Every day, Global University Venturing rounds up the smaller investments from across the university innovation ecosystem in its deal net.
Theoria Science, a Japan-based cancer diagnostics and treatment developer commercialising research from Tokyo Medical University, has received an undisclosed amount of series A funding from SBI Investment, the venture capital arm of financial services firms SBI Holdings. The company advances research by its chief science officer, Takahiro Ochiya, a professor at the Institute of Medical Science at Tokyo Medical University.
University of Maryland School of Medicine has launched US-based spinout Vitruvian Bio to develop RNA-based diagnostics for Covid-19 that visually detects the virus within 10 minutes. The rapid assay involves taking a nasal swab or saliva sample to look for a genetic sequence unique to the novel coronavirus which, if present, binds to the test’s nanoparticle-driven biosensor, turning its liquid reagent from purple to blue. Vitruvian Bio extends research by Dipanjan Pan, professor of diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine and paediatrics at the School of Medicine, and Matthew Frieman, associate professor of microbiology and immunology. Pan hopes to secure emergency-use authorisation for the test from US healthcare regulator Food and Drug Administration, with pre-submission talks expected in coming weeks.
Denmark-based Lifeline Robotics is also aiming to deliver Covid-19 diagnostics having emerged from University of Southern Denmark (SDU) and Odense University Hospital (OUH). Lifeline Robotics intends to develop purpose-built robots that leverage a 3D-printed disposable instrument to precisely swab the patient’s throat in the location where a sample is needed. The robot puts the sample into a glass container before fastening the seal so that is ready for analysis. Lifeline Robotics has completed a prototype of the approach, which was invented by researchers under Thiusius Rajeeth Savarimuthu, professor at SDU’s Robotics unit and the Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Institute, and Kim Brixen, medical director at OUH.
McGill University has formed Canada-based analgesic drug developer Neurasic Therapeutics in alliance with Canadian public-private commercialisation initiative AdMare BioInnovations and seed-stage life sciences vehicle AmorChem II Fund. Neurasic Therapeutics emerged from research undertaken by Phillipe Séguéla, professor of neuroscience at McGill University, that was then validated by AdMare. The approach focuses on acid-sensing ion channels, a gene family of neuronal receptors, in order to block pain as an alternative to addictive opioid-based drugs.
– Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu