Hawaii Life Sciences Companies
| Company | Specialty | Category | Contact Person |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyThera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. CyThera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a drug development company repositioning FDA-approved drugs for new therapeutic indications in autoimmune disease and cancer. The company’s core competency centers on compounds screened against ion channel proteins. Based on patented technology, the company is developing a topical cream that is predicted to resolve psoriatic skin lesions. The same technology is being developed as a pill to fight Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis. | Psoriatic Skin Lesions, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. | Drug Development | Andrea Fleig |
| Diagenetix Diagenetix, Inc. is a Honolulu-based startup company making molecular diagnostics more accessible to researchers, scientists, government and businesses We have developed a mobile gene-based diagnostic platform called BioRanger. BioRanger is compatible with all isothermal DNA/RNA amplification technologies currently available on the diagnostic market, and enables rapid, low-cost, on-site molecular diagnostics, which help to minimize the spread of human, animal, and plant diseases. | Mobile gene-based diagnostic platform | Diagnostics | Ryo Kubota |
| Edge-3D, Inc. Edge is innovating 21st century 3D microscopes for research, industry, medicine and education. Our objective is to improve visualization of the microscopic world by dramatically expanding depth of focus and by making microscope images visible in three dimensions. By offering exceptional 3D microscopes for affordable prices Edge is providing powerful and easy to use systems to solve modern problems. | 3D Microscopes | Imaging Tools | Gary Greenberg |
| Hawaii Biotech, Inc. Hawaii Biotech, Inc. (HBI) is focused on the research and development of vaccines for established and emerging infectious diseases. The company has developed proprietary expertise in the production of recombinant proteins applicable to the development of safe and effective vaccines. Current vaccine candidates in clinical or pre-clinical development target the Zika virus, West Nile virus, Tick borne flaviviruses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, and Chikungunya virus. HBI’s drug development activities are focused on small molecule drugs that block intracellular and extracellural bacterial toxins. Product opportunities include anti-toxin drugs for the lethal factor from B. anthracis and the botulinum toxin from C. botulinum. The company also partners its proprietary saponin adjuvant for vaccine development. | Vaccines for Infectious Diseases | Vaccines, Small Molecule Drugs | Elliot Parks |
| Hawaii to Zero Cure Initiative – Hawaii Center for AIDS The Hawaii to Zero (H20) HIV Cure initiative is groundbreaking program of the Hawai'i Center for AIDS (HICFA) which is part of the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine School of Medicine. The H20 initiative proposes to transform Hawaii into the first HIV-free state in the United States. HICFA is an academic program with clinical, translational, and laboratory research studies focused on HIV infection with a clinic providing care to HIV infected individuals. HICFA includes the Hawai'i AIDS Clinical Trials Unit (HACTU), the Laboratory of Molecular Immunology and Infectious Diseases (LMIID) and the Clint Spencer Clinic. HICFA participates in clinical research supported by a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health, which supports the HACTU, NeuroAIDS, HIV Cure related studies and other research initiatives within HICFA. Additional research is supported by private foundations or companies. | HIV Cure Related Studies | Drug Development, Therapeutics | Lishomwa Ndhlovu |
| HNU-NanoPoint HNU-nanoPOINT is a biotechnology company that provides custom automated microfluidics and imaging platforms to ground-based and space-based cell biology and embryology researchers. The high-throughput, remote-controlled and automated features allow long time-course experiments with multiple drug delivery options benefiting drug discovery, cancer biology, stem cell research, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) research, and individualized cancer and stem cell therapies. HNu-nanoPOINT is proud to announce its SCORPIO-V BioChipSpaceLab platform for biological studies on board the International Space Station. | Automated Microfluidic and Imaging Platforms | Microfluidics, Imaging | Caitlin O'Connell-Rodwell |
| KinetiCor, Inc. Kineticor is a medical imaging company dedicated to bringing razor sharp clarity to MR imaging. The company’s goal is to become the market leader in providing the most advance and cost effective Prospective Motion Correction Technologies to the healthcare industry. KinetiCor is working with the world’s top researchers in MR motion correction technology to stay at the leading edge of this field. KinetiCor’s patented prospective motion correction optical imaging technology delivers unparalleled performance to fully optimized MR imaging. | Medical Imaging | Imaging Devices | Will Alameda |
| SCORPIO-V: a Division of HNu-Photonics SCORPIO-V, a division of HNu Photonics, specializes in creating automated microfluidic and imaging platforms for sophisticated cell biology, tissue and organ-on-a-chip investigations. The high-throughput, remote-controlled and automated features allow long-term experiments with multiple drug delivery options supporting drug discovery, cancer biology, stem cell, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) research and individualized cancer and stem cell therapies. SCORPIO-V has developed the BioChip SpaceLab, an automated microfluidic and microscopy facility for long-term live-cell investigations onboard the International Space Station National Lab (ISS-NL). This sophisticated platform is designed to perform chemistry, cell biology, tissue and organ-on-a-chip investigations in microgravity to increase our understanding of long-term spaceflight on human physiology. | Automated Microfluidic and Imaging Platforms | Imaging Tools | Dan O’Connell |
| SmarTummy SmarTummy was established around a programmable abdominal manikin that simulates various abdominal conditions such as acute appendicitis, gallbladder disease, distended urinary bladder, peritonitis, enlarged liver, abdominal distension and other conditions configurable through a graphic user interface, unlike presently available static products. Also, unlike other currently available plastic manikins SmarTummy has the palpable texture and heat conductivity of human skin. The conceptual prototype has been issued four utility patents and the company is presently in the process of producing a clinical prototype. | Programmable Abdominal Manikin | Medical Simulation/Training | Walton K.T. Shim |
| TruTag Technologies, Inc. TruTag Technologies, Inc. is a leader in precision fabrication of nano-porous silica for drug delivery, product authentication, and data intelligence solutions. The TruTag® platform addresses the $1 trillion global opportunity for sustained release drug therapy, and provides product identity and security solutions to address counterfeit, diverted and adulterated products that impacts the pharmaceutical, life sciences, food, electronics, industrial, and consumer goods industries. TruTag is able to extend the Internet of Things (IoT) to a plethora of new, non-web-connected objects and products with its microscopic ingestible optical memory devices (iOMs), which are made of precision fabricated nano-porous silica that is read using TruTag’s advanced spectral readers. TruTag’s hyperspectral imaging expertise is critical to a broad array of market applications from medical diagnostics to machine vision. | Drug Delivery, Product Authentication, Data Intelligence | Medical Diagnostics, Machine Vision | Sally Lee |
| University of Hawaii Research and Innovation Research conducted by the University of Hawaii (UH) impacts the quality of life in the islands and around the world. Because of Hawaii’s tremendous geographic diversity that encompasses erupting volcanoes, frozen summits, tropical rain forests and the deep ocean, UH research is equally as diverse with its world-renowned research programs in astronomy, earth and ocean sciences, medicine and tropical agriculture. Cutting edge research facilities like the Daniel K. Inouye Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research & Education, Institute for Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, UH Cancer Center and the soon-to-be constructed permanent home for the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy at the University of Hawaii at Hilo and the soon-to-be completed Daniel K. Inouye Advanced Technology Solar Telescope on Maui, provide UH researchers with the necessary tools to conduct competitive research in science and technology. | Research & Deveopment | Technology Transfer | Vassilis L. Syrmos |
| UH Cancer Center The University of Hawaii Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute-designated center in Hawaii and the Pacific. Research areas of focus include:
• Cancer Epide miology • Natural Products and Experimental Therapeutics • Clinical and Translational Research • Cancer Prevention & Control Shared resources:
• Biostatistics and Informatics • Genomics Hawaii Tumor Registry • Metabolomics • Microscopy, Imaging and Flow Cytometry • Nutrition Support • Pathology Currently, the Center is conducting more than 100 cancer research projects in four interdisciplinary programs. | Cancer Treatment Research | Cancer Research | James Turkson |
| John A. Burns School of Medicine The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at UH is the largest biomedical research facility in Hawaii and one of the leading medical education institutions in the United States. Advanced medical and biomedical research at JABSOM has received international recognition for universities for federal research funding in science and engineering – averaging $333 million over the past five years. Internationally, UH Mānoa is ranked between 101-150 on the Jiao Tong 2012 Academic Ranking of World Universities. In 2013, UH Mānoa was elected to membership in the Association of Pacific Rim Universities, a leading consortium of 45 premier research universities in the region. It is one of only a handful of land-, sea- and space-grant universities in the United States. | Biomedical Research | Medical School | Lishomwa Ndhlovu |
| Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism The Business Development & Support Division (BDSD) of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) promotes industry development and economic diversification by supporting existing and emerging industries in Hawaii and by attracting new investment and businesses to the state. Some of BDSD’s statewide programs include: Hawaii State Export Expansion Program; the Business of Exporting Accelerator; Hawaii State Pavilions at various industry trade shows in the U.S. and abroad; Small Business Fairs; the Micro-loan and Grant programs for community-based businesses and organizations; Enterprise Zone program designed to assist economically-disadvantaged areas of the state; and the Community-based Economic Development (CBED) Accelerator. Learn more about the Business Development & Support Division of DBEDT at: http://invest.hawaii.gov/. | Economic Development | State Government | Mark Ritchie |