Next-Generation Delivery of Drugs

Xanadu Bio is pioneering the use of next-generation polymer nanoparticles to deliver mRNA and other payloads. This delivery platform leverages the novel poly(amine-co-ester), or PACE, polymer family that is tunable, organ-specific, and immune-silent. Xanadu is initially focusing on PACE for induction of mucosal immunity via intranasal vaccines for viral respiratory infections with plans to expand into other localized applications, including in the lung and the eye, and systemic delivery.

Technology

PACE, poly(amine-co-esters), is a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer family comprised of 3 monomers that are naturally occurring (PDL, DES) or largely non-toxic (MDEA).

Unlike previous generations of polymer nanoparticles, PACE has reduced cationic charge and enhanced hydrophobicity to mitigate toxicity while supporting robust encapsulation of negatively charged cargo like mRNA.

There are several characteristics of the PACE polymer and particles that are tunable, enabling selective organ targeting, varied routes of administration, more robust stability, and increased tolerability.

PACE manufacturing and particle production are more streamlined than other delivery vehicles, providing potential long-term advantages for scale up and clinical use.

Pipeline

Team

Executive Team

Bruce Turner, M.D., Ph.D.

Position: Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder, and Chairman

Dr. Bruce Turner is a medically trained oncologist with deep experience spanning genetic research, drug development and healthcare portfolio management. Prior to founding Xanadu, Dr. Turner spent five years at Hoffman-La Roche in various position of increasing responsibility in R&D and was vice president at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. working in cardiovascular/ metabolic drug development. Dr. Turner is also the interim chief financial officer and chief strategy officer for Morphimmune, a targeted oncology company.  Earlier in his career, he served as a healthcare equities portfolio manager at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Diker Management. Dr. Turner received a M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and a B.A. in biology from the University of Chicago. He completed his postgraduate medical training at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Radiation Oncology and performed postdoctoral research at Yale University.

Bruce Turner, M.D., Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer, Co-founder, and Chairman

Dr. Bruce Turner is a medically trained oncologist with deep...

Todd Wider, M.D.

Position: Chief Medical Officer, Co-Founder, and Member of Board

Dr. Todd Wider is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Medical Officer at Emendo Bio and serves as a consultant to numerous entities in the biotechnology space. Todd graduated from Princeton University and received a M.D. from Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. He completed his surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery residencies at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, as well as fellowships in complex oncologic microsurgery and craniofacial surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering and the University of Miami.

Todd Wider, M.D.

Chief Medical Officer, Co-Founder, and Member of Board

Dr. Todd Wider is the Chairman of the Board of...

Taylor Feehley, Ph.D.

Position: Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Taylor Feehley is a published immunology researcher with experience in life science corporate development and strategy. Most recently, she served in various senior corporate strategy and development roles at Omega Therapeutics and Vedanta Biosciences. Prior to joining Vedanta, she was a Senior Research Analyst at Chardan with a specialty in genetic medicines, infectious disease, and microbiome. Her academic research explored the intestinal microbiome and its role in regulating sensitization to food allergens, for which she was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list for Science in 2016. Taylor received a B.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and was a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis.

Taylor Feehley, Ph.D.

Chief Operating Officer

Dr. Taylor Feehley is a published immunology researcher with experience...

Founders

Accordion Content
Dr. Marie Egan is a Professor of Pediatrics (Respiratory) and Cellular and Molecular Physiology at Yale University. She also serves as a Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center, Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Pediatrics, and Interim Chief of Pediatric Pulmonary Allergy Immunology and Sleep Medicine at Yale University. Her primary research interest is Cystic Fibrosis with a focus on developing strategies to correct the basic CFTR defect via small molecules and gene editing to correct the mutation. She received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania, M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and completed her pediatric internship, residency, and pulmonary fellowship at The Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Dr. Akiko Iwasaki is a Sterling Professor of Immunobiology and Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at Yale University, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of immune defense against viruses at mucosal surfaces, and the development of mucosal vaccine strategies. She is the co-Lead Investigator of the Yale COVID-19 Recovery Study, which aims to determine the changes in the immune response of people with long COVID after vaccination. Akiko also leads multiple other studies to interrogate the pathobiology of long COVID, both in patients, and through developing animal models of long COVID. Additionally, she was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019, to the European Molecular Biology Organization in 2021, and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021. Akiko received a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in Canada and conducted her postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Alexandra (Alex) Piotrowski-Daspit is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Internal Medicine – Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine Division at the University of Michigan. Alex received her bachelor’s degree in Chemical-Biological Engineering and Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and her Ph.D. in Chemical & Biological Engineering from Princeton University. She trained as a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University under Dr. Saltzman developing the PACE polymer delivery platform. Her independent research group at the University of Michigan harnesses expertise in chemical/biomedical engineering, biomaterials, genetics, and drug delivery to develop therapeutic strategies for hereditary disorders such as cystic fibrosis.
Dr. W. Mark Saltzman is the Goizueta Foundation Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at Yale University. His research interests include materials for controlled drug delivery, drug delivery to the brain, and tissue engineering. He has taught at Johns Hopkins University and Cornell University and, after joining the Yale faculty in 2002, was named the first Chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering. Mark has published more than 150 research papers, authored 3 books, edited 3 books, and he is an inventor on 10 patents. He received a B.S. at Iowa State University and a Ph.D. at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Matt Simon is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Admissions, Biochemistry, Quantitative Biology, and Biophysics and Structural Biology (BQBS) at Yale University. His group’s research focuses on developing new chemical and biochemical means of investigating regulated gene expression at the level of chromatin and RNA biology. Matt received a B.S. in Biochemistry from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California Berkeley.

News & Publications

Suberi et al. Science Translational Medicine, 2023

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