Scout Bio’s mission: to harness the genetic revolution transforming human medicine to deliver the future of veterinary medicine
By combining world-leading talent in animal health and gene therapy technology, Scout has built a development platform to address major areas of unmet medical need in companion animal (pet) medicine. Scout is supported by leading life sciences investors and a partnership with the renowned Gene Therapy Program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Scout: at the cutting edge of veterinary medicine
For the first time, a new generation of animal medicines may outpace human development — and revolutionize pet care in the process. The Scout team’s mission is to lead the development of one-time gene therapies for pets, by capitalizing on:
- Strong demand for long-lasting off-the-shelf solutions for major conditions
- A critical mass of veterinary biotechnology and gene therapy expertise, brought together in Scout’s founding team and a partnership with the Gene Therapy Program (GTP) at the University of Pennsylvania
The evolution of pet therapeutics
- Animals increasingly became companions with an emotional bond
- Pet owners drove demand for treatments
- High demand for better care through safe, longer-lasting and more targeted therapies
- Learnings from human biologics revolution applicable to animals through innovation
- Gene therapy research has delivered the first human therapies informed by over a decade of animal data
- In veterinary medicine, there is continued demand for therapeutic solutions with long-lasting action, providing safe and convenient care
Gene Therapy for Animals: Key Concepts
At Scout, we’re focusing on delivering a new generation of therapies for pets to significantly improve the standard-of-care for multiple conditions. To achieve this, our technology approach is to express an appropriate level of a therapeutic protein in pet patients using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector technology, delivered through simple intramuscular injection.
Targeting major health conditions in dogs and cats
To date, while human gene therapy has focused on rare diseases, Scout believes the opportunity in animal health begins with major areas of chronic illness where the long-term expression of a single functional protein could yield significant clinical benefits for an extended period from a single injection. This paradigm also promises significant advantages for convenience, owner compliance, and disease management. Scout’s first therapy in development focuses on the anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. CKD is one of the most common health conditions in older cats. It progresses with age and can lead to death. CKD produces a range of other associated clinical signs, including anemia.
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) AND ASSOCIATED ANEMIA
CKD-ASSOCIATED ANEMIA
CLINICAL SIGNS: Anemia is a reduction in total red blood cell count. Progressive deterioration in quality-of-life with a variety of symptoms including weight loss, fatigue, weakness, fainting, and seizures.
INCIDENCE: CKD may affect younger cats, but is associated with aging. Approximately 7.5% of cats above age 10 have CKD, and incidence increases with age. Up to 65% of cats with CKD may have anemia.
CAUSE: Chronic kidney disease leads to kidney damage which reduces production of erythropoietin (EPO). EPO is required for normal development of red blood cells, which transport oxygen around the body.
DEFICIENT PROTEIN: EPO is a hormone produced in the kidney that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow.
CURRENT TREATMENTS: There are no FDA-approved treatments for the anemia associated with CKD in cats. Iron supplementation is common and blood transfusions can be given. Treatment options include off-label recombinant human EPO injections, often multiple times weekly. These present logistical and financial challenges for owners and their pets. Furthermore, as the EPO is human – different to feline EPO – adverse immune reactions can occur.
STATUS OF SCOUT PROGRAM: We are working towards delivering clinical proof-of-concept for the treatment of anemia associated with CKD via durable, feline EPO expression induced by AAV vector-mediated gene transfer. Our vector-delivered therapy candidate has demonstrated sustained and statistically significant increases in the red blood cell counts of cats, and we have commenced a large clinical pilot field study for this program in veterinary patients.
Other therapies in development
We have already used AAV vector technology to express key therapeutic proteins in vivo across major areas as diverse as:
Animal and human health leaders in partnership
The Scout team assembles world-leading experts in:
- animal health biotechnology
- gene therapy design and development
- veterinary product development
- biotechnology investment
News
Scout Bio Appoints Clinical Research Leader Dr. Anne Traas as Chief Development Officer
Scout Bio Appoints Clinical Research Leader Dr. Anne Traas as Chief Development Officer
PHILADELPHIA, October 28, 2019 – Scout Bio, a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions, today announced the appointment of Anne Traas, DVM, as Chief Development Officer. Dr. Traas brings to Scout Bio nearly 20 years of experience as a clinical research leader and veterinarian, including over a decade at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Animal Health.
“After a career focused on advancing new animal therapeutics, it is thrilling to join a team delivering an entirely new paradigm to veterinary medicine that could transform the care of conditions with pressing unmet medical need,” said Dr. Traas. “Scout’s gene therapy approach of AAV-mediated gene transfer is designed to deliver a simply administered, single dose treatment for conditions where long-lasting expression of a therapeutic protein can alter the course of the disease. This is an exciting concept that builds on decades of basic and clinical research now validated by the emergence of FDA-approved products for humans. I look forward to pioneering this approach in veterinary medicine as part of the Scout team.”
Dr. Traas most recently served as Head of Saint Joseph Pharma Clinical R&D at Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) Animal Health, the U.S.-based animal health subsidiary of BI. In that role, she led a team of scientists and clinical operations specialists responsible for target animal safety and efficacy studies for the development of new therapeutics. In prior roles at BI, Dr. Traas served as Associate Director of U.S. Biological Clinical Development and Associate Director of Pharmaceutical Clinical Development, driving clinical development of novel veterinary pharmaceuticals while guiding study design, implementation and regulatory compliance.
“Anne is a proven research leader with deep experience in clinical program execution and regulatory engagement,” said Mark Heffernan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Scout Bio. “With Scout’s advancing pipeline of novel biotherapeutic approaches in development for major chronic pet health conditions, we are thrilled to welcome Anne’s specialist expertise to the oversight of our portfolio.”
Earlier in her career, Dr. Traas was involved in gene therapy research as a resident in medical genetics and a clinical trials veterinarian at the University of Pennsylvania, with a focus on translational medicine. She began her career as a practicing veterinarian in general companion animal care. Dr. Traas earned her Master of Science in translational research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and her DVM and Bachelor of Science from the University of Minnesota.
About Scout Bio
Scout Bio is a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions. Scout has an exclusive research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program, which has been a global leader in gene therapy research and development for nearly three decades. Scout’s therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Scout Bio is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.scoutbio.co.
Media Contact
Tom Donovan, Ten Bridge Communications
tom@tenbridgecommunications.com
+1 857-559-3397
Scout Bio Announces $20 Million Financing to Advance Pipeline of One-time Therapies for Companion Animals
Scout Bio Announces $20 Million Financing to Advance Pipeline of One-time Therapies for Companion Animals
Financing to drive leadership in AAV vector-delivered one-time therapies for major chronic pet health conditions
Company supported by leading life sciences investors and an R&D collaboration with the Gene Therapy Program in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Recent executive appointments provide global expertise in animal biologics clinical R&D, regulatory affairs, AAV manufacturing, and gene therapy research
PHILADELPHIA, April. 10, 2019 – Scout Bio, a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions, today announced a $20 million Series B financing to advance its pipeline and expand clinical and other operations. The financing was co-led by Digitalis Ventures’ Companion Fund and RiverVest Venture Partners, and was joined by new investor GreenSpring Associates as well as existing investors Frazier Healthcare Partners, Adage Capital Management and Correlation Ventures. In conjunction with the financing, Nancy Hong of RiverVest Ventures, Cindy Cole of Digitalis Ventures, and Aditya Kohli of Frazier Healthcare Partners will join the board alongside existing directors Mark Heffernan, Tachi Yamada, and Patrick Heron.
Scout was founded to harness the same genetic revolution transforming human medicine to deliver the future of veterinary medicine. Scout is advancing a number of programs across chronic kidney disease, chronic pain and the inflammatory skin condition atopic dermatitis. The company’s approach is to deliver long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector technology, administered through a single intramuscular injection.
Scout Bio has entered into an AAV animal health research and development collaboration with the Gene Therapy Program (GTP) at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), led by Jim Wilson, M.D., Ph.D, a Scout scientific advisor and co-founder. The GTP has been a global leader in gene therapy research and vector discovery and development for nearly three decades. Through a separate license agreement between Scout and Penn, Scout is granted exclusive worldwide rights to multiple AAV-based veterinary product candidates and associated AAV technologies for animal health.
“Scout’s mission is to leverage advances in gene therapy to dramatically elevate the standard of care for multiple areas of veterinary medicine that currently rely on chronically administered medicines,” said Mark Heffernan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Scout Bio. “Our approach is designed to provide improved patient outcomes via therapies that have a sustained duration of effect from a one-time dose, aligning with the significant market need for longer-lasting pet medications that improve compliance and convenience.”
“In the United States alone, there are 90 million dogs and 94 million cats, underscoring the opportunity in a new generation of medicines that dramatically improve standards of care for major chronic conditions. We are impressed with Scout’s strategy for meeting this need and look forward to supporting them into clinical development,” said Cindy Cole, DVM, Ph.D., Technical Partner at Digitalis Ventures.
“Scout has assembled an executive team which unites experts in animal biologics development with world-leading AAV research and manufacturing capabilities, a combination uniquely suited to deliver on the promise of the company’s technology platform for innovative veterinary medicines,” said Nancy Hong, Ph.D., Managing Director of RiverVest Ventures.
Scout’s most advanced therapeutic candidate is designed to deliver long-term expression of feline erythropoietin (EPO) in cats with anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. This condition leads to a progressive deterioration in quality-of-life, has no FDA-approved therapy, and current standards of care have severe drawbacks. Scout has recently demonstrated statistically significant increased red blood cell counts (an EPO biomarker) in cats for months after a single intramuscular injection, and has initiated a clinical pilot field study (the stage immediately prior to pivotal studies in animal health) for this program. A proprietary survey of 424 veterinarians indicated that over 90% of veterinarians would use a product with Scout’s target profile over all other treatments for feline anemia, citing life-long efficacy as its most attractive feature.
“The GTP is looking forward to extending its long-term leadership in AAV research and development into companion animal health to address the compliance challenges associated with frequent administration and provide new modalities for tackling chronic disease,” said Dr. Jim Wilson of Penn’s GTP. “There is now a confluence between matured gene therapy technologies and medical need in animal health, and we believe Scout is positioned very strongly at that intersection and opportunity.”
About Scout Bio
Scout Bio is a biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time therapeutics for major chronic pet health conditions. Scout has an exclusive research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program, which has been a global leader in gene therapy research and development for nearly three decades. Scout’s therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Scout Bio is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit www.scoutbio.co.
Penn Financial Disclosure
Dr. Wilson is a Penn faculty member and also a scientific collaborator, consultant and co-founder of Scout Bio. As such, he holds an equity stake in the Company, receives sponsored research funding from Scout Bio, and as an inventor of the licensed technology he may receive additional financial benefits under the license in the future. The University of Pennsylvania also holds equity and licensing interests in Scout Bio.
About Digitalis
Digitalis is a venture capital firm that invests in solutions to complex problems in human and animal health. The firm partners with entrepreneurs, inventors, and scientists across all stages of venture investing, and its investments span the full continuum of the healthcare ecosystem. In addition to its healthcare activities, Digitalis manages the Companion Fund, the first venture capital fund to focus exclusively on innovations in pet care. Digitalis has offices in New York City, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. To learn more, please visit: www.digitalisventures.com.
About RiverVest Venture Partners
RiverVest Venture Partners is a venture capital firm focused on identifying and shaping early stage life science companies to create significant shareholder value. With hands-on, high-level expertise and financial resources, RiverVest supports entrepreneurs by helping them achieve near-term objectives that position their companies for exit. Visit www.rivervest.com and follow on Twitter @Rivervest.
Media Contact
Tom Donovan, Ten Bridge Communications
tom@tenbridgecommunications.com
+1 857-559-3397
Scout Culture
At Scout, we are building a team to deliver the future of veterinary medicine. We have a unique opportunity to transform quality-of-life for millions of pets around the world and their owners. To succeed in our mission, we need to grow and foster an exciting, rewarding work environment for our team. We want to grow with people who are nimble and resourceful, passionate about animals and excited by the prospect of working at the cutting edge of genetic medicine. We draw from a global talent pool and our culture reflects this diversity: there is no one way to think or solve problems!
Job Openings
The benefits of working at Scout include:
