About Focal Medical
We are revolutionizing the world of targeted therapeutics.
We are developing targeted therapeutic products built on our active, energy-based targeting technology.
Our research has broad application in the treatment of inoperable solid tumors and in genomic medicine. Our lead program is a potential treatment for locally advanced nonresectable pancreatic cancer.
Our novel technology is a first-in-class, implantable platform that actively and precisely drives drugs into target organs using iontophoresis via non-circulatory pathways. Iontophoresis is the harnessing of mild electrical forces to transport molecules.
With experience in both pharma and medical devices, our team is uniquely positioned to develop novel targeted therapeutic products for the localized treatment of serious diseases.
Medical
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Location/ownership: We are privately owned and located in Cary, North Carolina. Institutional investors include Khosla Ventures, Spectrum Financial and Piedmont Capital Partners. Founders and management hold a significant stake.
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Origins: Our technology was first developed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in conjunction with UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. It grew from a collaboration between renowned chemical engineer Joseph DeSimone, PhD, and distinguished cancer surgeon and pancreatic cancer researcher Jen Jen Yeh, MD.
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Funding: Our company has received approximately $20 million in funding, both through grants from the National Institutes of Health and the North Carolina Biotechnology Center, and investment from institutional and high net worth investors.
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Intellectual property: We hold multiple patents granted on a global basis. The patents for our implantable systems cover a broad range of applications.
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Pipeline: Our lead program is the targeted delivery of gemcitabine to treat locally advanced nonresectable pancreatic cancer. We are planning further development programs in other solid tumors and have a collaboration with Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine evaluating the treatment of oral cavity tumors in canine companion animals as a model of the human condition. In addition, we have an active research program applying our technology to the local delivery of genomic medicine.
In observing the challenges of delivering chemotherapy to pancreatic tumors, Professor Joseph DeSimone and his graduate students set out to design a device that could leverage iontophoresis to drive local drug delivery. DeSimone’s team partnered with UNC colleague Dr. Jen Jen Yeh and her lab for preclinical studies, focusing their efforts on the delivery of gemcitabine. Dr. Yeh had developed a state of the art patient-derived xenograft model in her efforts to improve pancreatic cancer outcomes. Of the many treatments her lab had tried, only iontophoretic delivery of anti-cancer agents successfully shrank tumors.
The work that began over a decade ago has become Focal Medical, a company dedicated to energy-based innovation in drug delivery technologies. We are excited by the potential to apply these technologies to improve cancer therapy in pancreatic cancer and other solid tumors and in genomic medicine.
Cofounders
Known for his engineering prowess and entrepreneurial vision, Joe has been honored with the presidential National Medal of Technology and Innovation. He previously served as a professor of chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill, where he was awarded the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award, used in part for the research that led to Focal Medical. Joe is currently the Sanjiv Sam Gambhir Professor of Translational Medicine and Chemical Engineering at Stanford University.
Jen Jen is a surgical oncologist and a professor in the departments of surgery and pharmacology at UNC-Chapel Hill. She also serves as vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery and co-director of clinical research at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her lab uses genomics to identify novel therapeutics for pancreatic cancer, and she’s passionate about translating those findings to the clinic.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
ceo
After starting his career in healthcare investment banking, Michael transitioned to leadership roles in the biopharmaceutical field, where he has developed both operational and strategic expertise. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the industry, with a deep understanding of team building, financing and structuring, and drug product development. Before Focal Medical, he served as managing director and chief executive officer of Hexima Limited, a clinical-stage biotech.
coo
With a background in engineering, Tony has spent more than 20 years developing medical devices, at both startups and larger companies. He’s worked for Abbott and Closure Medical, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. Before Focal Medical, he co-founded Novocor Medical Systems and served as CEO.
cto
Bill has more than 25 years of experience across all stages of development for medical devices and industrial products, from preclinical studies and clinical trials to regulatory approvals and manufacturing scale-up. After serving as senior director of research and development for Allergan, he started his own consulting firm before joining Focal Medical.
VP, Clinical Development
Nancy brings over 20 years of leadership experience in the pharmaceutical industry, driving business objectives, including non-clinical discovery, late-stage clinical development, registration, and approval of a range of important pharmaceutical products. Nancy holds a PhD from West Virginia University School of Medicine. Nancy leads Focal Medical’s clinical trials planning and operations.
Board of Directors
Medical Advisory Board
Focal Medical, Inc.
111 James Jackson Ave. Suite 131
Cary, NC 27513
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