FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2015
Media Contacts:
Clare LaFond (CoMotion): 206-616-9540-office / 206-953-8532-cell / [email protected]
Kim Blakeley (UW Medicine): 206-685-1323 / [email protected]
Dan Eramian (Kineta & KPI): 206-518-5566 / 425-306-8716 / [email protected]
University of Washington, Kineta, KPI form alliance to advance
discoveries to bring new therapeutics to market
Goal to increase number of UW-discovered drug therapies in areas where unmet patient needs
exist, expedite development process
Kineta, Inc., a Seattle biotechnology company focused on the development of new therapies for
autoimmune and infectious diseases, and its development affiliate, KPI Therapeutics, Inc. (KPI), have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with UW Medicine and CoMotion at the University of
Washington. The objective is to advance UW Medicine discoveries and speed the development process to
bring important new therapeutics to market. The resulting Alliance for Innovation in Therapeutics (AIT)
is a non-exclusive partnership that will identify, fund and develop promising new therapeutics emerging
from the UW’s research centers, with the goal of increasing the number of novel drug therapies advanced
toward commercialization.
The new Alliance will evaluate promising, early-stage therapeutic discoveries, streamline the
technology transfer process from UW to Kineta, and support the education and training of UW faculty,
staff and students in the development of translational medicine and commercialization.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for us to connect the dots between the breakthrough medical
discoveries emerging from the UW and Kineta’s and KPI’s innovative approach to drug development,”
said UW Vice Provost for Innovation Vikram Jandhyala. “Together, we can work to bring these new
therapies to market to benefit patients and positively impact our community and the world.”
The UW, Kineta and KPI will collaborate on a standardized technology transfer process for
therapeutic drug candidates and develop and deliver briefings and trainings to investigators who are
considering commercialization of their discoveries.
“UW Medicine provides groundbreaking medical research, education, and patient care to the
communities we serve, and this alliance with Kineta and KPI furthers our goal of collaborating with
innovative partners as we all strive for better health and a better world,” said John Slattery, vice dean of
research and graduate education in the UW School of Medicine.
Kineta’s pipeline of multiple novel drug programs addresses significant unmet patient needs,
including autoimmune, antiviral and chronic pain programs.
“This unique alliance allows for critical early identification of basic research that has medical
viability and, ultimately, can mean the acceleration of new therapies to patients,” said Kineta President
and CEO Chuck Magness. “The alliance also allows Kineta and KPI to provide translational and
commercial development expertise.”
Kineta’s business model is aimed at accelerating advancement of novel medicines to benefit
patients and investors more quickly than traditional models. The company develops data-supported,
innovative therapies to a point where larger companies can carry them through late-stage clinical trials.
KPI fuels this innovation by bringing to bear both funding sources and development partner expertise.
About CoMotion
CoMotion is the UW’s collaborative innovation hub. A national leader in university technology
transfer, CoMotion offers expertise in models for distribution, in managing software and digital assets, in
IP planning and protection, and in licenses and negotiation. By promoting entrepreneurial thinking,
innovation mindsets, creative problem-solving, and experiential, team-based project learning, CoMotion
delivers the tools and connections the UW community needs to accelerate the impact of UW innovations
and to grow local and global innovation ecosystems. For more information, visit: comotion.uw.edu.
Follow us on Twitter: @UWCoMotion
About UW Medicine
UW Medicineʼs mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge,
providing patient care, and training the next generation of health professionals. Our system includes
Harborview Medical Center, Northwest Hospital & Medical Center, Valley Medical Center, UW Medical
Center, UW Neighborhood Clinics, UW Physicians, UW School of Medicine and Airlift Northwest. For
more information, visit: uwmedicine.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UWMedicine
About Kineta, Inc.
Kineta, Inc. is a Seattle-based privately held biotechnology company specializing in clinical
advancement of novel drug candidates derived from leading-edge scientific research. Its world-class
scientists are pioneers in developing life-changing classes of new drugs designed to be more effective and
safer than current medicines, with the goal of improving the lives of millions of people suffering from
autoimmune and viral diseases and from severe pain. Kineta’s progressive business model focuses on
targeting unmet medical needs and rapid achievement of important clinical milestones. For more
information, visit: www.Kinetabio.com.
About KPI Therapeutics, Inc.
KPI Therapeutics is a development and funding consortium aimed at moving a diversified
portfolio of novel drug programs into the clinic so they can be partnered for new medicines. KPI’s
objective is to become a self-sustaining company with a robust pipeline of therapeutics through revenue
from portfolio investments.
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