Reglagene is an oncology company that discovers and develops medicines for deadly brain cancers including glioblastoma and metastatic breast and lung cancers.
Current Status
With backing from The Arizona Commerce Authority, the Flinn Foundation, and the NIH, Reglagene became a fully operational biotech company in Tucson Arizona. The Reglagene team has successfully designed, manufactured, and tested over 600 cancer medicines, and are now choosing the best one to move forward into the clinic. After raising a seed round and convertible note, we recently signed a Series A term sheet with the Cancer Fund, a Phoenix based venture capital firm.
Problem or Opportunity
Currently there are 217 FDA approved cancer medicines available for patients. Out of these 217 cancer medicines, only 4 are indicated for life threatening brain cancer. Unfortunately, none of these have a significant survival benefit. Temozolomide, the standard of care chemotherapy and most widely used brain cancer medicine, only extends life by about 2.5 months. Temozolomide’s side effect profile is so harsh it causes patients to choose between palliative care and brief extended survival with major loss of quality of life.
Solution (product or service)
Reglagene is developing a therapeutically effective, orally administered, brain penetrant cancer medicine. We aim to reach patients as quickly as possible and utilize the FDA accelerated drug development and approval programs to reduce timelines and cost.
Patients will no longer choose between palliative care and toxic medicines that barely extend their lives. For the first time, an orally available, safer, broadly effective cancer agent will pass into the brain to defeat cancer.
Business model
Reglagene is a pre-revenue company. Our first opportunity to generate revenue will come through a co-development deal with a larger pharmaceutical company on our first asset. Co-development deals enable two companies to work together to develop a new therapy and are often struck during completion of the FDA-mandated studies to enable the first-in-human clinical trial. Reglagene is about six months from crossing the threshold in which a co-development deal is a viable possibility.
Incubation/Acceleration programs accomplishment
Arizona Innovation Challenge Venture Ready
Flinn Foundation Bioentrepreneurship Program
Mentored by the University of Arizona Center for Innovation
