Scientists from Einstein and guests from venture capital firms and pharmaceutical companies gathered in June to attend Einstein’s inaugural Therapeutics Venture and Pitch Competition. At the event, organized by Einstein’s office of biotechnology and business development, three research teams presented their novel therapeutic approaches for potential investment and development.
“We were immensely pleased to have the opportunity to showcase Einstein’s research excellence and support the entrepreneurial spirit among our faculty,” said Janis Paradiso, M.B.A., C.L.P., director of Einstein’s office of biotechnology and business development. “The strength of all the proposals is a testament to the exceptional research conducted at Einstein and the commitment of our faculty to ensure that their findings are shepherded through the development pipeline.”
The pitch contest, which also included a mentoring program, was the result of a unique partnership formed in the fall of 2021 between Einstein and the three life-science-oriented venture capital firms that sponsored the program: Orange Grove Bio, AlleyCorp, and Alexandria Venture Investments.
An expert panel of scientists, investors, and drug development professionals had earlier chosen the finalists participating in the pitch contest. The winning proposal, which received $50,000, was “Targeting BRAF for Cancer Therapy,” submitted by Evripidis Gavathiotis, Ph.D. Dr. Gavathiotis is a professor of biochemistry and of medicine at Einstein.
