Flossie Wong-Staal

The National Academy of Medicine (United States) is based in Washington and is focused on improving the health and well-being of individuals through various initiatives. These initiatives include the clinician well-being collaborative, which aims to accelerate the implementation of a national plan for health workforce well-being, and the development of a code of conduct for the use of artificial intelligence in health care. The organization also provides resources to support meaningful community engagement in health and health care programs and policies. Recently, the National Academy of Medicine announced the appointment of Mandy Cohen, a member of the organization, as the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the organization has released a publication celebrating 50 years of progress in biomedical science, health, and health care.

United Biomedical, Inc. manufactures biological vaccines and other immunizing products. It engages in discovery, development and commercialization of immunotherapeutics and vaccines for chronic and infectious diseases. The firm’s vaccines are used for the treatment and prevention of alzheimer’s disease, AIDS, and allergy, along with a portfolio of animal health diseases. The company was founded by Nean Hu and Chang Yi Wang in 1985 and is headquartered in Hauppauge, NY.

iTherX is a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative treatments for Hepatitis C. This is a disease that affects almost 3% of the world's population, and is the major cause of chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, liver failure and primary liver cancer. Currently there is only a single mode of therapy and less than 5% of patients can be successfully treated. The company continues to carry out focused research in their areas of expertise to provide sustainability of product pipelines. In an era of managed care and increased regulatory scrutiny, it is easy to yield to the temptation of producing 'me too drugs'. However, they think that innovation in the development of pharmaceutical products is important because it is the only way to improve the outcomes for patients. As such, they also think that innovation can ensure the financial returns that investors in health care deserve for the risks that they take. Their innovative approach is evident in their pipeline of Hepatitis C drug candidates. As new and better treatments are being sought, most companies involved in this effort are targeting the enzymes responsible for viral replication: polymerases and proteases. While these are important targets, there is a great deal of duplication of effort in these initiatives. At iTherX, they are pioneering the development of a novel class of HCV antivirals by targeting the steps involved in the entry of the hepatitis C virus into liver cells. Their Host Cell Receptor Target Program engenders small molecule compounds that target a liver cell membrane protein, SR-B1, which recognize and dock the virus. Their lead compound, ITX5061, has extensive safety data in over 250 patients, and shows picomolar potency in inhibiting HCV infection in vitro. They plan to initiate a Phase 2a clinical trial in HCV patients in Q2 of 2009. They have also used medicinal chemistry to develop back-up compounds for this program, and a clinical candidate has been selected for development. Another innovative program is novel cell receptor, which develops antagonists (including biologics) against a novel liver cell membrane protein required for infectivity of the virus.