LI biotech companies to seek investors at forum

The Long Island Capital Alliance, a local business development group, has announced panelists and seven local biotechnology companies selected to present for its Biotech Capital Forum on May 9.

The event will be held in partnership with North Shore-LIJ Health System's Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

The investor panel will consist of executives from Roslyn Heights-based venture capital firm Topspin Partners, and Manhattan-based firms Harris & Harris Group, Scout Ventures, and Windham Venture Partners.

The companies selected, which are all projects or collaborations of Cold Spring Harbor and Feinstein, will be able to present their products and business plans to potential investors at the event. The businesses include drug development, pharmaceutical software, and communication systems for patients and doctors.

They include:

ASOThera: Developing new therapies for orphan diseases based on technology developed at Cold Spring Harbor.

Autoimmune Therapeutics, Inc.: Developing drug candidates to treat autoimmune disease, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis.

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Certerra, Inc.: Contract research organization specializing in the central nervous system.

Cirrus Health: Electronic discharge system to improve doctor-patient communications.

DepYMed: Joint venture between Cold Spring Harbor and Ohr Pharmaceuticals to develop drugs for obesity, diabetes and HER 2 cancer.

Envisagenics, Inc.: Big data software solution that reduces uncertainty and time to market for drugs under development.

TheraSource, LLC: Developing protein/peptide-based drugs for inflammatory diseases, including sepsis, hemorrhagic shock, stroke and inflammatory bowel disease.