Akero Therapeutics
NASDAQ:AKROAkero Therapeutics, Inc., together with its subsidiary, engages in the development of treatments for patients with serious metabolic diseases in the United States. The company's lead product candidate is efruxifermin (EFX), which is in Phase 3 clinical trials that protects against cellular stress and regulates the metabolism of lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins throughout the body for the treatment of biopsy-confirmed metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) patients. It has a license agreement with Amgen Inc. to develop, manufacture, use, distribute, and sell EFX as a treatment for MASH and other metabolic diseases. The company was formerly known as Pippin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and changed its name to Akero Therapeutics, Inc. in May 2018. Akero Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2017 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
Assembly Biosciences
NASDAQ:ASMBAssembly Biosciences, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, discovers and develops therapeutic candidates for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the United States. The company's next-generation HBV core inhibitors include ABI-4334, which is in Phase 1a studies for the treatment of HBV; and ABI-H3733, which is in Phase 1b clinical study. It is also involved in novel small molecule approaches for HBV and hepatitis delta virus (HDV) comprising an orally bioavailable HBV/HDV entry inhibitor and liver-focused interferon-a receptor agonist. In addition, the company develops Herpesvirus programs, such as ABI-5366 HSV-2, a long-acting helicase inhibitor; and pan-herpes non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitors for transplant-associated infections. Further, Assembly Biosciences, Inc. has collaboration agreement with BeiGene, Ltd. to develop and commercialize the novel core inhibitor product candidates for chronic HBV infection in the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau; and clinical trial collaboration agreement with Arbutus Biopharma Corporation to conduct a randomized, multi-center, and open-label clinical trials, as well as agreement with Antios Therapeutics, Inc. for triple combination therapy. The company also has license agreement with Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation for HBV research, as well as a partnership with Gilead Sciences, Inc. to develop next-generation therapeutics for serious viral diseases. The company was formerly known as Ventrus Biosciences, Inc. and changed its name to Assembly Biosciences, Inc. in June 2014. Assembly Biosciences, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in South San Francisco, California.
Frequency Therapeutics
NASDAQ:FREQFrequency Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company, focuses on developing therapeutics to activate a person's innate regenerative potential to restore function. Its Progenitor Cell Activation approach uses small molecules to activate progenitor cells within the body to create functional tissue. The company's lead product candidate is FX-322, which is in Phase IIb clinical trial to treat the underlying cause of sensorineural hearing loss. It is also developing medicines for patients across a range of degenerative conditions, including multiple sclerosis, and diseases of the muscle, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and bone. The company has a license and collaboration agreement with Astellas Pharma Inc. for the development and commercialization of FX-322, as well as collaboration and licensing agreements with Massachusetts Eye and Ear, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and The Scripps Research Institute. Frequency Therapeutics, Inc. was incorporated in 2014 and is headquartered in Lexington, Massachusetts.
Kura Oncology
NASDAQ:KURAKura Oncology, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, develops medicines for the treatment of cancer. The company's pipeline consists of small molecule product candidates that target cancer. Its lead product candidates are ziftomenib, an orally bioavailable small molecule inhibitor of the menin-KMT2A interaction for the treatment of genetically defined subsets of acute leukemias, including acute myeloid leukemia and acute lymphoblastic leukemia; tipifarnib, an orally bioavailable farnesyl transferase inhibitor combination with alpelisib for patients with PIK3CA-dependent HNSCC; and KO-2806, a farnesyl transferase inhibitor for the treatment of solid tumors. It has a clinical collaboration with Novartis Pharma AG to evaluate the combination of tipifarnib and alpelisib in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma whose tumors have HRAS overexpression and/or PIK3CA mutation and/or amplification. The company was founded in 2014 and is headquartered in San Diego, California.
VBI Vaccines
NASDAQ:VBIVVBI Vaccines Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, develops and sells vaccines to treat immuno-oncology and infectious disease. It offers Sci-B-Vac, a prophylactic hepatitis B (HBV) vaccine. The company also develops VBI-2601, an immunotherapeutic candidate for the treatment of chronic HBV infection; VBI-1901, a glioblastoma vaccine immunotherapeutic candidate, which is in Phase I/IIa clinical study to treat solid tumors; VBI-1501, a prophylactic cytomegalovirus vaccine candidate that has completed Phase I clinical trial; and VBI-2501 that is in preclinical trial to treat Zika virus. In addition, it develops coronavirus vaccine candidates that include VBI-2902, VBI-2901, and VBI-2905. The company has collaboration and license agreements with Brii Biosciences Limited; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals S.A.; and the National Research Council of Canada to develop pan-coronavirus vaccine candidate targeting COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and Middle East respiratory syndrome. It also has a collaboration with Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations to advance vaccine candidates against Covid-19 variants. The company was formerly known as SciVac Therapeutics Inc. and changed its name to VBI Vaccines Inc. in May 2016. VBI Vaccines Inc. is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.