Kenneth Moch

Zynerba (NASDAQ: ZYNE) is dedicated to improving the lives of people with rare and near rare neuropsychiatric disorders where there is a high unmet medical need by pioneering the development and commercialization of next-generation pharmaceutically-produced cannabinoid therapeutics formulated for transdermal delivery. Cannabinoids interact with specific receptors throughout the body to produce pharmacologic effects, primarily in the CNS and immune systems. Transdermal delivery has the potential to reduce adverse effects associated with oral dosing because it allows the drug to be absorbed through the skin directly into the bloodstream, avoiding the gastrointestinal tract and lessening the opportunity for GI-related adverse events. It also avoids first-pass liver metabolism, potentially enabling lower dosage levels of active pharmaceutical ingredients with a higher bioavailability and an improved safety profile. Zynerba’s lead patent-protected product candidate in clinical development is Zygel™. Zygel is the first and only pharmaceutically-produced cannabidiol formulated as a permeation-enhanced gel for transdermal delivery. Through a proprietary combination of our pharmaceutically-produced cannabidiol and permeation enhancers, we believe we can effectively deliver CBD through the layers of the epidermis and into the circulatory system. The company is currently assessing Zygel in Fragile X Syndrome, a rare genetic neuropsychiatric syndrome called 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Zynerba is the leader in pharmaceutically-produced transdermal cannabinoid therapies for rare and near-rare neuropsychiatric disorders. We are committed to improving the lives of patients and their families living with severe, chronic health conditions. Zynerba is developing a compelling wholly-owned clinical pipeline that may address significant unmet medical needs.

At Chimerix, we are on a mission to develop medicines that meaningfully improve and extend the lives of patients facing deadly diseases. With a focus in oncology, we are devoted to filling gaps in the treatment paradigm.

Ekawa Therapeutics has translated insights in the neural circuits of consciousness into novel therapeutics which will allow anesthesiologists to treat anesthetic emergence as an active process - in other words, to wake patients up faster, especially after long surgeries and/or deep anesthesia. Our “Anesthetic Reversal Agents” (ARAs) will facilitate faster post-operative and ICU recovery from deep anesthesia, which benefits the patient in terms of medical care and the hospital and medical staff in allowing more efficient utilization of staff time and the surgical or ICU suite. Because of the anticipated positioning within the surgical process, ARAs have almost MedTech-like development timelines and costs but pharmaceutical-like market potential.

M2DS Therapeutics is developing therapies for genetic neurodevelopmental disorders caused by gene duplication. The Company has licensed a novel brain delivery technology as well as a targeted siRNA sequence from the RNA Therapeutics Institute at the UMass Chan School of Medicine (home to multiple Nobel Laureates), and as its first program is developing a novel therapy (MDS-1764) for MECP2 Duplication Syndrome, a rare disease caused by the overproduction of the MECP2 protein (the opposite of Rett Syndrome). M2DS plans to expand the use of the amphiphilic conjugate (dendrimer) technology to other diseases in or controlled by the brain.

Building on a deep understanding of mRNA binding proteins, Regerna Therapeutics has pioneered the use of AUF1 as a master regulator of functional muscle regeneration and repair. We are developing therapeutics for surgical and post-injury disuse atrophy (LNP-delivered AUF1, REG-1003) as well as muscular dystrophies (AAV8-delivered AUF1, REG-A40), all area of high unmet need. This brings us directly into the healthy aging and longevity fields – but importantly with clearly defined and highly focused clinical development and product lifecycle pathways. Consistent AUF1 pre-clinical data across multiple animal models, delivery methods and dosing periods show clear restoration of all parameters of active, fully functional muscle as well as significant improvement of clinically relevant performance measurements such as strength and endurance.

Ternalys Therapeutics’ SAGUARO Platform provides a simple yet elegant way to simultaneously deliver multiple microRNAs, replenishing cancer cells with microRNAs that are present in normal cells but decreased in cancer cells - and thereby reversing the cancer’s defensive epigenetic changes. We have demonstrated the ability to synergistically enhance existing therapies and, by doing so, potentially alter the outcomes for many intractable cancers.

The Endless Frontier Labs (EFL) is a nine-month, goal-oriented mentorship program at NYU Stern School of Business designed for early-stage science and technology startups worldwide (no NYU affiliation required). EFL helps transform breakthrough scientific and technological innovations into high-impact businesses. Participating startups receive mentorship from an elite network of successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, and scientists, drawn from New York and beyond. EFL is a unique, “founders first” program and does not charge fees or take equity in startups, and participating startups are drawn from all over the world.