Scout Bio Named Best New Start-Up for 2021
IHS Markit recognizes Scout Bio for pioneering therapies in companion animal medicine
PHILADELPHIA, November 08, 2021 — Scout Bio, a biotechnology company focused on one-time AAV gene therapies for major chronic pet health conditions, received top honors as the Best Start-up 2021 from the IHS Markit Animal Health Awards. Judged by an independent panel of industry experts, the awards honor a firm’s ability to innovate, attract investment, and execute exciting R&D achievements within the animal health sector during a calendar year.
Joseph Harvey, Head of Animal Health at IHS Markit, said: “Scout Bio’s progress has really stood out in 2021. It has a team of proven innovators that are again showing momentum in the companion animal therapeutics segment. This year, the start-up has shown significant development with both clinical trials and fundraising. The judging panel believe Scout Bio will be a key innovator of the future.”
Over the last twelve months, Scout Bio has accomplished a number of animal health industry firsts including the:
- First gene therapy in clinical development to successfully treat feline patients with an acquired non-monogenic disease (chronic kidney disease associated anemia)
- First to clinically advance a novel GLP-1 analog expressed via adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy for feline diabetes in companion animal patients
- First vectorized monoclonal antibody to be studied in feline chronic pain when delivered by AAV gene therapy
“This award is welcomed recognition acknowledging our team’s innovative work in achieving a number of industry firsts amidst a year of COVID-related challenges,” said Mark Heffernan, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer at Scout Bio. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team and key collaborators for their commitment to advancing gene therapy innovation in pet patients in a number of chronic diseases over this past year. In addition to these groundbreaking pipeline milestones, we are strongly positioned to continue to advance Scout Bio’s portfolio of AAV delivered therapeutic proteins for companion animal diseases thanks to the recent closing of additional financing.”
A spin-out company from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the laboratory of Dr. Jim Wilson at Penn’s Gene Therapy Program (GTP), Scout Bio is uniquely able to leverage the expertise of GTP to accelerate discovery and development efforts in this exciting new field of companion animal medicine. “Scout Bio is on target to significantly disrupt the field by showing that AAV gene therapy can deliver therapeutic proteins as a single-injection alternative to weekly or monthly injectable proteins,” Wilson said. “Scout Bio’s progress in veterinary patients is now showing significant potential of the AAV gene therapy platform for more expanded applications in a multitude of species.”
About Scout Bio
Scout Bio is a biotechnology company revolutionizing pet medicine by delivering a pipeline of one-time gene therapies for major chronic pet health conditions. Scout Bio’s therapeutics are designed to induce long-term expression of therapeutic proteins in pet patients using AAV vector technology. Scout Bio has a research and development collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania’s Gene Therapy Program, a leader in the field of genetic medicine research. Scout Bio is a private company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, see www.scoutbio.co
University of Pennsylvania Financial Disclosure
Dr. Wilson is a Penn faculty member, scientific collaborator, key advisor, and co-founder of Scout Bio. As such, he holds an equity stake in the Company, his laboratory at Penn receives sponsored research funding from Scout Bio, and as an inventor of the licensed technology he may receive additional future financial benefits under licenses granted by Penn to Scout Bio. The University of Pennsylvania also holds equity and licensing interests in Scout Bio.
For further information, please contact:
Fran Gaconnier
Scout Bio
214.417.4142
Fran.gaconnier@scoutbio.co
