ILSE at Kean Announces $4 Million in Federal Awards to Three Companies

Startup and early-stage biotech and life science companies working with the Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship (ILSE) at Kean University were awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration to advance programs for novel antibiotics and antifungals and for potential new Alzheimer’s disease therapeutics.

The developing companies under the ILSE umbrella – Kathera Bioscience, Nanonewron LLC and Prokaryotics – together received $3.97 million from the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, known as America's Seed Fund. 

“These programs are the lifeblood of startup and early-stage companies. Promising but unproven technologies require seed funding to de-risk the scientific approach. For entrepreneurs with innovative and exciting ideas, there is often nowhere to go,” said Keith Bostian, Ph.D., ILSE CEO and associate provost for integrative sciences at Kean University, where ILSE is located. “Translational research funded by SBIRs and STTRs enable the critical first steps to developing new products for health care.”

In the past four years, companies at ILSE have received $30 million in grants from both federal sources and the State of New Jersey, including SBIRs and related programs, and collectively employ about 40 scientists in Union, New Jersey. ILSE supports translational research by providing incubator space and consulting expertise, directly and via a network of global life science experts and a core lab network of research and development service organizations.

“We are thrilled for these companies,” said Thomas Richardson, Ph.D., ILSE president. “Kathera and Prokaryotics have had outstanding successes with these programs and have won awards before. With Nanonewron being a first-time STTR recipient, the New Jersey life science ecosystem continues to bring in federal research dollars, create jobs and develop promising solutions to some of society’s most pressing healthcare needs.”

Prokaryotics Inc. received an SBIR fast track phase 2 award, in the amount of $2.875 million, for its work on antibiotics and antifungals.

“Emerging drug-resistant yeasts and molds are increasingly problematic in the community and healthcare settings. We are grateful to the National Institutes of Health and peer reviewers for supporting Prokaryotics’ first antifungal program aimed at developing a mechanistically new antibiotic to address this threat,” said Terry Roemer, Ph.D., chairman, founder and chief scientific officer.

Kathera Bioscience Inc. received a two-year award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, valued at up to $597,060 to support the development of treatments for fungal infections. 

“We are excited to have received this funding from NIAID. Drug-resistant fungal infections pose increasing challenges to public health, and this funding will advance studies toward the development of new broad-spectrum antifungal drugs,” said Stephen Parent, Ph.D., vice president of business strategy and development. “Kathera is grateful to the Institute for Life Science Entrepreneurship for providing accelerator and incubator services that supported the launch of our biotech startup and its R&D programs.”

Nanonewron LLC received an STTR award from the National Institute on Aging, in the amount of $499,828 for its project on the use of therapeutic nanobodies in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“We are thankful to NIA for this funding to advance our program in collaboration with Rutgers University. Therapeutic nanobodies represent a promising advance to treating inflammation leading to Alzheimer’s disease, and our technology is a first-in-class approach to addressing this intractable and growing problem with aging,” said Luciano D’Adamio, Ph.D., Nanonewron co-founder.