Oak Therapeutics wants to tackle tuberculosis, one strip at a time. The Oxnard company, which develops pharmaceutical grade oral dissolvable strips, may now be a step closer to fighting the world’s second most common infectious cause of death, with help from a research grant provided by the National Institutes of Health. The company announced last month that its anti-tuberculosis treatment has completed Phase 1 of the Small Business Innovation Research Contract from the NIH. The company will now move on to Phase 2, where it will continue research to examine the scalability of the product. The SBIR program is funded by NIH and the Small Business Administration, in hopes to help small businesses conduct research and development on products that have a potential for commercialization. In the past, companies such as Symantec Corp., Qualcomm Inc. and Jawbone have received early stage funding from the program. Oak Therapeutics is a subsidiary of Cure Pharmaceuticals, a company established six years ago by a handful of former employees of Amgen Inc. in Thousand Oaks. The company manages its vertically integrated manufacturing plant in Oxnard, where it conducts research on polymer sciences to develop new drug delivery methods like oral strips. Cure’s Chief Executive Robert Davidson said Oak Therapeutics was created specifically to address public health issues in emerging markets. The oral strips are a better delivery method compared to pills in some parts of the world, he said. “With oral strips, you don’t need water, which there is a big shortage of in places like Africa,” said Davidson. “We want to attack different indications specific to emerging markets and diseases that are not being looked at efficiently.” In addition to tuberculosis, the company is also developing oral dissolvable strips for malaria. Cure has a history of working in international markets. In Asia, the company entered into a distribution partnership for an erectile dysfunction drug, deliverable through an oral strip. In July, the company entered into a research agreement with an Israeli company to research cannabinoid-based drugs in cancer treatment. “There is an exciting potential there,” said Davidson. “We are looking at the genetic makeup of the plant itself and at which combination it will be more efficacious against which cancer types.” West Nile Virus The heat is rising in the Valley region and so are the mosquitos. According to the California Health & Safety Department, there have been 10 confirmed human cases of West Nile virus in San Fernando Valley out of 22 confirmed cases in Los Angeles County. The Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District, a division of the Health & Safety Department, is the agency responsible for tracking and preventing the disease. According to the agency, 49 mosquito samples collected in its jurisdiction tested positive for West Nile Virus in one week. The agency said San Fernando Valley is an area of heightened concern and advised residents to remove sources of standing water in their yards where mosquitos can lay eggs and grow. “It’s easy to forget insect repellent or ignore standing water,” Levy Sun, public information officer at GLACVCD, said in a statement. “But no one forgets when they or a family member becomes sick with West Nile virus.” While an infection with West Nile virus is often mild, it can cause significant cognitive and neurologic symptoms in some patients. The agency recommends that residents apply repellents with active ingredients like DEET or Picaridin before outdoor activities. Biotech Breakfast Talk California Lutheran University is bringing together leaders in biotech to discuss the industry’s impact in Los Angeles County and how organizations can encourage its growth in the region. The panelists are comprised of executives from three biotechnology startups in Los Angeles, all from the Valley region. Kanan Therapeutics Inc. is a Westlake Village development stage biotech company focused on cardiovascular therapies. The company will be represented by Frank Watanabe, its chief operating officer, who has worked in organizations like Eli Lilly & Co. and Amgen Inc. REMD Biotherapeutics in Camarillo develops biopharmaceuticals for diabetes treatment. The company has raised more than $60 million to develop antibodies for diabetes. The company will be represented by Hai Yan, its founder. Lastly, the panel will be joined by ADRx, a Thousand Oaks biotech focused on new therapies for Alzheimer’s. The company will be represented by Chief Executive James Treanor. The event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley on Sept. 11. Staff Reporter Iris Lee can be reached at (818) 316-3130 or [email protected]
