Tranzyme Inc.
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
The founders of Tranzyme Inc. believe that since HIV can infect and transfer its DNA into a wide range of cell types, by rendering the virus pathologically ineffective, they could turn the virus into an effective delivery system for gene therapy.
You may also be interested in...
Gene Delivery: Looking Past the Skeptics
The criticism of gene therapy has been continual and consistent. But in fact, at least some delivery systems do work. It is true, however, that not all vectors work in all diseases, and the challenge for gene delivery start-ups is figuring out which ones work where.
Targacept Inc.
Targacept spun out in 2000 from tobacco giant RJ Reynolds, with 60 patents, 23 scientists and an ongoing strategic alliance with Aventis. Not to mention $30 million from venture backers excited about the company's potential for discovering drugs that act on neuronal nicotinic receptors.
Galapagos Genomics NV
The mission of Galapagos Genomics NV is much the same as that of many other start-up companies today: to determine the function of at least some of the genes that are now swamping databases and frustrating pharmaceutical researchers with their very abundance. It inherits a powerful combination of technologies from its parents: from Introgene BV, it gets technology for making libraries of adenoviral vectors containing human genes. From Tibotec NV, it gets automation and bioinformatics capabilities.