The productivity of MIDD members during the last academic year was rewarded with several awards from the UWM Research Foundation.
Patent awards were granted to Dr. Karyn Frick, Distinguished Professor, Neuroscience Area Chair, Neuroscience Major Director and CSO of co-founded startup Estrigenix Therapeutics. The patent filed together with William Donaldson and Daniel Sem titled “Substituted (4′- hydroxyphenyl)cycloalkane and (4′-hydroxyphenyl)cycloalkene compounds and uses thereof as selective agonists of the estrogen receptor beta isoform for enhanced memory consolidation” was granted in Australia.
Dr. Ching-Hong Yang, Professor, Biological Sciences, and founder and CSO of T3 Biosciences, a startup established in 2012 has nearly two decades of microbiological research experience which has led to the development & commercialization of non-antibiotic agricultural products. His patent titled “Pseudomonas strains and their metabolites to control plant diseases” was granted in the US. Another patent titled “Pseudomonas strains and their metabolites to control fish diseases” was also granted in the US.
Drs Arnold, Stafford, and Cook collaborate with Columbia University to develop novel drugs for the treatment of asthma and inflammation. Their patent titled “Substituted benzo[f]imidazo[1,5-a][1,4]diazepines as GABA(a) receptor modulators” has been granted in many countries and recently in the US.
Dr. Jim Cook with the Medizinische Universitaet Wien, University of Belgrade, and the National Taiwan University on new compounds for the treatment of anxiety disorders, epilepsy and schizophrenia. Their patent titled “Ligands selective to alpha 6 subunit-containing Gaba(A) receptors and their methods of use” was granted in the US. Another patent with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Canada titled “Oxazole substituted benzimidazodiazepines and their uses as gabaergic ligands” was granted in Canada. Another patent by the same group titled “Treatment of cognitive and mood symptoms in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders with alpha5-containing GABAA receptor agonists” was granted in US.
The Startup Award was granted to Professor Arnold, the acting CSO of Pantherics Incorporated, a co-founded startup with Dr. Stafford is advancing development of its lead compound discovered at UWM’s Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery and licensed from UWMRF. The lead clinical indication for their new compound is for asthma and more recently it has been found that this and other licensed compounds are effective in treating inflammation in atopic eczema. The company is actively working with commercial partners to advance compounds into clinical trials. This is their 2nd license with UWMRF.
The Licensing Award was granted to Dr. James Cook, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, who has worked for decades on a portfolio of compounds selective for specific GABA (A) receptors. Two of his patents were licensed by Pantherics, Inc. to focus on the development of diseases outside of the brain related to inflammation in skin and gut.