January 2021
THE OCR REPORT
A Message from Jon
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Despite the ongoing challenges and hardships, there are a lot of positive things to focus on. The biotech innovation ecosystem around New Haven continues to thrive with Yale spinouts taking root, and investors betting big on our community. We are looking forward to filling you in on all of the details when we resume our annual Innovation Summit this Spring. We hope you will join us over four days in May for a virtual experience designed to highlight Yale’s entrepreneurial faculty and their investable innovations. Having a front row seat to all this continues to be a privilege.
Jon Soderstrom
Managing Director
Yale Office of Cooperative Research
What's
Coming Up
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Save the date for the 2021 Yale Innovation Summit! The Summit is the largest entrepreneurship event on campus, and the largest gathering of venture capital investors in Connecticut. Over 100 startups founded by Yale biotech and tech innovators are joined by top ventures from around the state to pitch their ideas in a ”Shark Tank” format to prospective industry partners and investors. The Yale Innovation Summit offers unparalleled networking, education, and inspiration to the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem.  The event runs virtually over 4 afternoons, culminating in an awards ceremony where over $45K in cash prizes and $2.5 million in Blavatnik accelerator funding will be presented. 
OCR Faculty Entrepreneurship Program Learning Series Event
The Winning Investor Pitch 
Wednesday 2.24.21
1-2 PM
Learn the art of building and delivery a winning investor pitch with perspectives from Stephen “Zam” Zamierowski from Deloitte moderated by Evan Kipperman from Wiggin & Dana. This interactive presentation will provide insights on how to effectively communicate your innovation and the necessary elements that investors want to hear. You will be able to interact with the presenters in a Q&A session that follows.
Our News
Now accepting applications for the 2021-22 Blavatnik Fellowship!
Entrepreneurs play a crucial role in successful commercialization of new biomedical technologies. The Blavatnik Fellowship in Life Science Entrepreneurship is designed to foster entrepreneurial skills in the life sciences, linking emerging business leaders with breakthrough innovations from across Yale University. 
To see where past fellows are now, please SEE HERE.
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Yale Scientists Dr. Lajos Pusztai and Dr. Vignesh Gunasekharan Target Metabolic Energy Hog in Progress Toward New Breast Cancer Treatment
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Allyx Therapeutics Announces License for the Treatment of Cognitive Deficits in Neurodegenerative Disorders from Bristol Myers Squibb and Yale
News We're Following
21 New "Kids" on the Block: The Most Recent Entrants into the Greater New Haven Biotech Hub
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Biotech Arvinas Adds to Science Park Footprint
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Kleo partners with Korean firm on COVID drug; Medtronic shares IP on ventilator design to address shortage
CT Bioscience Company Closes on $135M in Financing
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Developer Winstanley Bets Big on New Haven as a Bioscience Hub
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Biohaven Acquires Kleo Pharmaceuticals and Licenses Platform Technology from Yale University to Form Biohaven Labs
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Isoplexis Announces $135 Million Financing Led by Perceptive Advisors
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Felix Biotechnology Announces Initiation of the CYPHY Phase 1/2 study at Yale for its Lead Asset Targeting P.Aeruginosa Infections
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Current, state-wide industry news.
Faculty Spotlight
Lajos Pusztai, MD, DPhil
Professor of Medicine (Medical Oncology); Co-Leader, Genetics, Genomics and Epigenetics, Yale Cancer Center
Overview of Current Project:
Miso Therapeutics: Targeting cancer cells' Metabolic isoenzyme addiction: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies and therefore rely on chemotherapy with its associated side effects. TNBC is an aggressive disease with high metabolic rewiring. We have identified PCK2 as a TNBC-specific metabolic target by comparing RNA sequencing data from patient-matched clinical samples. PCK2 is a novel target and lacks an inhibitor, a protein model, and an enzyme assay. To this end, we have created a homology model, a high throughput enzyme assay, and identified an active hit. Using the Blavatnik fund, we propose to perform lead optimization, PK/PD, and in vivo validation.
Favorite Off-Time Activity
A like to read books. Reading about topics unrelated to medicine and cancer research that unclutter my mind and enriches me with ideas that I sometimes can bring back to my day job, medical oncology and breast cancer research. Right now I am reading books about the life of Albrehct Durer, the history of Islam, and how the Este Lauder cosmetics company was funded. I also like hiking, running, bicycling, see kayaking, skiing, sailing with my sons. The interesting thing about being alone in nature is that I never feel lonely, unlike being alone in a restaurant or in a crowded space.

Best Advice for new entrepreneurs
An idea is a good start, but your team is everything and failure is the foundation of future success.
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