WELCOME TO LAMASSU PHARMA, LLC
Science-Driven, Innovative Solutions to Meet Patient Needs
ABOUT US
The approval of a new medical treatment from the start of clinical trials to being approved for the market takes on average over 10 years, according to most industry experts. While the process of proving new drugs to be a safe and effective treatment is a vital procedure, the need to accomplish this more quickly is also clear, particularly to patients waiting for life saving treatments.
Lamassu Pharma leverages innovative and collaborative approaches to drive collaboration between academia and industry through translational research. Founded in 2018, our talented team of physicians, engineers, and translational scientists have worked tirelessly to bring Lamassu Pharma to the forefront of the industry.
Our model is to identify novel therapeutics with high potential for clinical impact, having a strong scientific rationale and preclinical efficacy data. We build the best scientific case, examining the mechanism, exploring additional models and indications, and identify the most promising path forward for regulatory approval and clinical impact. Our funding has come from a combination of grant and private investors, to enable us to take advantage of non-dilutive funding where possible in order to delivery the best results for investors, while also not sacrificing speed or flexibility.
We capitalize on our expertise in early translational research to bring products to Phase I/II and partner with clinical and commercial development specialists to advance clinical trials through the approval pipeline. Our innovative model ensures that early development efforts bring products to definitive clinical testing as efficiently as possible to benefit patients, while safeguarding safety and investments.
PIPELINE
Solving the critical unmet medical need of severe acute pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis is a leading cause of emergency department visits and gastrointestinal admissions in the United States. For patients suffering from this condition, this results in many hospitalizations, ineffective medications, long term complications, and lost time with their families and at work. Acute pancreatitis also results in more than 330,000 hospital admissions per year in the U.S., and the death of approximately five percent of patients suffering from the disease. Pancreatitis incidence is also on the rise, as it is more common in obese patients with gallstones, a condition that is increasing worldwide.
Lamassu’s lead candidate is a novel small molecule therapy for acute pancreatitis. It was developed at Mayo Clinic by leading scientists, and has profound preclinical efficacy to completely mitigate mortality and morbidity associated with severe acute pancreatitis. Lamassu is currently focused on continued development of this compound through safety testing in preparation for definitive clinical trials with the ultimate goal of saving the lives of patients afflicted with this disease.
Phase 1 trials are planned for 2021.
GABI HANNA, MD
CEO and Co-Founder
Entrepreneur with long experience in early drug development over 15 years with leadership positions and successful service CRO company to serve small and mid size biotech in planning, designing and executing early drug development studies. Focusing on translational research, and the importance of tangible outcomes, Dr. Hanna co-founded one of the first academic units dedicated to advancing translational research through rigorous implementation of a comprehensive drug development program. Dr. Hanna is chairman of NC Society of Physician Entrepreneurs, Board member of Duke IRB. Board member and advisor for multiple companies; Kaio therapy, Clickmedix, American Remote Health, and Zoonco.
GREG PALMER, PHD
CSO and Co-Founder
Biomedical engineer with expertise in imaging, medical devices, and translational science. Academic career as a faculty member focused on translational science and quantitative assessments of tissue structure and function through intravital imaging and spectroscopy. Cofounder of Preclinical Pathfinder a private CRO, and co-inventor and scientist for Zenalux, a start-up dedicated to optical sensing in cancer. Experience in animal models, and focus on improving preclinical reproducibility and predictability. Leading and managing 10’s of preclinical drug and device development projects annually.
RABI HANNA, MD
CMO and Co-Founder
Chair of Pediatric Oncology at Cleveland Clinical, significant experience in drug development and clinical trials. Dr. Hanna doubled the size of his department in less than 8 years and made it a nationally recognized program, leading over 70 doctors and researchers. Dr. Hanna works closely with pharmaceutical companies and serves on the boards of several companies: Jazz pharmaceutical: Defitelio advisory board, Celgene: Luspatercept advisory board, Incyte : GVHD Advisory board, Novartis: Kymriah Advisory board, Atara Biotheraputics, and he is on the board of FACT Federation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapies.
Successful biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies require a comprehensive approach to identifying and advancing towards unmet needs in the healthcare market. In addition to a complete understanding of the relevant science and technology, these companies need competency in many business areas in order to translate their ideas into economically viable treatments. Lamassu has entered into a strategic alliance with Arrivo BioVentures, LLC to conduct human clinical studies following a successful IND filing. Arrivo brings years of pharmaceutical development experience, and an extensive track record of success in pharma startups. They have raised a $49M fund to develop several clinical ready assets.
RECENT NEWS
Lamassu Pharma, LLC is always pushing the frontier of medical technology’s impact on the world. We are proud of our achievements and love sharing our knowledge with community members. Our news section includes information about our latest achievements, news and business analysis - give us a shout if you can’t find the information you’re looking for.
LAMASSU PHARMA ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PANCREATITIS TREATMENT THAT ADVANCES UNDERSTANDING OF FATTY ACIDS' ROLE IN COVID-19
The importance of Lamassu's research and therapeutic is highlighted by a new Mayo Clinic study on the role of unsaturated fats in determining the severity of acute pancreatitis. This was recently released as a high impact publication in Science Advances. The researchers found that the rapid breakdown of unsaturated fats that are stored in a patient's body, can worsen the course of severe acute pancreatitis, increasing toxicity, organ failure, and the risk of death.
AUGUST 5, 2020
Lamassu Pharma has received $1.5 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will be used for further development of its lead therapeutic compound, RABI-767, a novel small molecule lipase inhibitor licensed from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
JULY 14, 2020
Lamassu Pharma LLC, a privately held Biotech, announced today it has received $1.5 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This will be used for further development of its lead therapeutic compound, RABI-767, a novel small molecule lipase inhibitor licensed from the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Lamassu is developing RABI-767 to fill a critical, unmet clinical need for a treatment for acute pancreatitis (AP).
JULY 14, 2020
Lamassu's proposed treatment is designed to mitigate the systemic toxicity and organ failure associated with acute pancreatitis that causes lengthy hospitalization, organ failure, and death, thus saving both lives and healthcare system resources. Funding from the NIH will enable Lamassu to further its translational research, to bring RABI-767 to human trials, and to partner with clinical and commercial development partners.
MAY 5, 2020
Lamassu Pharma, a biotech startup that is developing small molecule therapeutics to treat acute pancreatitis, has found plenty of investors despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Durham firm states in an SEC filing that it has raised nearly $2.7 million. Nineteen investors are backing the company with a minimum investment of $50,000. Lamassu expects to raise another $200,000 in a round of equity financing with a near-$3 million target.
"Accept the challenges so that you can feel the exhilaration of victory"