August 2020
THE OCR REPORT
A Message from Jon
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What we do here matters. Although it remains a turbulent time, it is also a time of great achievement in the pursuit of research and innovation intended to benefit society. Here at OCR I couldn’t be more proud to share with you that our office was recently granted “Safe to Proceed” notices to two INDs, which will lead to human clinical trials, and hopefully, will make a difference for those afflicted with Covid-19 or cystic fibrosis.

Speaking of scientific achievements, I hope you will join us for the 1st Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale Showcase webinar next month.
Jon Soderstrom
Managing Director
Yale Office of Cooperative Research
What's coming up
YALE STARTUPS IN FORMATION (YSIF)
Thursday, Sept 10, 2020 4:30 - 6pm
Register now!
Yale Startups in Formation (YSIF) is a program for entrepreneurial faculty founded and directed by the Office of Cooperative Research (OCR). Each YSIF meeting is designed to be partly educational and partly new venture seminar, aiming to serve Yale innovators and their co-founders as these teams launch their businesses and formulate their go-to-market strategies. Each session includes opening remarks from an OCR corporate partner, a featured presenter, and a highlighted faculty venture team.

The September 10th session includes the following:

HOST: Dr. James Boyle, Exec. Director of Venture Development, OCR
OPENING REMARKS: Deloitte
PRESENTER: Colin Foster, Yale Entrepreneur in Residence & CEO, iSci Management LLC
FACULTY SPEAKER: Prof. Rajit Manohar, Depts. of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science 
The Blavatnik Fund For Innovation
at Yale Showcase
Thursday, Sept. 17, 2020 1:00 - 2:30pm
You don't want to miss this!

See eight of Yale’s hottest new biotech opportunities at Blavatnik Fund for Innovation at Yale SHOWCASE. Previous recipients of this highly competitive funding will present discovery and preclinical assets in areas such as oncology, neurology, pulmonary, and anti-infectives that are available for partnering or investing.

Blavatnik funding has already catalyzed the formation of 8 new companies that have raised $67 million, as well as producing 2 FDA approved INDs.  Come see two of these startups, another 6 ready to launch, and our twelve new 2020 awardees.  
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Our News
Yale’s Office of Cooperative Research Granted “Safe to Proceed” Notices to Two INDs: COVID-19 Related Multi-Site Clinical Trial in the Works
News We're Following
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Yale developed Saliva-based coronavirus test funded by NBA, NBPA gets emergency authorization from FDA
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An allosteric site on MKP5 reveals a strategy for small-molecule inhibition
Opinion: Scared That Covid-19 Immunity Won’t Last? Don’t Be.
Janssen Announces U.S. FDA Approval of SPRAVATO® (esketamine) CIII Nasal Spray to Treat Depressive Symptoms in Adults
Farmington innovator CaroGen Corporation has been named “Innovator of the Month.” 
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Current, state-wide industry news.
Spotlight












CEO, Pangolin Therapeutics &
Yale OCR Entrepreneur In Residence
Pangolin Therapeutics will be presenting at the 1st Blavatnik Showcase on Sept 17.

Overview of your current project
Numerous clinical trials in amyloidosis have failed as a result of misdirected focus on amyloid states of disease-causing proteins. Pangolin Therapeutics’ (PTx) small-molecule platform, termed Pangomers™, was developed to address this deficiency. The Pangomer™ core structure enables selective targeting of pre-amyloid, toxic oligomers (PAOs). Here, we seek to address Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), an aggressive, orphan-indicated form of Parkinson's for which there are no approved therapeutics. Our pilot efforts have identified and validated a strategy for development of Pangomer™ analogues that neutralize PAOs from MSA. Additional funding will allow execution of this strategy delivering a lead molecule for pre-clinical advancement. Together with the Blavatnik Awards, $1 million in grants has been secured to advance the platform towards the company’s first round.
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Favorite Off-Time Activity
Birding in remote places worldwide.
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Best Advice for Young Innovators
Be deeply passionate and respectful of your technology, but equally so, your team.  
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