Woomera Therapeutics, Inc.
Team
Dr. William G. North
Dr. Brendan P. Keegan
Lyn Oligino
Company Overview
Woomera was started in June of 2003 to bring science developed at Dartmouth Medical School from the lab to the clinic in the form of treatments and diagnostic tools for various cancers. Woomera is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel immuno-products targeting unique markers for the treatment of specific cancers. The Woomera technology platform builds upon 30 years of research by Dr. William G. North, Professor of Physiology at Dartmouth Medical School.
In April of 2004, Woomera was named winner of the Greener Ventures Business Plan competition. In May 2004, the company was awarded the grand prize for the Start-Up New Hampshire business plan competition. In all the company has been awarded $174,000 in competition.
The company opened offices in Lebanon, NH in November of 2004. In February of 2005, the company added Dr. Lyn Oligino, Ph.D. to the staff.
Technology
Woomera’s technology platform is based on the discovery of unique cancer markers: intact provasopressin and the associated abnormal vasopressin V2 receptor. Years of research has concluded that intact provasopressin is accessible on all small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and breast cancer tissues, and potentially other neuroendocrine cancers. These markers have been present on all cancerous cell membranes studied to date, but are not been present on any normal cell membranes.
The Company has developed immuno-products which target these markers. In tests of tumor cells and 260 various human tissue samples, a combination of Woomera products detected the markers in all cancerous tissues and in no non-cancerous tissues. A clinical imaging study of SCLC patients provided similar results: Woomera products imaged all cancerous tissues in patients and did not image normal tissues. Additionally, the patients studied had no side effects.
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