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Mr. Welch comes to Dignify with over two decades of diverse business experience as a successful entrepreneur and business executive from startup to acquisition. He has worked as a senior executive in clinical trials for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and med-tech companies seeking to develop their assets into safe and effective treatment options. His experience includes multiple leadership roles in business development, branding, marketing, corporate communications, and strategic planning activities.

We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to our executive team,” said Anthony DiTonno, CEO of Dignify. His skills and experience align well with Dignify’s business priorities. As we enter a pivotal phase of growth, Jeff has a wide appreciation of the complexities associated with getting a drug or device to market. From fundraising and building a team of KOLs to navigating the regulatory landscape, he will be instrumental in executing our mission to bring Dignify’s treatments to patients.

About Dignify Therapeutics

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists, Dignify Therapeutics’ mission is to provide practical and convenient treatments for bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions, primarily 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 founders, venture capital firms (RA Capital Management and Eshelman Ventures), the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, the One NC Small Business Program, and the NIH SBIR/STTR program (with 18 awards and approximately $18 million in funding). Dignify Therapeutics is located in the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. 

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics

Ed Burgard, PhD

2 Davis Drive

Research Triangle Park, NC  27709

Phone: 919-371-8138

Email:  eburgard@dignifytherapeutics.com

Website:  https://dignifytherapeutics.com

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During the conference, Dignify CEO Anthony DiTonno provided an update of the company’s progress and strategic direction. He emphasized Dignify Therapeutics’ commitment to developing innovative therapies for individuals affected by spinal cord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and other neurological conditions.

DTI-301 and DTI-117 are at the forefront of the company’s pipeline and are treatments for bladder and bowel dysfunction associated with neurological conditions and the aging process. Currently, many of these individuals require bladder catheterization for bladder emptying and an invasive, time-consuming manual bowel program for bowel evacuation. 

Dignify’s lead drug program, DTI-301, is a suppository that patients use as needed for bowel evacuation. DTI-301 induces defecation within 5-10 minutes, with minimal absorption and systemic exposure.  Dignify’s second drug program, DTI-117, is currently in development for on-demand emptying of both the bladder and bowel. DTI-117 directly stimulates smooth muscle contraction in the bladder and bowel, produces voiding in less than 10 minutes, and is rapidly eliminated from the body.

About Dignify Therapeutics

Dignify Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing therapies to restore voluntary bowel and bladder function in individuals with neurological conditions. The company’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals affected by neurological disorders, and the elderly.

For more information about Dignify Therapeutics and its clinical development programs, please visit www.dignifytherapeutics.com.

About the BIO CEO & Investor Conference

The BIO CEO & Investor Conference serves as a premier platform for biotech companies to engage with investors and industry leaders, fostering discussions on the latest advancements and investment opportunities in the biotechnology sector. 

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Dignify Therapeutics  

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RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC (October 22, 2024) – Dignify Therapeutics (Dignify), a leading developer of therapies for bladder and bowel dysfunction, has been selected as a participating company in the Praxis Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Accelerate Program. SCI Accelerate is a commercialization program ‘geared towards healthcare companies with a product ready to launch into a market that will transform the lives of people living
with SCI’. Under the SCI Accelerate program, Dignify and Praxis will focus on the development of Dignify’s drug programs to treat bladder and bowel disorders in people with SCI.

Dr. Karl B. Thor, Chief Scientific Officer of Dignify, indicated; “The Praxis SCI Accelerate Program is critically important for Dignify to ensure that the clinical development program for our products provides the efficacy, safety, and convenience that are considered valuable and most important by SCI individuals for control of bowel
and bladder dysfunction. The selection of Dignify to join the Praxis SCI community confirms the unmet medical need for our therapeutics.”

Arushi Raina, Praxis Director of Commercialization, stated “The Praxis team was impressed by the Dignify team’s approach and excited by the possibility of a bowel and bladder treatment that could be used in an accessible way to transform daily living.”

About Dignify Therapeutics
Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical, and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman
Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

About Praxis
Praxis is a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization that leads global collaboration in SCI research, innovation, and care. We accelerate the translation of discoveries and best practices into improved treatments for people with spinal cord injuries. Our work is driven by the priorities of people with SCI and led by our four teams — PLEX (people with lived experience), Cure, Care, and Commercialization.

PRESS CONTACT
Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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“I look forward to sharing the company’s incredible progress and dynamic drug development strategies with potential investors and partners in San Francisco. Dignify continues to advance its two lead drug programs to the clinic, fueled by over $20 million in non-dilutive funding. In the muti-billion-dollar market of bladder and bowel disorders, these programs represent novel therapies for severely underserved patient populations. Our novel development approach is rapid, de-risked and capital efficient” stated Mr. DiTonno.

As a serial entrepreneur, Mr. DiTonno has more than 25 years of senior leadership experience spanning the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device industries. He has a long record of success in launching startups in the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries, extensive experience in raising capital and securing commercial and corporate partnerships, and strong product launch background in some of the most competitive and strictly regulated markets.

The BIO Investor Forum is an annual conference focused on accelerating the progress of new therapeutics technologies into commercialization. As one of the premier forums for facilitating interactions between entrepreneurs and investors, it also features presentations from industry experts and panel discussion focused on emerging trends in the life sciences.

About Dignify Therapeutics
Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
Phone: 919-371-8138
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dignify is developing two products to treat bladder and bowel dysfunction associated with spinal cord injury, neurological diseases, diabetes and the elderly. Currently, many of these individuals require bladder catheterization for urination, and an invasive, time-consuming manual bowel program for defecation that is often performed by a caregiver. Dignify’s lead drug program, DTI-301, is a suppository that patients use as-needed for bowel evacuation. DTI-301 induces defecation within 5-10 minutes, with minimal absorption and systemic exposure. Our second drug program, DTI-117, is currently in development for on-demand emptying of both the bladder and bowel. DTI-117 is a small peptide that directly stimulates smooth muscle contraction in the bladder and bowel and produces voiding in less than 10 minutes. Additionally, the drug has a very short plasma half-life, is eliminated rapidly, and development is NIH-funded into clinical studies.

Anthony DiTonno, Dignify CEO, stated “The BIO Investor Forum provides a platform for discussions with institutional investors and strategic partners. As our two drug products are approaching clinical trials, we look forward to presenting Dignify’s novel approach to treating severe unmet medical needs for desperate patients in a multi-billion dollar market”.

About Dignify Therapeutics

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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Mr. Palefsky has a broad range of experience as a Board Member and Advisor in the healthcare and biomedical industries, having served these industries as an Entrepreneur, CEO, Board Chair, Director and Investor. He has served on the Boards of more than 30 companies. Businesses in which Mr. Palefsky played a seminal role have achieved numerous product launches, financings, IPOs, M&A transactions and significant value creation. Mr. Palefsky also keeps an active schedule focused on governance and philanthropy in the arts and culture sectors.

Dr. Kurtz is a physician with over 40 years of experience in healthcare, holding Senior Executive positions in the pharmaceutical, contract research, post-acute care, and medical diagnostic verticals.  Dr. Kurtz has been the CEO of both public and private companies and has founded three companies, including Medidata Systems and Worldwide Clinical Trials, which has created over 8 billion dollars of value to investors upon their respective sales. He has served on multiple Boards of both public and private healthcare companies and has published over forty articles and books related to various healthcare-related topics.

Anthony DiTonno, Dignify’s CEO and Executive Chairman remarked “The addition of Howard and Neil to our board of directors is a major step forward for Dignify. I have worked with both these gentlemen before, and I look forward to having their keen sense of strategic focus and financial acumen at the table.”.

About Dignify Therapeutics

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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Dr. Karl B. Thor, Chief Scientific Officer and Investigator on the grants indicated; “We are very grateful that multiple Institutes at the NIH support the severe, unmet, medical need for therapies to restore control of bladder and bowel dysfunction. These therapies are directed toward the elderly and people with neurological conditions such as spinal injury, multiple sclerosis, spina bifida, and diabetes. The needs of these populations are typically not discussed publicly by those afflicted and their caregivers and thus remain an unrecognized and underappreciated burden for them.” He further emphasized; “Bladder and bowel dysfunction are top reasons for institutionalization of the elderly due to the heavy burdens associated with domestic caregiving. Similarly, restoration of bladder and bowel dysfunction in people with spinal injury is more important to them than restoration of their ability to walk.“

The new grants will allow Dignify to expand its therapeutic research and development efforts into providing innovative drug therapies for treating urinary and fecal incontinence, respectively. Similar to the unmet medical need for drugs to induce on-demand voiding in the elderly and people with neurological conditions, there is also a severe need in these same populations to prevent incontinence episodes. Dr. Qiaojuan Zhang, Principal Investigator on grant R43AG088838, will join Dignify from Duke University Department of Neurology to lead the NIA-sponsored research.

About Dignify Therapeutics

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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“I am extremely excited to join Dignify’s SAB. Having lived with a spinal injury for almost 40 years, and experience daily chronic bladder and bowel dysfunction, I am grateful that there is a company that is dedicated to finding new pharmaceutical approaches for bladder and bowel treatments for people with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, and other neuropathies”, Sasha explained. “I look forward to providing Dignify with direction for their clinical trial designs and product development that includes guidance from those living with spinal injury/disease.”

“We are very proud to have Sasha join Dignify’s SAB. We look forward to his guidance and expertise as we focus on advancing our therapies for the treatment of bladder and bowel disorders, especially as they apply to people with neurological deficits such as spinal injury,” said Dr. Karl Thor, Chief Scientific Officer of Dignify. “I am confident that Dr. Rabchevsky will be a significant contributor to our development of novel treatments that will allow people with spinal injury, neurological disease, diabetes, and the elderly to regain ‘on-demand’ control of bladder and bowel voiding to eliminate many of the associated social, professional, financial, and physical burdens of bladder and bowel dysfunction.”

About Dignify Therapeutics

Founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs who are internationally recognized scientists and clinicians, Dignify’s mission is to provide safe, effective, practical and convenient, “on-demand” pharmaceutical agents to treat bladder and bowel voiding dysfunctions. The company has been funded by RA Capital Management, Eshelman Ventures, the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, NIDDK, NINDS, NICHD, NIA, US Defense Department, and the One NC Small Business Program. Dignify is located at the First Flight Venture Center in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

PRESS CONTACT

Dignify Therapeutics
Anthony DiTonno, CEO
2 Davis Drive
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
ditonno@dignifytherapeutics.com
dignifytherapeutics.com

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