Leigh N. Pierce

Chiron Corp. provides nucleic acid test for blood screening. Its products include tigris system, target capture system, reagent preparation incubator, and many more. The company was founded in 1981 by William J. Rutter, Edward E. Penhoet & Pablo Valenzuela and is headquartered in Emeryville, CA.

iTherX is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for Hepatitis C. This is a disease that affects almost 3% of the world's population, and is the major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure and primary liver cancer. Currently there is only a single mode of therapy and less than 5% of patients can be successfully treated. The company continues to carry out focused research in their areas of expertise to provide sustainability of product pipelines. In an era of managed care and increased regulatory scrutiny, it is easy to yield to the temptation of producing 'me too drugs'. However, they think that innovation in the development of pharmaceutical products is important because it is the only way to improve the outcomes for patients. As such, they also think that innovation can ensure the financial returns that investors in health care deserve for the risks that they take. Their innovative approach is evident in their pipeline of Hepatitis C drug candidates. As new and better treatments are being sought, most companies involved in this effort are targeting the enzymes responsible for viral replication: polymerases and proteases. While these are important targets, there is a great deal of duplication of effort in these initiatives. At iTherX, they are pioneering the development of a novel class of HCV antivirals by targeting the steps involved in the entry of the hepatitis C virus into liver cells. Their Host Cell Receptor Target Program engenders small molecule compounds that target a liver cell membrane protein, SR-B1, which recognize and dock the virus. Their lead compound, ITX5061, has extensive safety data in over 250 patients, and shows picomolar potency in inhibiting HCV infection in vitro. They plan to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial in HCV patients in Q2 of 2009. They have also used medicinal chemistry to develop back-up compounds for this program, and a clinical candidate has been selected for development. Another innovative program is novel cell receptor, which develops antagonists (including biologics) against a novel liver cell membrane protein required for infectivity of the virus.

PacificGMP LLC provides an array of development and production services for recombinant proteins, antibodies, cell therapies and vaccines for preclinical and clinical materials. It offers process development, GMP manufacturing, regulatory affairs compliance and single use technology services. The company has offices in Cambridge and San Diego. PacificGMP was founded by Gary Pierce and Leigh N. Pierce in 2005 and is headquartered in San Diego, CA.

AriZeke Pharmaceuticals, Inc. delivers therapeutic proteins and genes. The company's products are used in treatment of disorders which are caused by various bacteria. It is located in San Diego, CA.

Abzena Ltd. engages in the provision of proprietary technologies and complementary services to enable the development and manufacture of biopharmaceutical products. It offers antibody discover and candidate screening, immunology and immunogenicity assessment, antibody and protein engineering, bio conjugation, custom synthesis of cytotoxic payloads, reagents, and other small molecules, manufacture of payload linkers, development of manufacturing cell lines, and manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. The company was founded by Sunil Shaunak in 2001 and is headquartered in Cambridge, the United Kingdom.