From Lab Bench to Breakthrough: How a UT Mentor-Student Partnership Sparked a Rising East Tennessee Biotech Company
When Trey Fisher, PhD, walked into the vascular biology lab led by Deidra Mountain, PhD, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine – Knoxville more than a decade ago, he was a graduate student looking for a scientific challenge. He found one, and something more: the beginnings of a partnership that would one […]
Why a semi-retired baby boomer chose a passion project over a life of leisure: ‘There’s just an adrenaline rush’
For nearly a decade, Michael McCaman had an idea for a company — he just needed the right opportunity. Two years ago, when he was 68, that opportunity arose: McCaman cofounded Orion Therapeutics, a small company developing new ways for RNA medicine to reach specific areas of the human body. McCaman is among the older […]
First recipient of Tennessee’s $5M startup fund has ‘limitless’ drug potential
“The University of Tennessee Research Foundation has selected Orion Therapeutics as the first recipient of its $5 million fund to support startups that bring research from the university’s labs to the market.
Orion is developing a new way to deliver drugs that use ribonucleic acid, or RNA, to new places in the body.”
“InvestTN” announces seven new investments
“After making its first investment in November and 11 investments in the first quarter of 2024, Launch Tennessee has announced seven additional portfolio companies for the $70-million “InvestTN” fund that it manages for the State of Tennessee.”
Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Platforms: 5 Startups to Watch!
“The growing use of nanotechnology in drug delivery is transforming healthcare by allowing for targeted, efficient, and controlled release of medications! These young companies are great examples of startups leading the way in this transformation, developing state-of-the-art technologies that improve the precision and effectiveness of treatments!”
Long-term vision and partnership: UTRF startup to develop next-generation RNA medicines using a novel drug delivery system
“Around a decade ago, a researcher at the University of Tennessee Graduate School of Medicine (UTSGM) and a graduate student in her lab began to imagine creating a company based on a technology they were developing. In 2022, their initial dream became a reality.”
MassBio’s Biotech Accelerator, MassBioDrive, Announces Fall 2022 Cohort of Startups
“The latest cohort of MassBioDrive, a key initiative of MassBio’s innovation programming designed to support entrepreneurs and startups, was announced today by MassBio and features six emerging biotechs from four U.S. states and Canada. The companies, working on a diverse range of focus areas, will learn from members of MassBio’s global life sciences network how to effectively and efficiently launch their enterprises.”