Biotech startups to look out for this October.

1. KANVAS BIOSCIENCE

 Kanvas Bioscience wants to revolutionize microbial research and infectious disease diagnostics with next-generation imaging technology that can provide deeper information on the spatial organization and behavior of microbial communities.

The company’s highly multiplexed imaging technology originates from Cornell University and uses a two-step process called high phylogenetic resolution microbiome mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization (HiPR-FISH). HiPR-FISH provides a framework for analyzing the spatial organization of microbial communities in tissues and the environment at single-cell resolution.

To locate the microbial communities, the researchers designed oligonucleotide probes that target specific bacteria cells based on the presence of a signature gene sequence and they made another group of probes that label the cells with fluorophores. Then the team used confocal microscopy to light up the fluorescent markers with lasers, and they used machine learning and custom software to decode the fluorescence spectra and interpret the images, resulting in what they describe as an efficient and cost-effective technology with single-cell resolution.

The technology has been applied to two different systems: the gut microbiome in mice and the human oral plaque microbiome. In the case of the gut microbiome, the team was able to demonstrate how the spatial associations between different bacteria are disrupted by antibiotic treatment.

Spatial mapping could potentially be an important tool for studying and possibly treating a range of diseases in which bacteria are a major culprit, such as inflammatory bowel disease, colorectal cancer, and infection.

2. INTELLIA THERAPEUTICS

Founded in 2014, Intellia Therapeutics is another genome editing company that focuses on treatments of life-threatening infectious diseases, gene-mediated toxicities, and chronic diseases of the liver, intestines, pancreas, and other glandular organs. It has various undergoing projects using the CRISPR/Cas system and is also developing drug carrier systems for delivering novel treatment constructs such as CAR T cells into the bloodstream. Several of Intellia’s projects are long-term collaborations with other prestigious research centers, such as Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research. Intellia is growing both in terms of people size of the company as well as in terms of research areas with new dimensions like the Central Nervous System and Sensory Inefficiencies added recently. The highlight from Intellia’s core team is definitely the latest designation of Dr. John Leonard as its President and CEO after its founding President Nessen Birmingham, Ph D., retired. As an Abbott and AbbVie veteran, Leonard surely brings with him a plethora of life science research experiences that may transform the company’s growth story.

3. TRIUMVIRA IMMUNOLOGICS INC. 

Triumvira Immunologics completed a $55 million Series A financing round in August 2020, the round was co-led by Leaps by Bayer and Northpond Ventures. Additional investors include Oceanpine Capital and Viva Biotech Holdings. Existing investors include Bloom Burton & Co. and the Centre for Commercialization of Cancer Immunotherapy (C3i), the company focuses on T-cell Antigen Coupler (TAC), a hybrid molecule made up of multiple protein domains to combine tumor-targeting abilities with the T-cell’s own activation machinery.
The company’s Phase I/II clinical trial for TAC01-CD19 was given clearance in the U.S. and Canada in July 2019, although the trial does not appear to have begun recruiting. In March 2020, Triumvira and Switzerland’s Lonza inked a collaboration to develop point-of-care manufacturing for TAC T-Cell therapeutic targeting solid tumors.