The winner of the CLSDF Reader’s Choice Company of the Year, 2007 goes to… GlobeImmune, Inc., who took home a commanding 43% of the vote. ARCA Discovery and ValveXchange came in tied for second place. Congratulations to President and CEO Tim Rodell, MD and the other 60+ folks in Louisville who are doing outstanding work.

For those of you who do not know: GlobeImmune is a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery, development and manufacturing of potent, targeted molecular immunotherapies called Tarmogens for the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer.

Tarmogens (Targeted Molecular Immunogens) are whole, heat-killed recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast genetically modified to express one or more protein targets that stimulate the immune system against diseased cells. The whole heat-killed yeast, with the antigen expressed inside, is the product that is administered to the patient. Tarmogens program the cytotoxic T cells in the patient’s immune system to eliminate diseased cells containing the antigen(s). GlobeImmune’s patented Tarmogen platform has a number of advantages over current approaches because Tarmogens generate a potent T cell response, are not neutralized by the host immune system upon repeated administration, do not require a custom vaccine approach and are simple to manufacture.

The Company’s lead product , GI-5005 a Tarmogen for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection has completed a placebo-controlled, dose-escalation Phase Ib clinical trial. A randomized, placebo controlled Phase II trial in combination with standard of care will begin is underway. GI-4000, a Tarmogen for the treatment of various mutated Ras-mediated cancers, is in a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center Phase II trial for the treatment of patients with resectable pancreas cancer in combination with adjuvant gemcitabine.

Interestingly too, the $41.6M Series C financing closed in 2007 ranked among the 20 largest venture rounds in the country. Here is the full list courtesy of the National Venture Capital Association:

  1. Zogenix – $78.8M
  2. Ception Therapeutics – $77.7M
  3. Targanta Therapeutics – $70M
  4. Portola Pharmaceuticals – $70M
  5. AVEO Pharmaceuticals – $58.5M
  6. Cogentus Pharmaceuticals – $55M
  7. Phenomix Corporation – $55M
  8. Sagent Pharmaceuticals – $53M
  9. Microbia – $50M
  10. Sangart – $50M
  11. Ambit Biosciences – $49.3M
  12. Spine Wave – $45M
  13. Nereus Pharmaceuticals – $45M
  14. QuatRx Pharmaceuticals – $44M
  15. Novalar Pharmaceuticals – $42
  16. MREVA Medical – $42M
  17. Xcellerex – $41.84M
  18. Deciphera Pharmaceuticals – $41.5M
  19. Agensys – $41.31M
  20. GlobeImmune – $41.16M

***NOTE*** Read the new eBook CLSDF 2007 – What’s In A Year? (HERE)!

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