2008 OHSU Startup Companies

Cascade Lifesciences

The inspiration for Cascade Lifesciences grew from the work of OHSU’s Shoukhrat Mitalipov, PhD. Dr. Mitalipov’s laboratory at the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) was the first to successfully create monkey embryonic stem cells using a technique known as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The technique may advance health care research and discovery and help lead to therapeutic stem cell products to combat numerous human diseases.

Cascade Lifesciences is a privately-owned San Diego-based company with a platform of stem cell related technologies that are being advanced to serve the research community and the commercial development of stem cell-based therapeutics.

Flash Sensor Tech

Flash Sensor Tech, Inc. (FST) was spun off by Virogenomics Inc., an earlier OHSU Startup. FST is a life sciences company focused on the development of a novel and integrated biosensor platform that will enable the next generation of diagnostic devices. The technology was developed through the research of Arthur Vandenbark, PhD and Rajendra Solanki, PhD, formerly at OHSU, now at Portland State University. The company is developing a platform for human disease diagnostics. This “lab on a chip” will have the capability of simultaneous real-time, point-of-care diagnosis of multiple diseases.

Flash Sensor Tech’s biosensor platform technology will take full advantage of existing and new disease markers to improve the power of diagnostics assays.

Genefac

Genefac, Inc. is an Oregon-based startup company focused on the development and commercialization of a method to simultaneously detect the activity of multiple transcription factors in any biologic sample. Developed in the laboratory of William Mathers, MD and Zheng Ye, MD, PhD, Genefac’s technology uses  small DNA probes containing a unique and specific binding sequence of DNA called a motif.

Genefac plans to market this technology as a test to be performed on cancer biopsies to identify precisely the molecular profile of that patient’s cancer and thus guide appropriate therapy.  

Transmed Oncology

Transmed Oncology, Inc. is an Arizona-based startup company that optioned a novel, synthetic peptide developed by former OHSU researcher Rhoda Maneckjee, PhD. Dr. Maneckjee’s technology has the potential to become an effective targeted drug with clinical utility in combating multiple cancers. According to the company’s executive summary, Transmed Oncology, Inc. is a biotechnology company that will rapidly and efficiently develop basic medical discoveries into novel treatments for a variety of cancers.

Transmed Oncology, Inc. will work to progress potential drug candidates through the clinical and regulatory processes and continue to develop and evaluate new cancer drugs.