Acasti Pharma
NASDAQ:ACSTAcasti Pharma Inc. engages in the development and commercialization of pharmaceutical products for rare and orphan diseases in Canada. The company's lead product candidate is the GTX-104, an intravenous infusion to treat subarachnoid hemorrhage. It also develops GTX-102, an oral mucosal spray for the treatment of ataxia-telangiectasia; and GTX-101, a topical bioadhesive film-forming bupivacaine spray for postherpetic neuralgia. The company was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Laval, Canada.
AgeX Therapeutics
NYSE:AGEAgeX Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the development and commercialization of novel therapeutics targeting human aging and degenerative diseases in the United States. The company's lead cell-based therapeutic candidates in development include AGEX-BAT1, a cell therapy product candidate for the treatment of various age-related metabolic disorders, such as Type II adult-onset diabetes and obesity; and AGEX-VASC1, a cell-based therapy to restore vascular support in aged ischemic tissues, such as peripheral vascular disease and ischemic heart disease. Its lead small molecule drug-based therapeutic candidate for scarless wound repair in discovery is AGEX-iTR1547, a drug-based formulation; and lead biologic candidate for induced tissue regeneration is AGEX-iTR1550 (Renelon), a gene delivery technology. AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. has a research collaboration with the University of California at Irvine to develop cellular therapies to treat neurological disorders and diseases. The company was incorporated in 2017 and is based in Alameda, California.
ASLAN Pharmaceuticals
NASDAQ:ASLNASLAN Pharmaceuticals Limited, a clinical-stage immunology focused biopharmaceutical company, engages in developing various treatments to transform the lives of patients. The company's clinical portfolio comprises ASLAN004, a monoclonal antibody that targets the IL-13 receptor a1 subunit which is being developed for the treatment of atopic dermatitis and other immunology indications; and ASLAN003, a small-molecule inhibitor of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase for the treatment of autoimmune diseases. It has a joint venture with JAGUAHR Therapeutics Pte. Ltd. and Bukwang Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to develop immuno-oncology therapeutics for markets targeting the AhR pathway. Its partners include Almirall, Array BioPharma, and CSL Limited. The company was founded in 2010 and is headquartered in Singapore.
DURECT
NASDAQ:DRRXDURECT Corporation, a biopharmaceutical company, develops medicines based on its epigenetic regulator program. The company's lead product larsucosterol (DUR-928), an endogenous, orally bioavailable small molecule that is in Phase IIb clinical trial to play a regulatory role in lipid metabolism, stress and inflammatory responses, and cell death and survival to treat alcohol-associated hepatitis, as well as completed Phase Ib clinical trial to treat patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. It also offers ALZET product line that consists of osmotic pumps and accessories used for research in mice, rats, and other laboratory animals. In addition, the company offers POSIMIR, a post-surgical pain product to deliver bupivacaine over three days in adults; and Methydur to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It markets and sells its ALZET lines through direct sales force in the United States, as well as through a network of distributors in other countries. The company has strategic collaboration and other agreements with Virginia Commonwealth University Intellectual Property Foundation; Indivior UK Ltd.; and Innocoll Pharmaceuticals Limited. DURECT Corporation was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Cupertino, California.
Verastem
NASDAQ:VSTMVerastem, Inc., a development-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on developing and commercializing drugs for the treatment of cancer in the United States. Its product candidates are Avutometinib, an orally available small molecule RAF/MEK clamp that inhibits the ras sarcoma RAF/MEK, ERK mitogen activated pathway kinase pathway which is involved in cell proliferation, migration, transformation, and survival of tumor cells; and Defactinib, an oral small molecule inhibitor of FAK and proline-rich tyrosine kinase for various solid tumors. The company is involved in clinical studies, including RAMP 301, a randomized global confirmatory trial to evaluate the combination of Avutometinib and Defactinib for the treatment of patients with recurrent low-grade serous ovarian cancer; RAMP 201, an adaptive two-part multicenter, parallel cohort, randomized open label trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Avutometinib and in combination with Defactinib; and FRAME, an investigation of Avutometinib and Defactinib in patients with KRAS mutant cancers and subsequent analyses; and RAMP 204 and 205. It has license agreements with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. for the development, commercialization, and manufacture of products containing Avutometinib; and Pfizer Inc. to research, develop, manufacture, and commercialize products containing Pfizer's inhibitors of FAK for therapeutic, diagnostic, and prophylactic uses in humans. In addition, it has a clinical collaboration agreement with Amgen, Inc. to evaluate the combination of Avutometinib with Amgen's KRAS-G12C inhibitor LUMAKRAS which in Phase 1/2 trial entitled RAMP 203; and a discovery and development collaboration with GenFleet Therapeutics to advance new programs targeting RAS pathway-driven cancers. Verastem, Inc. was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in Needham, Massachusetts.