GlycoMira's technology was the result of a casual
challenge from practicing pulmonary physician Tom Kennedy (right) to medicinal
chemist Glenn Prestwich (second) to try to make a non-porcine derived replacement
for
non-anticoagulant heparin derivatives. The data from the first
compounds - called SAGEs, or semi-synthetic glycosaminoglycan ethers -
were so encouraging, that GlycoMira was launched in Apr 2008 with funding
from a Utah State Centers of Excellence
licensee grant. Glenn Prestwich recruited his pilot friend and business
partner, W. Tim Miller (third, President and CEO of the combined Echelon Biosciences-Frontier Scientific companies)
to serve as Acting President during the company formation. Together,
Tim Miller and Glenn Prestwich recruited G. Thomas Heath (left), the first
president of Echelon Biosciences, as Chair of the Board of Directors to
complete the team. With initial private investments, SBIRs and
university funds, GlycoMira has demonstrated safety and efficacy of a
number of its SAGEs against a broad spectrum of RAGE-mediated
inflammatory diseases. GlycoMira's strong team with its novel
technology and excellent traction is committed to expediting the
delivery of new therapeutics to the clinic. |