Preclinical biotechnology company initially focusing on therapeutic drug development to promote remyelination in Multiple Sclerosis
Oklahoma City, OK – Plains Ventures announced a lead investment in Cadenza Bio, Inc. (Cadenza), a privately-held biotechnology company focused on developing novel small molecule compounds for demyelinating and inflammatory diseases. Cadenza Bio’s initial closing of an oversubscribed $2.44M Series Seed financing included Plains Ventures as the lead investor, with participation from the Oklahoma Life Science Fund, Cortado Ventures, Boyd Street Ventures, and Illinois Ventures. The financing supports non-clinical safety and toxicology studies to advance Cadenza’s lead development candidate, CAD-1, for treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and additionally provides funds to develop secondary indication(s).
Launched in 2022 through a partnership between SmartHealth Catalyzer in Chicago and Ascend BioVentures in Oklahoma City, Cadenza Bio holds an exclusive license to technology developed through an academic research collaboration between Dr. John Katzenellenbogen of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Dr. Seema Tiwari-Woodruff of the University of California, Riverside (UCR) and funded, in part, by the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Fast Forward commercial research program.
“We proudly support Cadenza’s efforts to dramatically improve the lives of patients suffering from demyelinating disease,” Plains Ventures President and Managing Director Justin Wilson, said. “Our conviction in Cadenza is multifaceted; CAD-1 is an elegant solution to a primary market need, there are strong opportunities for secondary indications in the future, and the company has assembled an extraordinary team of women to lead the way.”
“My co-founder Dr. Elaine Hamm and I are thrilled to have this strong syndicate of early investors supporting Cadenza’s drug development program,” said Dr. Carol Curtis, Chief Executive Officer of Cadenza Bio. “Our goal goes beyond incremental improvements. We are dedicated to breaking the cycle of disease and, in doing so, transforming lives. We aim not only to alleviate symptoms but to halt progression, promote repair and restore quality of life to enable full activity, empowering patients to regain control over their health.”
