Press Releases

NEW YORK, NY – August 13, 2018 – Accelerator Life Science Partners (Accelerator), a leading life science investment and management firm, today announced that it has launched Magnolia Neurosciences Corporation, a company developing a new class of neuroprotective medicines. Co-founded by Accelerator and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson), the company will further develop discoveries made by scientists in MD Anderson’s Therapeutics Discovery division and the Neurodegeneration Consortium (NDC).

Investors participating in the $31 Million Series A financing include AbbVie Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, ARCH Venture Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, Innovate NY Fund, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., the Partnership Fund for New York City, Pfizer Ventures, Watson Fund, L.P., WuXi AppTec’s Corporate Venture Fund and 180 Degree Capital Corp.

Neurodegenerative diseases and neuronal injury affect nearly 20 million individuals in the United States alone, and their incidence is expected to increase as the population ages. During embryonic development, excess neurons are eliminated by a process called programmed cell death. Research indicates that this tightly controlled process becomes re-activated in critical brain regions in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions. Blocking specific components of this process preserves brain tissue and leads to enhanced memory in animal models, suggesting that drugs targeting these key steps could maintain neural function.

“There is a critical need to develop medicines that slow or stop neuronal loss in these patients, and a growing body of data suggests that inhibition of these specific pathways has the potential to preserve neuron viability across a variety of disease states and pathological conditions,” said Jim Ray, PhD, director of Neurodegeneration Consortium. “Magnolia Neurosciences is focused on developing potent and highly selective neuroprotective therapies that have compelling preclinical pharmacologic profiles and for which clinical proof of concept can be obtained rapidly in order to address significant unmet patient needs.”

“The potential market for neuroprotective therapies is large and underserved, and we believe that Magnolia Neurosciences has the technology, intellectual property and scientific expertise to become a leader in the field,” said Thong Q. Le, chief executive officer at Magnolia Neurosciences Corporation and Accelerator Life Science Partners. “In launching Magnolia Neurosciences, we are pleased to be a catalyst for innovation that could improve the care and outcomes for millions of patients.”

Magnolia Neuroscience is built upon the expertise of scientists at MD Anderson, one of the world’s most respected cancer centers focused on patient care, research, education and prevention. With a comprehensive approach to improving patient care, scientists from MD Anderson and the NDC are focused on developing life-saving transformational medicines for patients in need of neuroprotective therapies, including those with Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

“This investment in Magnolia Neurosciences exemplifies Pfizer’s commitment to funding neuroscience innovation and supporting cutting-edge translational neuroscience research,” said Laszlo Kiss, executive director, Worldwide Research & Development and principal at Pfizer Ventures. “Our new focus on neuroscience investing is designed to support entrepreneurs who are deciphering the molecular basis of neurologic disorders, and we believe that Magnolia

Neurosciences has the technology and scientific foundation on which to build an exciting portfolio of neuroprotective medicines.”

About Magnolia Neurosciences Corporation
Magnolia Neurosciences Corporation is a drug discovery and development company focused on the creation of a novel class of neuroprotective medicines. The company was launched by a $31 million Series A investment by Accelerator Life Science Partners in 2018 and was co- founded by world-class researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The company endeavors to make life-changing medicines for the benefit of patients and their families suffering from serious CNS diseases. The company’s offices are located in the Alexandria Center for Life Science, New York City’s first and only premier life science campus. For more information, please visit www.magnolianeurosciences.com.

About Accelerator Life Science Partners
Accelerator Life Science Partners catalyzes the development and commercialization of breakthrough biotechnology innovations. Accelerator is a trusted partner that provides the complete business, scientific and financial toolkit necessary for successfully establishing and operating an early-stage biotechnology company. Accelerator nurtures its companies across all stages and in all facets of development, setting them on a path that offers the greatest chance for long-term success. Among these key resources are committed investment capital, experienced start-up management, world-class scientific expertise and state-of-the-art laboratories and shared facilities.

The company is uniquely positioned to provide this unprecedented collection of capabilities and resources through its partnership with top-tier investors, seasoned executive managers and world-class research institutions. The value of these collective resources has been validated over more than a decade of successful investing in life science companies that are helping to shape the rapidly evolving future of medicine and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.acceleratorlsp.com.

Media Contacts:

Rathbun Communications
Julie Rathbun
julie@rathbuncomm.com

Accelerator Life Science Partners
Jessica Burback
jburback@acceleratorlsp.com
T: 206-234-6481

• Newly formed Operating Partners group and Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board to provide critical insights to support portfolio companies’ success and guide investment strategies
• Additional facility expected to catalyze the growth of innovative life science companies in Southern California

SEATTLE and NEW YORK – May 15, 2018 — Accelerator Life Science Partners (Accelerator), a leading life science investment and management firm, today announced that it has expanded its operations into San Diego and the Greater Los Angeles area with the opening of a new office at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines in San Diego. The firm also announced the formation of its Operating Partners group and Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board (CSAB). These strategic growth initiatives will better enable Accelerator to fulfill its dual missions of providing unique and compelling opportunities to its investors and partnering with cutting-edge life science companies to help achieve their near-term milestones and long-term visions.

“Accelerator is committed to supporting innovation wherever it takes place and without geographic limitation,” said David M. Schubert, chief operating partner at Accelerator. “Opening an office in San Diego, our third market, positions us to meet the needs of leading innovators throughout the vibrant San Diego and emerging Greater Los Angeles life science ecosystems. We have also brought together an experienced group of Operating Partners to support our ongoing efforts to identify new investment areas and specific company-building opportunities.”

Accelerator’s Operating Partners will assist with the evaluation of new business opportunities, support current (and future) Accelerator portfolio companies and serve in a variety of operating and board roles. The Operating Partners include:

• Andrew Howard, Ph.D. (New York City, NY)
• Wendy S. Johnson (San Diego, CA)
• David L. Pompliano, Ph.D. (New York City, NY)
• Francisco D. Salva (Philadelphia, PA)
• John T. Santini, Jr., Ph.D. (Minneapolis, MN)
• David M. Schubert  (New York City, NY)
• Christopher T oombs, Ph.D. (Seattle, WA)
• Court R. Turner, J.D. (San Diego, CA)

“Having state-of-the-art laboratories and world-class scientific leadership will help set our portfolio companies on a path to long-term success,” said Kendall Mohler, Ph.D., chief development officer at Accelerator. “We are excited to welcome our CSAB members to the Accelerator team. Advancing a groundbreaking scientific idea into and through clinical development takes not only robust data; it also requires critical insights into preclinical research, clinical trial design and strategy and keen understanding of the product approval pathway. Our CSAB members have demonstrated expertise in these areas, and we believe they will be an important asset as we partner with today’s most cutting-edge entrepreneurs.”

Accelerator’s CSAB Members:

• Lee E. Babiss, Ph.D.
• John Latham, Ph.D.
• George L. McLendon, Ph.D.
• Kendall M. Mohler, Ph.D.
• Gerald T. Nepom, M.D., Ph.D.
• Homer L. Pearce, Ph.D.
• Anil K. Singhal, Ph.D.
• James Tobin, Ph.D.

Additional information about the members of Accelerator’s Operating Partners and CSAB is available at: www.acceleratorlsp.com/our-team/.

About Accelerator Life Science Partners
Accelerator Life Science Partners catalyzes the development and commercialization of breakthrough biotechnology innovations. Accelerator is a trusted partner that provides the complete business, scientific and financial toolkit necessary for successfully establishing and operating an early-stage biotechnology company. Accelerator nurtures its companies across all stages and in all facets of development, setting them on a path that offers the greatest chance for long-term success. Among these key resources are committed investment capital, experienced start-up management, world-class scientific expertise and state-of-the-art laboratories and shared facilities.

The company is uniquely positioned to provide this unprecedented collection of capabilities and resources through its partnership with top-tier investors, seasoned executive managers and world-class research institutions. The value of these collective resources has been validated over more than a decade of successful investing in life science companies that are helping to shape the rapidly evolving future of medicine and healthcare. For more information, please visit www.acceleratorlsp.com

Media Contacts:

Rathbun Communications
Julie Rathbun
julie@rathbuncomm.com

Accelerator Life Science Partners
Jessica Burback
jburback@acceleratorlsp.com
T: 206-234-6481

• Novel Approach to Tissue Repair Holds Promise in Diverse Disease Indications

SEATTLE, WA – July 25, 2017 – Accelerator Corporation, a leading life science investment and management firm, today announced a $5.9 million Series A financing in Rodeo Therapeutics Corporation, a company developing small-molecule therapies designed to promote regeneration and repair of multiple tissue types. Investors participating in the financing include AbbVie Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, ARCH Venture Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Watson Fund, L.P., WRF Capital and WuXi AppTec.

“Tissue damage and degradation play critical roles in the development and progression of a broad array of disease indications, including a variety of inflammatory diseases,” said Sanford Markowitz, M.D., Ph.D., the Markowitz-Ingalls Professor of Cancer Genetics and Distinguished University Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and a founder of Rodeo Therapeutics. “The ability to stimulate the body’s natural processes for tissue regeneration and repair has broad therapeutic potential in disease settings such as ulcerative colitis and in hemopoietic recovery following bone marrow transplantation. Rodeo Therapeutics is focused on developing small-molecule therapies that stimulate these processes and enable new approaches to address serious medical conditions that today have a substantial unmet medical need.”

“Rodeo Therapeutics’ founding scientists have achieved a level of biology and medicinal chemistry for their lead product candidate that is advanced beyond what we would typically see in an academic setting,” said David M. Schubert, chief operating officer of Accelerator Corporation. “We believe that this Series A investment will provide the financial resources to rapidly advance the company’s development program toward human trials, which will open the door to an exciting new therapeutic approach that has significant clinical and commercial potential.”

Rodeo Therapeutics’ scientific approach is based on research conducted by world-renowned scientists at Case Western Reserve University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UT Southwestern). In addition to Dr. Markowitz, the company’s founding scientists are Stanton Gerson, M.D., and Joseph Ready, Ph.D.

• Dr. Markowitz is an NCI Outstanding Investigator Awardee and principal investigator of the Case GI SPORE, one of five NCI centers awarded nationally for excellence in gastrointestinal cancer research. He has conducted seminal research in the genetic causes of colon cancer and was instrumental in the development of a novel stool DNA test that has won FDA approval for the early detection of colon cancer. His contributions have been recognized with the Hamdan Award for Medical Research Excellence from the government of Dubai and a Top 10 Award from the Clinical Research Forum.
• Dr. Gerson is director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Asa and Patricia Shiverick–Jane Shiverick (Tripp) Professor of Hematological Oncology and founding director of the Ohio Wright Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, now called the National Center for Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Gerson has extensive expertise in stem cell research and has led the development of both cell and gene therapies that promote tissue and DNA repair. His research has generated 12 patents in the area of gene therapy and cancer drug development that have been licensed to three companies.
• Dr. Ready is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the director of the Medicinal Chemistry Laboratory. His research focuses on synthetic and medicinal chemistry in the areas of regenerative medicine, neurodegeneration and oncology. Three previous research projects from his group have been licensed by pharmaceutical companies for further development.

About Rodeo Therapeutics
Rodeo Therapeutics is focused on developing small-molecule therapies that increase tissue levels of prostaglandin PGE2. Preclinical studies published in Science have shown that increasing PGE2 through inhibition of a prostaglandin-degrading enzyme (15-PGDH) accelerates hematopoietic stem cell reconstitution following bone marrow transplant, protects against colitis and promotes liver regeneration in a variety of animal models.1 The company will initially focus on developing 15-PGDH inhibitors for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and promoting blood cell reconstitution following bone marrow transplant.

1 Zhang Y et al. Science. 2015;348(6240):aaa2340. doi: 10.1126/science.aaa2340

• Third Accelerator Corporation-Backed Startup Launched in 2016

SEATTLE, WA – December 12, 2016 – Accelerator Corporation, a leading life science investment and management firm, today announced an investment in ApoGen Biotechnologies, Inc., a company developing a new class of drugs that target the underlying mechanisms that cause genomic mutations to interrupt the development of drug resistance by cancer cells. The investors participating in the $7 million Series A financing include AbbVie Ventures, Alexandria Venture Investments, ARCH Venture Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Watson Fund, L.P., WRF Capital and WuXi PharmaTech.

“One of the great challenges in treating cancer is that it evolves over time and develops resistance to therapy,” said Thong Q. Le, chief executive officer of Accelerator. “ApoGen’s drug discovery and development efforts are focused on the development of highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitors that aim to slow or stop cancer mutation and the development of drug resistance. The company is also working to develop companion diagnostics to identify the patients likely to get the most benefit from these therapies. We are excited to invest Accelerator’s unique startup resources to potentially develop these promising technologies for cancer patients in need.”

ApoGen’s scientific approach is based on discoveries made at the University of Minnesota (U of M). The company’s founders include two researchers at the U of M and an experienced life science serial entrepreneur:

• Reuben S. Harris, Ph.D., investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI); professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics at the U of M; associate director of the U of M’s Institute for Molecular Virology
• Daniel A. Harki, Ph.D., associate professor of medicinal chemistry at the U of M
• John T. Santini, Jr., Ph.D., president and CEO of Vergent Bioscience, a protease-focused biotech company located in Minneapolis, Minn.; co-founder of MicroCHIPS, Inc.; former CEO of four life science companies. Dr. Santini will serve as a member of ApoGen’s board of directors.

ApoGen will initially focus its drug development efforts on an antiviral component of the human innate immune system – the APOBEC cytidine deaminases – which have been implicated as a prominent source of mutations in cancers. Dr. Harris, along with his colleagues at the U of M, have observed that mutations induced by APOBEC occur throughout the genome in many tumorous cells. By targeting this mechanism, ApoGen hopes to interrupt a cancer cell’s ability to develop drug therapy resistance. ApoGen has obtained a worldwide, exclusive license from the U of M related to a portfolio of APOBEC technologies developed by Drs. Harris and Harki.

ApoGen’s scientific advisory board is comprised of a highly respected panel of world-class investigators in the areas of chemical biology, cancer genomics, drug development and clinical research:

• José Baselga, M.D., Ph.D., physician-in-chief at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC); professor of medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College
• Peter B. Dervan, Ph.D., Bren Professor of Chemistry at California Institute of Technology
• Charles Swanton, M.D., Ph.D., senior clinical research fellow and group leader, Translational Cancer Therapeutics, , Francis Crick Institute; chief investigator, CRUK TRACERx study; co-director, CRUK Lung Cancer Centre of Excellence and Thoracic Medical Oncologist at UCL Hospitals
• Douglas Yee, M.D., director, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota; professor, departments of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Minnesota

“I have been working with Drs. Harris and Harki to move ApoGen’s science toward clinical and commercial development, and I am thrilled to now partner with Accelerator Corporation,” said Dr. Santini. “We believe that we have assembled the ideal team to advance our therapeutic technologies to slow or stop tumor evolution, which has the potential to yield a significant clinical impact for cancer patients.”

About ApoGen Biotechnologies
ApoGen Biotechnologies, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on the development of a new class of therapeutics targeting drivers of cancer genomic mutation. ApoGen is building upon technologies developed at the University of Minnesota to develop drugs that block a key pathway that causes drug resistance. ApoGen’s drug discovery and development efforts are directed toward highly selective and potent small molecule inhibitors of the APOBEC family of enzymes, which are DNA cytosine deaminases and an important endogenous source of DNA mutation in cancer. For more information, visit www.apogenbiotech.com.

About Accelerator Corporation
Accelerator Corporation, established in 2003, is a biotechnology investment and management company with operations in Seattle and New York City. Formed by a syndicate of top-tier venture capital investors and the Institute for Systems Biology, Accelerator identifies, evaluates, finances and manages the development of emerging biotechnology opportunities. Accelerator has built a unique solution that addresses many of the key problems associated with investing in early-stage biotechnology by providing access to venture capital, management, scientific expertise and facilities.

Since its inception, Accelerator has raised more than $100 million in capital commitments to invest in innovative early stage life science companies. Accelerator has assembled a team of talented professionals with deep investment, operational and scientific expertise to build high-quality life science startup companies and will continue to seek out the most exciting and potentially valuable emerging biotechnologies. Earlier this year, Accelerator announced the launch of Petra Pharma Corporation with $48 million in Series A financing commitments and Lodo Therapeutics with $17 million in Series A financing commitments. Both companies were formed from early-stage research originally developed by two of its New York City institution partners.

Contact:

Dan Budwick
Pure Communications, Inc.
973-271-6085
dan@purecommunicationsinc.com

• Expanded Operations Provide New Resources for Seattle and Greater Northwest Region Portfolio
• Dr. Bruce Carter Appointed to Board of Directors

SEATTLE – October 20, 2016 – Accelerator Corporation, a leading life science investment and management firm, today announced it has expanded operations with three new institution partners: CoMotion at the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Oregon Health & Science University. In conjunction with these additions, Accelerator also announced the appointment of life science veteran Bruce L.A. Carter, Ph.D., to its board of directors.

“It has been a momentous year for Accelerator. Earlier this year, we launched our first two startups from our New York City portfolio, Petra Pharma and Lodo Therapeutics. Today, we’ve debuted the expansion of our strategic resources in the Seattle region with the addition of three leading research institution partners and the appointment of Dr. Bruce Carter – a true life science veteran – to our board,” said Thong Q. Le, chief executive officer of Accelerator. “These milestones reflect our mission to carefully and thoughtfully curate high-quality startups backed by promising research. It is through this kind of close collaboration with academia and industry that we are able to continue to fund and form the next generation of innovative companies poised to transform patient care.”

Founded in 2003 in Seattle, Accelerator uses a unique model of investing in life science companies. As part of its model, Accelerator provides its portfolio companies with an exclusive set of startup resources in the form of a complete business, scientific and financial toolkit necessary for running an early-stage biotechnology company. With resources like world-class institution partners, committed investment capital, experienced startup management and scientific expertise, and state-of-the-art laboratories and shared facilities, Accelerator’s portfolio companies have ground-up support that position them for long-term success.

New Institution Partners
CoMotion at the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Oregon Health & Science University have joined Accelerator’s current syndicate of institution partners in the Pacific Northwest, bringing its total to 19 institution partnerships nationwide. By partnering with leading research institutions, Accelerator gains access to innovative global technologies and potential commercial opportunities. In turn, these institutions lend their broad expertise to Accelerator’s portfolio companies, providing them with integrated technology, research and development capabilities.

“Accelerator has played a critical role in establishing Seattle and the greater northwest region as a rapidly growing hub of life science innovation,” said Nicole (Niki) Robinson, Ph.D., vice president of business development and industry relations at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. “Accelerator has a differentiated model that aims to spur creation of startup companies that have built-in resources and support from the life science ecosystem continuum from day one. This collaboration combines the Fred Hutch’s own expertise and research efforts with Accelerator’s deep therapeutic development capabilities to bring forward new oncology medicines for patients in need.”

“Accelerator brings an impressive track record to investments in life science opportunities, with more than 14 startup companies formed to date,” said Vikram Jandhyala, vice president for innovation strategy at the University of Washington (UW) and executive director of CoMotion. “We have worked with Accelerator to create new startup companies based on research developed by our faculty, and we look forward to leveraging Accelerator’s network and expertise in life science management and investment as a way to add value to UW researchers and CoMotion’s programs, including CoMotion Labs.”

“Collaboration is necessary to drive innovation in therapeutic development, and Oregon Health & Science University is excited to join Accelerator to bring together a broad set of experts and opportunities to support new life science startups,” said Brendan Rauw, M.B.A., CLP, vice president of technology transfer and business development at Oregon Health & Science University.

Dr. Bruce Carter Joins Board of Directors
Dr. Carter brings extensive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. For the past 30 years, Dr. Carter has been an affiliate professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the University of Washington. In November 2009, he joined Immune Design Corp., where he served as executive chairman of the board until 2011. Prior to joining Immune Design, Dr. Carter was a member of the management team at ZymoGenetics, Inc., where he held various positions – including CEO – from 1986 to 2009. In 1988, Novo Nordisk A/S acquired ZymoGenetics and, in 1994, Dr. Carter was appointed corporate executive vice president and chief scientific officer for Novo Nordisk. In 2000, Dr. Carter helped establish ZymoGenetics as an independent company from Novo Nordisk. He is the chairman of the boards at Xencor and the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle, and currently serves on the board of directors of Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Mirati Therapeutics, TB Alliance and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories. Dr. Carter holds a B.Sc. with honors in botany from the University of Nottingham, England, and a Ph.D. in microbiology from Queen Elizabeth College, University of London.

About Accelerator Corporation
Accelerator Corporation, established in 2003 in Seattle, is a biotechnology investment and management company with operations in Seattle and New York City. Formed by a syndicate of top-tier venture capital investors and a world-class research institution, Accelerator identifies, evaluates, finances and manages the development of emerging biotechnology opportunities. Accelerator has built a unique solution that addresses many of the key problems associated with investing in early-stage biotechnology by providing access to venture capital, management, scientific expertise and facilities.

Since its inception, Accelerator has raised more than $100 million in capital commitments to invest in innovative life science companies. Accelerator has assembled a team of talented professionals with deep investment, operational and scientific expertise to build high-quality life science startup companies and will continue to seek out the most exciting and potentially valuable emerging biotechnologies. Earlier this year, Accelerator announced the launch of Petra Pharma Corporation with $48 million in Series A financing commitments and Lodo Therapeutics with $17 million in Series A financing commitments. Both companies were formed from early-stage research originally developed by two of its New York City institution partners. For more information, please go to: www.acceleratorcorp.com.

Media Contact:

Pure Communications, Inc.
Katie Engleman
Katie@purecommunicationsinc.com
910-509-3977