Just What the Doctor Ordered: SolaranRx CEO to Give an Inside Look at How to Start a Company at SoPE Event
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (PRWEB) March 14, 2015 -- Doctors and other medical professionals are the most significant source of healthcare-related innovation and technologies, but limited knowledge of how to start a company and a lack of bandwidth can slow or prevent their ideas from being commercialized. Les Stewart, co-founder and CEO of SolaranRx, a New Mexico-based pharmaceutical startup company, hopes to change that by giving medical entrepreneurs a clearer path forward.
Stewart, who spent 20 years in biotechnology and drug delivery leadership positions with such companies as C.R. Bard and Bayer Healthcare, is the featured speaker at the March 16 meeting of the New Mexico Chapter of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs (SoPE). Stewart will use his experiences with SolaranRx as a “living case study,” from the time he and co-founder Stuart Rose optioned the novel peptide technology platform for metastatic melanoma from STC.UNM, through company formation and national fundraising.
“Like many other transformative healthcare technologies, our peptide-based technology for treating metastatic melanoma was developed by an individual in a healthcare-related field,” explains Stewart. “Dr. Yubin Miao, a researcher at the University of New Mexico, had studied melanoma for many years and published nearly 20 papers on a novel approach for diagnosing and treating this deadly disease. We recognized its potential to transform how this metastatic melanoma is treated and were fortunate to obtain exclusive rights to the technology.”
The road to commercializing any technology, particularly those in healthcare, can be long and arduous. Although SolaranRx is an early stage startup company, Stewart said they received received a significant boost when late last year Informa and Kantar Health recognized the company’s lead compound, SRX-1177, as one of the 2014 Top 10 Most Interesting Oncology Projects to Watch.
“Recognition like this can help a startup company break through the ‘noise’ of many, many startup companies competing for the same resources,” he said, adding he will share other “best practices” during his SoPE presentation. The event is being held at The BioSciences Center at 5901 Indian School Road NE in Albuquerque. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and includes networking and refreshments. Those interested can RSVP by emailing sopenewmexico(at)gmail(dot)com.
SolaranRx’s lead product, SRX-1177, is a novel peptide linked to a radioisotope that preferentially attaches to melanocortin-1 (MC1) receptors, which are over-expressed in about 80 percent of melanoma cells. SRX-1177 can be used to identify melanoma patients with MC1 receptors. Those patients can then be injected with therapeutic doses of SRX-1177 to deliver targeted radiation to cancer cells, while minimizing the impact on healthy cells. This merger of therapy and diagnostics creates a unique theranostic product for metastatic melanoma.
About SolaranRx, Inc.
SolaranRx, Inc. is developing a new class of therapies and companion imaging agents for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. This merger between therapeutics and diagnostics—often referred to as theranostics—constitutes a new level of personalized medicine for treating metastatic melanoma. SolaranRx seeks to improve treatment and patients’ quality of life, giving new options to clinicians and hope to patients. Visit http://www.SolaranRx.com.
About the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs
The Society of Physician Entrepreneurs (SoPE) is a nonprofit, global healthcare innovation network committed to helping medical professionals bring their ideas to market. The SoPE New Mexico Chapter was formed by Anne Keshen, an investor and entrepreneur who also co-founded the Los Angeles chapter. The SoPE New Mexico Board is chaired by Donn Duncan, M.D. and is composed of Mary Ortner, Ph.D., Nic Archuleta and Anne Keshen. Visit http://www.sopenet.org
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Melanie Lux, Lux Strategic Communications, (803) 331-4794, [email protected]
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