Heather Burns, Author at Dignify Therapeutics

Dignify Therapeutics Welcomes Leading Gastrointestinal Expert to its Scientific Advisory Board

Heather Burns — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 20:26:17 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – March 22, 2017 – Dignify Therapeutics, LLC, a leading developer of therapies for bladder and bowel dysfunction, announced that Michael Camilleri, M.D. has joined Dignify’s scientific advisory board. Dr. Camilleri is currently Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. and also serves as a consultant in gastroenterology and hepatology. Dr. Camilleri is a past president of the American Gastroenterological Association.

Dr. Camilleri’s research is focused on improving patient care through the development and clinical testing of novel medications and medical technologies for the treatment of gastrointestinal motility disorders. Dr. Camilleri is particularly interested in diabetic gastroparesis, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation, bile acid diarrhea as well as, the factors that determine people’s appetites.

“We are very proud to have Dr. Camilleri join Dignify. We look forward to his guidance and expertise as we focus on advancing our technology for the treatment of bowel voiding disorders, including incontinence and constipation,” said Dr. Karl Thor, Chief Scientific Officer of Dignify Therapeutics. “Dignify is developing novel treatments that will allow patients to regain control of bowel voiding and eliminate many of the associated financial, physical, and social burdens of bowel dysfunction.”

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Benny Ward

P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Phone: 919-491-0369

Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com

Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics Receives $3.1 million in NIH Awards for Bladder, Bowel Therapy

Heather Burns — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 15:11:02 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – October 11, 2016 – Dignify Therapeutics LLC, a drug development company focused on restoring bladder and bowel control to people with spinal injury, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions, received three NIH SBIR/STTR grants in the third quarter totaling $3.1 million. The grants were awarded by the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and the National Institute on Aging. The grants support preclinical development of Dignify’s lead product, DTI-100, in preparation for a Phase I clinical study, as well as studies to identify 2^nd generation compounds and alternative formulations, through a collaboration with the Division of Pharmacoengineering & Molecular Pharmaceutics at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

“We are very appreciative of these awards and continued support from the NIH” said Dignify CSO, Dr. Karl Thor. “NIH support is particularly valuable to a small company that is attempting to develop first-ever therapeutics. The insight gained from our pioneering, NIH-supported studies to develop an “on-demand, rapid-onset, short-duration, drug-induced, voiding therapy” will advance our lead drug development program and ultimately bring a safe, effective, and convenient voiding therapy to quadriplegic and paraplegic individuals to treat this severe, unmet, medical need.”

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a repositioning strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. The Company is funded by venture capitalists (RA Capital and Eshelman Ventures), an angel investor, loans from the North Carolina Biotech Center, as well as other grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify, a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network, is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Benny Ward
P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-491-0369
Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com
Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics’ Chief Scientific Officer invited to participate at CURE-UAB

Heather Burns — Tue, 18 Aug 2015 21:23:02 +0000

Dignify Therapeutics’ Chief Scientific Officer, Karl B. Thor, PhD, has been invited to participate as a Faculty member at the 2nd International Congress on Underactive Bladder – CURE-UAB in Denver, CO, Dec. 3-4, 2015. His presentation is entitled “Pharmaceutical Targets for Drug-induced Voiding”. This NIH-sponsored congress brings together academic, pharmaceutical, and medical device experts to provide a multidisciplinary forum for addressing the unmet medical need for therapy to treat urinary voiding dysfunction. The Congress is being organized by Dr. Michael CHancellor, Director of NeuroUrology, Beaumont Hospital, MI.

For more information, please visit: Underactivebladder.org

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Dignify Therapeutics Completes Preferred Equity Financing

Heather Burns — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 14:10:39 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – February 4, 2015 – Dignify Therapeutics LLC, a drug development company focused on restoring bladder and bowel control to people with spinal injury, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions, today announced the completion of a $3.15 million equity financing. RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures LLC and Terry Engel, an angel investor, were participants in the round.

Dignify is developing novel pharmaceutical treatments for bladder and bowel dysfunction which will significantly improve the quality of life for individuals who rely on bladder catheters and bowel programs for voiding. Dignify Therapeutics is believed to be the only company developing pharmaceuticals to provide rapid, on-demand, drug-induced voiding as a therapeutic strategy.

“We are very appreciative of, and encouraged by the opportunity to partner with such leading and successful investors in the industry,” said Dignify CEO Benny Ward. “Our team has done a great job in achieving this significant milestone, and we look forward to continued execution in reaching our goal of improving the quality of life of patients with bladder and bowel dysfunction.”

The Company will use the funding to complete ongoing preclinical activities and the subsequent phase I clinical proof-of-concept study to be initiated later this year. Prior funding was from founders, a National Institutes of Health grant, and loans from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.

Dignify CSO Karl Thor added, “These investors bring more than funding to Dignify’s development programs. They bring a bevy of knowledge and experience regarding drug development that is exemplified by an impressive record of success that is equaled by few in early-stage biotech startups.”

About RA Capital

RA Capital is a Boston-based crossover fund manager dedicated to evidence-based investing in public and private healthcare and life science companies that are developing drugs, medical devices and diagnostics.

About Eshelman Ventures LLC

Founded by Fred Eshelman, Eshelman Ventures is an investment company primarily interested in private healthcare companies. The fund invests in a variety of different ways, including angel investing in startups, “alongside” investing with venture capital funds, private equity funds (primary or secondary markets), academic spinouts, as well as investing in more established companies.

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a repositioning strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding to the Company was provided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an entity primarily funded by the State of North Carolina. Dignify, a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network, is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT
Dignify Therapeutics
Benny Ward
P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-491-0369
Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com
Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics Adds Two New Members to its Scientific Advisory Board

Heather Burns — Tue, 03 Feb 2015 18:35:27 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – February 3, 2015 – Dignify Therapeutics, LLC, announced that Michael Jay, PhD, and Kristy Borawski, MD, have joined Dignify’s scientific advisory board. Dr. Jay is the Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics, and Division Chair at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Dr. Borawski is currently Assistant Professor in the Urology Department at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Dr. Jay has over 30 years of experience working in pharmaceutics. He is internationally known for his work in pharmaceutical science and pharmaceutical product development where he uses many approaches to solve problems encountered in the development of novel formulations and drug delivery systems.

Dr. Borawski is committed to providing comprehensive, quality of life-driven and compassionate care to her patients and specializes in female urology, urodynamics, neurourology, and female/male incontinence.

“The inability to void urine can require a lifetime of multiple daily catheterizations of the bladder with attendant risks of infections, as well as financial, physical, and social burdens,” according to Dr. Karl Thor, Chief Scientific Officer of Dignify Therapeutics. He added, “We are incredibly fortunate to add Dr. Borawski, an internationally- recognized clinician to our team as we prepare for clinical trials. We are equally fortunate to add Dr. Jay, an internationally-recognized expert in formulation development as we explore the most convenient and cost-effective methods of delivery for our lead candidate, DTI-100, to patients with voiding dysfunction. The local availability of these scientists makes for a convenient working relationship and is a tribute to Research Triangle Park’s access to such fine academic institutions such as UNC-CH.”

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC
Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a repositioning strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding has been provided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an entity primarily funded by the State of North Carolina and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dignify is a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network and is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT
Dignify Therapeutics
Benny Ward
P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-491-0369
Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com
Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics Awarded $250,000 NCBiotech Loan for Bladder, Bowel Therapy

Heather Burns — Mon, 05 Jan 2015 16:29:06 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC–(January 5, 2015) – Dignify Therapeutics LLC, a drug development company focused on restoring bladder and bowel control to people with spinal injury, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions, has received a $250,000 Small Business Research Loan (SRL) from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. The loan supports preclinical development of Dignify’s lead product, DTI-100, in preparation for a Phase I clinical study planned for 2015.

Dignify is developing novel pharmaceutical treatments for bladder and bowel dysfunction which will significantly improve the quality of life for individuals who rely on bladder catheters and bowel programs for voiding. The Company estimates the worldwide market potential for DTI-100 for people with spinal cord injury will be approximately $400 million annually. Dignify Therapeutics is believed to be the only company developing pharmaceuticals to provide rapid, on-demand, drug-induced voiding as a therapeutic strategy.

“We are very appreciative of this award and continued support from NCBiotech,” said Dignify CEO Benny Ward. “Our team continues to make great progress as we move down a clear development path to the DTI-100 Phase I clinical study next year. This loan provides continued positive momentum and credibility to achieving this significant milestone for Dignify.”

NCBiotech also awarded a $50,000 Company Inception Loan to help bootstrap Dignify in 2013.

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a repositioning strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding has been provided by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dignify, a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network, is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

About the North Carolina Biotechnology Center

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center is a private, non-profit corporation supported by the N.C. General Assembly. Its mission is to provide long-term economic and societal benefits to North Carolina by supporting biotechnology research, business, education and strategic policy statewide.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Benny Ward

P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

Phone: 919-491-0369

Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com

Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics Receives NC Matching Grant for Bladder and Bowel Therapy; Presenting at Two Events in Atlanta

Heather Burns — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 19:41:46 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – November 4, 2014 – Dignify Therapeutics LLC, a drug development company focused on restoring bladder and bowel control to people with spinal injury, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions, has received a $50,000 grant from the North Carolina Office of Science, Technology & Innovation’s One North Carolina Small Business Program. The grant matches a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, received in August, in the amount of $159,000 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dignify is developing novel pharmaceutical treatments for bladder and bowel dysfunction which will significantly improve the quality-of-life for individuals that rely on bladder catheters and bowel programs for voiding. The Company estimates the worldwide market potential for its lead product, DTI-100 for people with spinal cord injury, will be approximately $400 million annually. Dignify Therapeutics is believed to be the only company developing pharmaceuticals to provide a rapid, on-demand, drug-induced voiding as a therapeutic strategy.

The Company will be presenting at two in events in Atlanta on November 10-13. Dignify has been chosen as one of 23 of the most promising bioscience companies to participate in the 2014 Southeast BIO Investor and Partnering Forum. Benny Ward, CEO, will be presenting the Company to early stage investors, advisors and entrepreneurs. In addition, Karl Thor, President and CSO, will be presenting, on November 10, to clinicians at Shepherd Center, one of the top rehabilitation hospitals in the nation. Dr. Thor will be sharing the patient benefits and clinical development of Dignify’s novel treatment for bladder and bowel dysfunction.

“We are very appreciative of the funding support from the state of North Carolina. Emerging companies such as Dignify rely on many sources of funding for growth and to bring novel therapies to patients. We are also looking forward to sharing the Dignify opportunity and our progress to date at SEBIO and Shepherd Center,” said Benny Ward, Chief Executive Officer.

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe and effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand”pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a “repositioning”strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding for the Company has been provided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an entity primarily funded by the State of North Carolina. Dignify is also a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network and is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Benny Ward
P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-491-0369
Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com
Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify Therapeutics Awarded SBIR Grant for Bladder and Bowel Therapy

Heather Burns — Fri, 15 Aug 2014 13:26:24 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (RTP) – August 15, 2014 – Dignify Therapeutics LLC, a drug development company focused on restoring bladder and bowel control to people with spinal injury, spina bifida, and other neurological conditions, has been awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in the amount of $159,000 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Affirmation by leading scientists who serve on the NIH review committees provides an important validation of the innovative approach that Dignify Therapeutics is developing to treat this severe unmet medical need. These funds will support the ongoing development of our lead product candidate, DTI-100, through the IND approval process and into clinical trials,” said Karl Thor, President and Chief Scientific Officer. “This SBIR award, together with future non-dilutive funding, will augment the Company’s current efforts to raise up to $3 million from private investors to develop DTI-100 through Phase II clinical trials.”

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe and effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a “repositioning” strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding to the Company has been provided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an entity primarily funded by the State of North Carolina. Dignify is also a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneur Network and is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Benny Ward
P.O. Box 13169 – 2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-491-0369
Email: bward@dignifytherapeutics.com
Website: https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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Troy Russell’s Spinal Cord Injury Story

Heather Burns — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 16:25:04 +0000

In August 2012, Troy Russell, a scholar athlete, broke two vertebrae in his neck in a diving accident at a Narragansett, RI beach. The break in his neck resulted in an initial loss of mobility to his legs and arms. Over time and through a lot of hard work, Troy has improved physically. Today, he has some movement in his feet, arms and a few fingers. He continues to work hard to progress towards regaining mobility. In fact, he just participated in Project Walk, in which he was able to actually walk with help.

His mother, Darlene, shared his story with Dignify Therapeutics recently. Darlene says, “To this day, I feel that the hardest part of the injury is the bladder and I pray every day for the return of his bladder function.” Troy is still making continued progress, but his independence is limited due to his hand function and an inability to catheter himself.

Currently there are no effective and tolerable marketed drugs for the treatment of bladder retention disorders in individuals with spinal cord injuries, and bladder catheterization is the current treatment. Although it may be years away, Dignify Therapeutics is committed to discovering and developing novel pharmaceutical agents to restore voluntary excretory function for individuals with spinal cord injuries.

If a drug could be developed that would restore voluntary bladder control, what would this drug mean for your son Troy?

Troy’s mother, Darlene, says…

“This drug would mean complete independence for everyday living, and would free Troy from the UTIs which have been one of the most difficult issues of his injury. Troy would be able to be a teenager again – to live at college without the worries of catheing and maintaining a bowel program. He would have complete freedom and as his mother/ caregiver, I would too! This would be a complete breakthrough in the spinal cord injury (SCI) world.”

Make Our Vision a Reality: Dignify Therapeutics

Our vision at Dignify Therapeutics is to restore voluntary control of bladder and bowel for people with spinal cord injury, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis and other neurological conditions. We are currently seeking angel investors to help our team of scientists make this vision a reality for Troy and for thousands of others like him that are dependent on bladder and bowel programs. Learn more about investing in Dignify Therapeutics today.

Find out more about Troy on the family’s Facebook page, where you can see a video of him walking during his last therapy session at Project Walk.

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Dignify Therapeutics Joins the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network

Heather Burns — Mon, 05 May 2014 15:38:10 +0000

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – May 5, 2014 – Dignify Therapeutics, a drug development company focused on developing novel bladder and bowel drug therapies for patients with spinal conditions, today announced that it has become a member of the Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network (BEN). Blackstone Companies come from across the region and are selected through a multi-stage diligence process. Working closely with the areas entrepreneurial organizations and universities, the BEN scouts for startups and technologies with the highest growth potential and committed teams.

“We are very excited about, and appreciative of, the opportunity that the BEN offers Dignify. Our company certainly has the potential for significant growth given the unmet need in the therapeutic area we are focused on. Our very experienced and committed management team looks forward to achieving our goals with the support of the BEN,” said Benny Ward, Chief Executive Officer of Dignify Therapeutics.

About The Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network

Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network was launched in North Carolina in 2011 with a gift from The Blackstone Charitable Foundation. The Network’s mission is to help catalyze the regional development of the Triangle’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and thereby strengthen economic development in the area.
The Network harnessed the talent of a regional pool of veteran entrepreneurs, and in 2012 created a tightly connected team of Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) to help identify marketable innovations out of area universities and regional startups with the greatest potential to become high-growth companies.
EIRs work one-on-one and as a team to mentor local entrepreneurs and help them achieve significant business milestones, make connections to their network of experts and funders, and provide access to the broader Blackstone Entrepreneurs Network. Network portfolio companies enjoy access to sector experts, venture coaches, angel investors, and administrative and marketing support provided by Network Fellows.
The Network supports its Partners (UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, NC State, NC Central University, CED) and the Triangle entrepreneurial community through sponsorship and participation in regional entrepreneurship events, providing Network expertise through panels and conferences, and maximizing Network impact through strategic partnerships and community outreach.

About Dignify Therapeutics LLC

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally-recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide safe and effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, using a “repositioning” strategy of drug discovery that the team has successfully implemented multiple times over the last 20 years in the fields of urology and gastroenterology. Funding to the Company has been provided by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, an entity primarily funded by the State of North Carolina.

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