in funding in support of its live-attenuated Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine candidate that was developed in collaboration with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of NIH.

The public funding to Codagenix is via a Phase II SBIR grant for $1.5M to support the pre-clinical manufacturing of the vaccine candidate. The private funding of $1.5M was provided by TopSpin Partners to support a Phase I trial to demonstrate safety and immunogenicity in aged volunteers. The two funding source were not linked; however, both are dedicated to supporting Codagneix’s RSV vaccine through a Phase I trial. Clinical Trial material of Codagenix RSV Vaccine candidate is currently being manufactured with a Phase I targeted for Q3- or Q4-2018.

“Codagenix is an incredible example of a company rooting in our expanding bioecosystem, growing from a startup out of Stony Brook University into a clinical stage company” stated Dr. Clinton Rubin, Director of the New York State Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University. “The Center for Biotechnology is proud to provide ongoing support for the work they are doing through our various programs including the Applied Research and Development awards and the Long Island Bioscience Hub funding initiatives.

“We are wrapping up a Phase I with our live-attenuated Influenza Vaccine in Q1-2018 and are very much looking forward to adding a second clinical-stage compound to our pipeline with RSV,” stated Codegenix COO J. Robert Coleman. “We are grateful to our investors and partners like the Center for Biotechnology that understand our vision and continually support our development at these early stages. We are demonstrating that our platform provides a rational means to design vaccines against a range targets – yielding candidates suitable for full clinical development.”

Codagenix has raised a total of $10M since 2015 – with its influenza vaccine candidate currently in Phase I and a pre-clinical pipeline that includes Zika, Dengue, and Agricultural targets in addition to RSV.

RSV is a virus that targets newborns and the elderly, with an estimated market size of $2 Billion for a potential RSV vaccine.

About Codagenix Inc.
Codagenix Inc., a biotechnology company on Long Island, New York, is developing live attenuated vaccines using a “disruptive” software-based rational design algorithm that is unlike previous vaccine “platforms”. By leveraging the redundancy in the genetic code (various codons exist at the gene level to encode the same amino acid at the protein level), the Codagenix algorithm re-structures viral genomes into a sub-optimal genetic code. The so-called “deoptimized” viruses have resulted in highly attenuated vaccine strains that are effective at greatly reduced doses, because they present every antigen of the pathogen, while being 100% identical to the target pathogen at the protein level. The Codagenix pipeline of vaccines includes Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Zika, Dengue, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), pathogenic E. coli, and other pathogens.

Codagenix has also been supported the Center for Biotechnology at Stony brook University which is a New York State Center for Advanced Technology and NIH-designated Research, Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH)

Annual Applied Research And Development Awards Announced

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Awards Support Innovative Research Collaborations Between Academic Faculty and Regional Bioscience Companies

The Center for Biotechnology at Stony Brook University has announced the recipients of the 2017-2018 Applied Research & Development (ARAD) awards. The ARAD Program is designed to help bridge the gap between the early-stage technology discovery and development capabilities of the academic community, and the later-stage commercial development interests of the bioscience industry.

The program currently provides matching funds on a competitive basis to support collaborations between Stony Brook University faculty and New York State corporate partners in all areas of medical biotechnology. The primary interest is in supporting development of technologies that will help companies hit commercially relevant milestones, and that have the potential to positively impact the New York State economy.

Projects supported this year include the furthered development of an ICU temporary pacemaker, a novel Lymphoma treatment, a novel synthetic peptide based therapeutic for Osteoporosis, further development of an fMRI Dynamic Phantom, development of novel vaccines, third generation taxoid based nanomedicine for chemoresistant cancer, development of a polymeric heart valve, a drug delivery technology for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, and the development of skin brightening agents.

“The Center’s Applied Research and Development Program speaks to the core of what our organization does – collaborate with New York State companies to help them develop commercially promising technologies that will lead to strategic partnerships, investment, corporate revenues, and job creation” said Diane Fabel, Director of Operations for the Center for Biotechnology. “Our academic institutions are incredible resources for bioscience companies to tap into when it comes to technology development, and promoting interactions between the two helps fuel the overall bioscience ecosystem in the region.”

The ARAD Program is part of a suite of programs and services provided by the Center for Biotechnology (CFB) focused on accelerating the development of biomedical technologies in order to have a positive impact on human health and society. The CFB is also the lead administrative institution for the Long Island Bioscience Hub (LIBH) an NIH-designated Research Evaluation and Commercialization Hub (REACH) established with a National Institutes of Health grant in 2015.

2017-2018 Applied Research and Development Awards 

“Synthetic Osteogenic Peptide for Treatment of Osteoporosis” Ajes Life Sciences & Dr. Srinivas Pentyala

“fMRI Dynamic Phantom for Improved Detection of Resting State Brain Networks” ALA Scientific Instruments & Dr. Helmut Strey

“Continued Development of ICU Temporary Pacemaker” Avery Biomedical Inc & Dr. Wei Lin

“Novel Pleiotropic Skin Brightening Agents” Biocogent, LLC & Dr. Sanford Simon

“In vivo Testing of Vaccine Candidates” Codagenix, Inc & Dr. Eckard Wimmer

“A Novel Polymeric Valve for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement” Polynova Cardiovascular, Inc. & Dr. Danny Bluestein

“Imaging the Targeted Delivery of Biologic Agents to the Colon for Local Therapeutic Action” Symbiotic Health Inc. & Dr. Peter M. Smith-Jones

“Eradication of an Oncogenic Herpesvirus as a Novel Intervention for Lymphoma” Theragnostic Technologies, Inc. & Dr. Laurie T. Krug

“Novel Cancer Stem Cell Cytotoxic Agent: Nano-Formulation IND-Enabling Studies” TargaGenix Inc. & Dr. Galina Botchkina

Download a PDF of the press release here.

 

Congratulations 40 under 40 Winners!

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Sincerest congratulations to our clients who are being recognized among Stony Brook University’s 40 under 40 for 2016.  Since earning their Stony Brook degree, they have gone on to pursue their passions, help others and lead positive change.

J. Robert Coleman ’08, PhD Molecular Genetics and Microbiology – Chief Operating Officer, Codagenix, Inc

Katarzyna M. Sawicka ’04, ’05, ’14, BS Engineering Chemistry, MS Chemistry, PhD Biomedical Engineering – Founder and President, ImmunoMatrix

Joseph Scaduto ’08, MBA Business Administration – Founder and CEO, Traverse Biosciences Inc.

libn40-40Additionally, warmest wishes of continued success to Stony Brook’s Director of Government Relations, Lauren Brookmeyer, who was recently named a Long Island Business News “40 under 40 Class of 2017” honoree.

 

Codagenix Inks Exclusive License Agreement

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Codagenix, Inc. has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with Stony Brook University, through the Research Foundation for the State of New York, to commercialize a platform technology to develop a pipeline of live attenuated vaccines against viral infections in people and animals. The technology relies on software to re-design the genomes of potentially harmful viruses to make them safe and effective vaccines. The technology stems from research in the laboratory of Eckard Wimmer, PhD, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology. The lead indication for vaccine development generated is a vaccine against Seasonal Influenza slated for Phase I human clinical trials in 2017.

Dr. Wimmer, along with Steffen Mueller, PhD, Codagenix President and Chief Science Officer, and J. Robert Coleman, PhD, Codagenix Chief Operating officer, worked as colleagues for years in Dr. Wimmer’s laboratory examining and experimenting with the genes of viruses. By collaborating with Stony Brook scientists Bruce Futcher, PhD, in the Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, and Steven Skienna, PhD, in the Department of Computer Science, they discovered a way using gene manipulation and computer algorithms to “re-code” the genes of viruses. This re-coding process makes viruses extremely weak and thus ideal candidates as ultra-low dose attenuated vaccines.

The licensing agreement enables Codgenix to develop and potentially market next generation vaccines using software-based gene design and whole viral synthesis to create low-dose, attenuated virus vaccines. The company expects to use this design to first test its vaccine against influenza; however, there are plans for human testing of their Zika and other vaccine candidates. Codagenix is also in partnership with a large agricultural company to make vaccines using the technology for companion and agricultural animals.

The technology has been shown to be effective against numerous viruses including ZIka, Dengue, and RSV all of which are in preclinical testing. The development of this pipeline of vaccines can be seen in numerous scientific papers since 2008, including a paper in Science, PNAS, National Biotechnology and most recently in 2015 in MBIo.

Read Stony Brook University’s full press release here. 

Codagenix Receives Phase I SBIR Grant for Swine Influenza Virus Vaccine

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Codagenix, a CFB client company, has announced that it has been awarded a $99,710 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to commence the development of an influenza vaccine for swine. Codagenix will apply its next-generation platform technology to construct a vaccine against influenza viruses that infect swine, which, according to the USDA’s 2014 Census of Agriculture is a $22.5 billion industry here in the United States. Read more here.

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