Nov. 6, 2024. Bioaxone BioSciences is pleased to announce the publication of  article “The novel ROCK2 selective inhibitor NRL-1049 preserves the blood-brain barrier after acute injury”  in Volume 44, Issue 11 of Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism   and is available at https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X241238845  The preclinical data shows  that NRL-1049 is a promising drug candidate to preserve tHe blood brain barrier after brain injury.

July 5, 2024. Dr. Lisa McKerracher has accepted an invitation to serve on the National Lab User Advisory Committee for the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS National Lab has a focus on space-based research to improve life on earth, including the advancement of biological research and neuroscience. The ISS is a unique environment to study cell behavior, and regenerative medicine because in microgravity there are changes in cell growth, differentiation, morphology, and adhesion that may more faithfully mimic in vivo development processes.  The User Advisory committees recommends research priorities for and provides assistance for ISS user community issues.

Boston, Jan 9, 2023. Licensee Neurelis files IND for NRL-1049. Neurelis announced the successful filing of an IND  for NRL-1049, a ROCK inhibitor with potential to treat cerebral cavernous malformation.  For the full press release click here.

Boston MA, June 21, 2021. BioAxone BioSciences Announces License of Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Drug Candidate BA-1049 and Portfolio of Rho Kinase Inhibitors to Neurelis. Continued Development of BioAxone Pipeline of Spinal Cort Treatment Drug Candidates.

BioAxone CEO Dr. Lisa McKerracher noted, “Neurelis is the ideal partner to develop BA-1049 because they are a commercial-stage neuroscience company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of epilepsy and orphan neurological diseases  of  high unmet medical need.”

Cerebral cavernous malformations, also called cavernous angiomas, are benign vascular lesions that arise randomly in the brain and spinal cord that tend to be leaky and bleed.  There are both spontaneous and genetic forms of the disease, and in the genetic form patients develop multiple lesions over their lifetime. CCM is an unmet need with no pharmacological drugs to arrest lesion genesis or prevent bleeding, and there is no current treatment available other than surgical removal of the brain lesions. CCMs may cause stroke, seizures, paralysis, or other neurological symptoms dependent on their location in the brain. The standard of care is watchful waiting until neurosurgical removal of a leaky lesion is deemed un-avoidable. The progression of individual lesions is variable and unpredictable, leaving patients unable to prepare for or prevent re-occurrence of symptoms following diagnosis.

For the full release please click here

Boston, MA June 8, 2021. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc.,Announces Notice of Allowance for Self-Dellivering RNA INterference for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury. BioAxone, a biotechnology company committed to applying an innovative understanding of axon regeneration and neuronal signaling to transform the lives of patients afflicted with neurotrauma or neurovascular disorders, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The notice covers the critical patent application (US 16/321,229) for the proprietary method of treatment of spinal cord injury with BA-434, a novel sd-rxRNA compound that targets transient, non-permanent PTEN suppression to  promote axon regeneration and reduce paralysis. Scientists have provided evidence that suppression of the protein PTEN is one of the most robust targets to promote regeneration of damaged axons.  PTEN is also important in surveillance and defense against unwanted cell growth, including protection from cancer.  However, until now the development of  inhibitors to promote axon regeneration have focused on methods that permanently silence PTEN. For the full press release click here

September 12, 2019. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company committed to applying an innovative understanding of axon regeneration and neuronal signaling to transform the lives of patients afflicted with neurotrauma or neurovascular disorders, today announced the publication in Translational Stroke Research of data indicating that BA-1049 has promise as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of Cavernous Angioma (CA).  For the entire press release, please click here.

September 27, 2018. BioAxone announced today the receipt of a Fast-Track grant (R44NS110290-01) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the national Institute of Health, as part of the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.  The grant provides funding for milestone-driven research to assess the potential of BA-1049, a RHO Kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor in BioAxone’s pipeline, to improve recovery in chronic spinal cord injury. BA-1049 is a first-in-class ROCK 2-selective inhibitor that has shown promising safety and efficacy in multiple preclinical models of neurovascular disease. For the entire press release, please click here.

August 15, 2018. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs  to treat neurotrauma and neurovascular disorders, today announced that its Scientific Advisory Board Member, Dr. Mark Bear, the Picower Professor of Neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, received the prestigious Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation 2018 Beckman-Argyros Vision Research Award. Read More.

Aug. 8, 2018. BioAxone is pleased to announce that Dr. Mark Bear, a member of the BioAxone Scientific Advisory Board, has won the prestigious Beckman-Argyros Vision Research Award.  The award recognized an individual who has made transformative breakthroughs in research. Dr. Bear’s laboratory discovered many of the fundamental mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. For the entire press release, please click here.

August 8, 2018 BioAxone BioSciences Receives Notice of Allowance on Patent for Treatment of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations and Cerebral Aneurysms with Rho Kinase Inhibitors. BioAxone BioSciences, a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to treat neurotrauma and neurovascular disorders, today announced that it has received a Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The notice refers to a key patent application (US 15/590,815), which will add to the intellectual property protection for BA-1049, BioAxone’ s first in-class, selective Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2) inhibitor, for use in combating angioma (also called cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM)). When issued, this patent will cover using BA-1049 specifically to treat angioma and also the ability to combine this proprietary compound with other know inhibitors. BA-1049 acts to reverse the loss of endothelial barrier dysfunction that occurs in vascular disorders of the central nervous system. READ MORE.

August 1, 2018 BioAxone BioSciences CEO Lisa McKerracher Speaker at NeuroTrauma2018 Conference. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc. a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to treat neurotrauma and neurovascular disorders today announced that CEO Lisa McKerracher, PhD, will be a platform speaker on the Scientific Program, “Update on Clinical Trial in SCI” at NeuroTrauma2018, the 3^rd Joint Symposium of the International and National Neurotrauma Societies and AANS/CNS Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care, August 15. READ MORE

July 10, 2018.  BioAxone BioSciences Receives Notice of Allowance for Composition of Matter Patent Covering Novel ROCK2 Inhibitor. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to treat neurotrauma and neurovascular disorders today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a Notice of Allowance for the U.S. patent application (US 15/591,039). Upon issuance the patent will provide key intellectual property protection for BA-2017, a novel ROCK2 inhibitor in development to treat reperfusion injury in stroke.  Read More

June 27, 2018.  BioAxone BioSciences Awarded $1.1 Million Phase 2 SBIR Funding for Continued Development of sd-rxRNA Drug Candidate for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc. announced today that, as part of a collaborative effort with RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII), it is the recipient of a grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the agency’s SBIR Phase II funding program. This two-year grant provides funding for further development of BioAxone’s preclinical candidate BA-434, a novel sd-rxRNA^® compound that targets PTEN for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI). Read More

April 10, 2018. BioAxone BioSciences Appoints Ronald S. Goldstein as CFO. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., an emerging clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced the appointment of Ronald S. Goldstein, MBA, CPA, as Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Goldstein brings strategic planning expertise as well as hands-on corporate finance experience including accounting, taxation and audit management. Read More

February 27, 2018. Dr. McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone BioSciences, will be a member of the Leader’s Council at McGill University and a speaker at Rutgers University. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., an emerging clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced that Lisa McKerracher, CEO, has received two noteworthy invitations. Dr. McKerracher will be a member of the Leader’s Council for the Tannenbaum Open Science Program at McGill University, and at Rutgers University, she will be a speaker at their Spring Rutgers Women in Neuroscience (RUWINS) seminar. Read More

September 15, 2017. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc. announced today that, as part of a collaborative effort with RXi Pharmaceuticals Corporation (NASDAQ: RXII), it is the recipient of a grant award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the agency’s SBIR Phase II funding program. This two-year grant provides funding for further development of BioAxone’s preclinical candidate BA-434, a novel sd-rxRNA compund that targets PTEN for the treatment of spinal cord injury. Read More.

August 10, 2017. BioAxone BioSciences, CEO Lisa McKerracher Accepts Role of Consortium Advisory Panelist for the Christopher Reeve Foundation. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., an emerging, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to treat spinal cord injury and restore neurological function, today announced that CEO Lisa McKerracher has accepted an offer to join the Consortium Advisory Panel (CAP) for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. In her role, Dr. McKerracher will direct the foundation’s focus toward the identification, development and translation of potential Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) therapies into the clinic. The Christopher Reeve Foundation wrote about Dr. McKerracher’s accomplishments in a recent blog post..  Read More.

August 2, 2017. BioAxone BioSciences Receives Notice of Award for NIH/SBIR Funding of IND-Enabling Studies to Continue Development of BA-1049 to Treat Cerebral Cavernous Malformations. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., an emerging, clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced that the National Institute of Health (NIH), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, has awarded the company $1.5 million.  Read More.

July 19, 2017. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience publishes research article on axon regeneration MAG, myelin and overcoming growth inhibition in the CNS by CEO Dr. Lisa McKerracher and VP of Research Dr. Kenneth Rosen. Read More

May 23, 2017. BioAxone BioSciences CEO Lisa McKerracher Invited Speaker at the 12 th Annual Neurotech Investing and Partnering Conference, Orphan Disease Panel. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced that Lisa McKerracher, Ph.D., Founder and CEO, will be panelist on orphan diseases at the 12^th Annual Neurotech Investing and Partnering Conference on Thursday, June 1. Read More

May 11,2017. BioAxone BioSciences Announces New Hires to Support Investigational New Drug Filing. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today welcomed Eric Floyd, Ph.D., and Darryl Patrick, DVM, Ph.D., to lead the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) enabling team to support the planned IND filing for BA-1049, a new chemical entity in development to target cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). Read More

May 2, 2017.  BioAxone BioSciences Continues Plans for Growth with Manufacturing Contract.  BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced it has entered a contract with Wilmington PharmaTech to manufacture the company’s BA-1049, a selective inhibitor of Rho kinase 2 (ROCK2). The contract is in preparation for an Investigational New Drug (IND) filing. BioAxone also welcomed new personnel to its manufacturing oversight team, Kenneth Feld, Ph.D., and Steven Riesinger, Ph.D. Read More

April 26, 2017. A Drug and its Champion: Persistence Matters. Give it up for Lisa McKerracher. She has certainly earned her merit badge for persistence. A compound she discovered 20 years ago, Cethrin, is now entering a Phase II/III clinical trial for acute spinal cord injury. It could be a game-changing drug, based on earlier trial results. McKerracher, who never lost faith in Cethrin despite setbacks and many months looking for cash, thinks the drug has a real chance to make a real difference. Read More

April 20, 2017. BioAxone BioSciences Appoints Dr. Catherine Sohn to Lead Corporate Development. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing innovative drugs to restore neurological function, today announced the appointment of Catherine Angell Sohn, Pharm.D., CLP, to lead Corporate Development, including licensing and global partnering opportunities. Read More.

November 9, 2016. The annual Angioma Alliance meeting was held in Washington DC. BioAxone was selected to give a talk and present a poster, and Dr. McKerracher, CEO,  presented a research update on a consortium project funded by a Phase 2 SBIR grant from NIH. She  also participated in a special panel discussion on clinical trials to treat cerebral cavernous malformation. Dr. Matthew Abbinanti presented a poster with BioAxone’s most recent data that show the potential of BA-1049 to treat cerebral cavernous malformation.

October 18, 2016. BioAxone to present at the 15^th annual bio Investor Forum in San Francisco. BioAxone Biosciences, a clinical stage company biotechnology company dedicated to developing new medicines to treat patients with neurovascular disorders and neurotrauma presented the company at this international investor conference. The BioAxone presentation was in a special section sponsored by the SBIR program on NIH. BioAxone holds a Phase 2 SBIR grant to develop drugs to treat cerebral cavernous malformation, a genetic orphan disease that affects endothelial cells in the brain.

September 29, 2016. A translational SCI-NGO conference will be held in Ittingen, Switzerland today, and Dr. Lisa McKerracher was invited to speak about “ The transition from basic science to business world.” Dr. McKerracher’s work to develop treatments for spinal cord injury is internationally recognized. The company’s lead drug, VX-210, was licensed to Vertex Pharmaceuticals. BioAxone continues to develop additional new medicines to treat spinal cord injury.

June 27, 2016. At the National Neurotrauma Meeting in Lexington Kentucky  Dr. Lisa McKerracher Chaired a Plenary Session on Clinical Trial Design. The panel discussed past progress and put forward a vision to improved design of clinical trials for spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Also, at the meeting, Dr. Joerg Ruschel of BioAxone presented a poster on developing a therapeutic drug to promote axon regeneration in the central nervous system that was well attended.

April 25, 2016. Dr. Lisa McKerracher and Mr. Pierre Caouette from BioAxone attended “Praxis, Bridging the Gaps from SCI Research to Improved Outcomes“.  The conference, sponsored by the Rick Hansen Institute, was held in Vancouver, Canada, and brought together thought leaders on spinal cord injury and translational research. Dr. McKerracher chaired the “Experience in Action” panel that focused on experience in overcoming challenges for commercial viability, and shared information on what it takes to attract interest in SCI from a healthcare perspective. The panelists were Kathleen Marsman, Patent Agent, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Dennis Choi, Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, Stony Brook Medicine, and Ron Podraza, Co-founder and CEO, Reimbursement Principles.

February 8, 2016. BioAxone Announces NIH/SBIR Fast Track Grant to Develop BA-1049 for Treatment of Cerebral Cavernous Malformation/Angioma. BioAxone announced today that the Company was awarded a Fast-Track grant from the NIH Small Business and Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). The $3.2 million Phase I/Phase II grant will support development of BioAxone’s small molecule kinase inhibitor, BA-1049, for treatment of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM). Under this grant, BioAxone will collaborate with a consortium of CCM experts from the University of Chicago, Duke University and the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed)… Read More.

October 2015 BioAxone Presents Talk and Poster at 11th Annual Angioma Alliance CCM Scientific Meeting. Dr. Lisa McKerracher, Dr. Kenneth Rosen, Dr. Thomas Carsillo, and Dr. Lisa Bond enjoyed the scientific talks and dynamic discussions at the 2015 Cerebral Cavernous Malformations (CCM) Scientific Meeting hosted by the Angioma Alliance (November 19 – 20, 2015, Washington DC). During the meeting, Dr. McKerracher presented a talk on the development of BA-1049 as a potential treatment for CCM and the BioAxone team presented a poster on BA-1049 development.

October 2015.  BioAxone Holds Scientific Advisory Board Meeting in Montreal. BioAxone held a productive Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) meeting in Montreal on October 5th with Dr. Mark Bear, Dr. Dennis Choi, and Dr. Guy Rouleau. An attendee photograph can be viewed on the BioAxone Twitter page.

June 2015.  Dr. Lisa Bond and Dr. Lisa McKerracher Present Poster at 2015 National Neurotrauma Society Meeting. Dr. McKerracher and Dr. Bond presented a poster on the “Development of Rock-2 selective BA-1049 for treatment of cerebral cavernous malformations” at the National Neurotrauma Society Meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico (June 28 – July 1, 2015). This year’s Neurotrauma Meeting included a range of dynamic talks on recent scientific and clinical progress in the brain injury + spinal cord injury fields.

February 2015.  Licensing of VX-210 to Vertex Pharmaceuticals. BioAxone’s biologic drug, VX-210 (formerly Cethrin), was recently licensed to Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The deal was reported by Xconomy.

January 2015. BioAxone Welcomes New Scientific Advisory Board Members. BioAxone is delighted to announce that Dr. Mark Bear, Dr. Dennis Choi, and Dr. Guy Rouleau have joined the company’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB). These leaders in the fields of neuroscience and neurology will serve as an invaluable source of guidance on BioAxone’s preclinical development programs. Full biographies of our new SAB members can be found on the Scientific Advisory Board webpage.

January 2015.  Dr. Lisa Bond Speaks on ‘Genesis of Life Science Start-Ups’ Panel at CIC Venture Café. As a panelist on the ‘Genesis of Life Science Start-Ups’ panel at the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) Venture Café, Dr. Lisa Bond spoke about the mechanics of successfully expanding a start-up company in the Cambridge area. The panel discussed strategies for finding the right employees, ways to bridge the gap between technical scientific data and accessible business development presentations, and tips for finding office space and lab space in the Cambridge area.

November 20-21, 2014.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher Acts as Scientific Officer for Canadian Institute of Health Research Proof of Principle Program. The Proof of Principle Program at the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) works to support health researchers in the movement of academic discoveries toward commercialization. Dr. McKerracher has participated on the panel since 2009 and served as Scientific Officer since 2013.

November 15-19, 2014.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher Attends Society for Neuroscience Meeting Dr. McKerracher attended the 2014 Society for Neuroscience Meeting in Washington D.C. This annual meeting includes highlights on the most recent advancements in preclinical spinal cord injury research. During the meeting, Dr. McKerracher participated in a Society for Neuroscience-sponsored Spinal Cord Injury Social with scientific leaders in the SCI field.

November 7-8, 2014.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher is Invited Panelist at 10th Annual Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Scientific Meeting. Dr. Lisa McKerracher and Dr. Lisa Bond attended the 10th Annual Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Scientific Meeting in Bethesda, Maryland this November. Meeting Highlights: Dr. McKerracher spoke on successful public-private partnerships in a Clinical Trials Discussion Panel; Dr. Francis Collins gave a keynote address on the need for effective therapeutics for cerebral vascular disorders.

October 27-28, 2014.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher Serves on Scientific Review Panel for NINDS SBIR Grants. Dr. McKerracher was invited to serve as a member of a scientific review panel for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Dr. McKerracher is a leader in the field of neuroscience research and a previous recipient of NINDS SBIR grants.

September 2014.  Dr. Bond and Dr. McKerracher Publish Review Article on Meaningful Endpoints for Clinical Trials in Cervical SCI. BioAxone’s CEO, Dr. Lisa McKerracher, and BioAxone’s Senior Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, Dr. Lisa Bond, have published an invited review in the journal Neural Regeneration Research. The article focuses on the importance of selecting endpoints for cervical spinal cord injury clinical trials that probe the functional benefit offered by a trial therapeutic.

September 2014.  BioAxone and Advirna Receive Two SBIR Grants from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. BioAxone BioSciences and the RNAi development company Advirna have received two new Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). These grants support the screening of different gene candidates important in the control of axon regeneration.

June 6, 2014.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher and Dr. Lisa Bond Invited to Speak at International Spinal Cord Injury Treatments and Trials Symposium. The International Spinal Cord Injury Treatments and Trials Symposium will be held in Nanjing, China this September, in conjunction with the International Neural Regeneration Symposium and Asia Pacific Symposium on Neural Regeneration. Dr. McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, will speak on Cethrin development and the translation of neuroscience research into the clinic. Dr. Bond, BioAxone’s Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, will give a talk on outcome measures in acute cervical SCI and the design of the upcoming Phase IIb Cethrin trial.

April 24, 2014.  Dr. Lisa Bond’s Abstract on Cethrin Development Selected for Oral Presentation at Neurotrauma Symposium. Dr. Bond, BioAxone’s Director of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, was invited to speak about Phase I/IIa Cethrin trial results and plans for the upcoming Phase IIb Cethrin trial at the National Neurotrauma Society Symposium in San Francisco this June. Only 18 of 356 submitted abstracts were selected for oral presentations at the symposium.

April 22, 2014. Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, will Moderate a Panel at Boston Biotech CEO Conference. Dr. McKerracher has been invited to moderate the ‘Novel Therapeutic Modalities: Successful Development Paths’ panel at the Boston CEO Conference this June. The Boston CEO Conference is a networking event for industry CEOs and decision makers in the life sciences field.

April 4, 2014.  BioAxone CEO Dr. Lisa McKerracher Invited to Speak at 2014 Wings for Life Meeting. Next month, Dr. McKerracher will give a lecture on ‘Phase 2 Clinical Trials of Cethrin in Acute Spinal Cord Injury’ at the 2014 Wings for Life Meeting in Salzburg, Austria. Wings for Life is a not-for-profit spinal cord research foundation with a mission to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

March 2014.  BioAxone Receives SBIR Funding for Pipeline Research on Glaucoma from National Eye Institute. BioAxone has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) to continue preclinical development of the biologic drug BA-240 and related compounds for the treatment for glaucoma. Current proof-of-concept work indicates that these compounds can rescue injured retinal neurons and so hold promise for preventing glaucoma-induced blindness.

January 2014.  Cethrin‘s Scientific Mechanism Independently Validated Once Again. An article in JAMA Neurology reviews preclinical research on Rho signaling and concludes that “…the in vivo data are consistent with RhoA/ROCK inhibition improving locomotor outcome after experimental SCI by a magnitude that, were it replicated in human clinical trials, would represent an important advance in the management of acute SCI.” The proof-of-concept papers for the development of Cethrin as a Rho inhibitor are highlighted as particularly promising.

November 18, 2013.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, Acts as Scientific Officer for Canadian Institute of Health Research Proof of Principal Program. The Proof of Principle Program at the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) works to support health researchers in the movement of academic discoveries toward commercialization. Dr. Lisa McKerracher has participated on the panel since 2009 and was invited to serve as Scientific Officer this year. Dr. McKerracher comments that “The support of CIHR was critical for my discoveries that led to the formation of BioAxone. I am pleased to be able to give back to the community and help accelerate translational research critical to spinning out new biotechnology companies.” In addition to her role as CEO of BioAxone, Dr. McKerracher is an Adjunct Professor at McGill University and at the Université de Montreal.

November 14, 2013.  BioAxone’s Lead Drug Cethrin Featured in Nature. Drug Development: Chemical Brace discusses Cethrin as one of the current spinal cord injury treatments with the potential to become “handy implements in the neurosurgeon’s kit.”

November 6, 2013.  BioAxone CEO Dr. Lisa McKerracher Discusses Cethrin Development as Panel Member at CEO New York Conference. The CEO NY Conference, part of the Boston Biotech Conference series, is a thought-leader forum for pharmaceutical executives that facilitates information sharing and networking within the bio-pharma community. Dr. Lisa McKerracher discussed Cethrin development as a panel member this year.

November 1, 2013.  Analysis of Phase I/IIa Cethrin Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Trial Reported the Journal of Neurotrauma. BioAxone BioSciences Inc. announced today publication of clinical data showing motor recovery scores in spinal cord injury patients treated with Cethrin, an innovative regenerative drug designed to reduce paralysis after acute spinal cord injury. The Journal of Neurotrauma article reveals that Cethrin-treated patients showed striking improvements in recovery of hand and arm control in comparison with historical patients. (Press Release).

September 18, 2013.  BioAxone Biosciences Inc. Invited to Speak on Spinal Cord Injury at BioPharm Pharma America Conference. BioPharm Pharma America, a conference that fosters biotech-industry partnerships, held a special session on spinal cord injury sponsored by the Rick Hansen Institute. The goal of the session was to raise awareness regarding spinal cord injury as an unmet medical need. The Rick Hansen Institute invited Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, to present the company’s work on spinal cord injury at the session.

August 6, 2013.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, is Invited Symposium Speaker at National Neurotrauma Symposium in Nashville, TN. As an invited speaker in the “SCI Clinical Trials: Design, Ethics and Equipoise” session at the National Neurotrauma Symposium, Dr. Lisa McKerracher presented clinical data on Cethrin development and discussed SCI clinical trials. Also presenting at the session were Dr. Wise Young (Rutger’s University) and Dr. Michael Fehlings (University of Toronto).

June 21, 2013.  BioAxone BioSciences Chosen as One of Ten Companies to Participate in Springboard Life Sciences 2013. From June 19-21, ten promising, high-growth companies in biotechnology, medical devices and health IT were inducted into Springboard Enterprises at an interactive workshop featuring prominent VCs, angel investors, corporate investors and partners, trusted service providers, and entrepreneurs that have “Been There, Run That.” The three-day session was hosted by venture catalyst Springboard Enterprises in partnership with 1776, The George Washington University, Covington & Burling LLP, and SunTrust.

June 13, 2013.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, Speaks About Cethrin Development in New England Regional Rehabilitation Center’s Knowledge in Motion Spinal Cord Injury Education Series. The Knowledge in Motion event was held at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown, MA. Over 100 people attended in person and > 200 participated by webcast from as far away as India, Brazil, and Ethiopia. Dr. McKerracher spoke about BioAxone’s clinical development program for Cethrin. Also participating in the lecture and webcast was Dr. Jeffrey D. Macklis (Harvard Stem Cell Institute) and Mr. Angus McQuilken (Massachusetts Life Sciences Center).

January 5, 2013.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, Participates on Panel at BioTech Showcase in San Francisco. As an invited corporate speaker at the “Spinal Cord Injury: Investment Opportunities and Challenges in an Area with Unmet Medical Needs” workshop, Dr. McKerracher spoke on the encouraging results from the Phase I/IIa Cethrin trial. Other speakers from different aspects of the orphan disease continuum discussed misconceptions about spinal cord injury and the investment opportunities that exist for this indication with no effective treatment options. The workshop was sponsored by the Rick Hansen Institute (RHI), a Canadian-based not-for-profit organization committed to accelerating commercialization of promising therapies for spinal cord injury.

November 28, 2012.  BioAxone BioSciences celebrates official opening of clinical and research operations in Cambridge, Massachusetts. BioAxone BioSciences today celebrated the opening of its scientific and clinical headquarters at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company’s celebration was held today with local officials and industry leaders. Attending the event were BioAxone CEO, Dr. Lisa McKerracher; Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Vice President for Communications and Marketing, Angus McQuilken; MassBio Director of Economic Development and Global Affairs, Peter Abair; Founder of Massachusetts Walks Again, Dr. Eric Ruby; and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Kristen McCosh. Governor Deval Patrick says, “Massachusetts continues to lead the world in life sciences. We welcome BioAxone to Massachusetts and look forward to their contributions to our thriving life sciences community.” (Press Release).

July 18, 2012.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone is Guest Speaker for Spinal Cord Injury Open House at W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience. W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience/The Spinal Cord Injury Project at Rutgers University designed the Spinal Cord Injury Open House as a forum for discussion of the latest advances in spinal cord injury research. Over 250 individuals attended Dr. McKerracher’s update on the Cethrin development.

May 17, 2012.  BioAxone Invited to Speak at Global Spinal Cord Injury Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The Global Spinal Cord Injury Conference was sponsored by the Rick Hansen Foundation and the Rick Hansen Institute. Delegates from around the world discussed the issue of making communities accessible for all, and of accelerating progress toward a cure for spinal cord injury.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, was invited to give two presentations during the meeting. The first provided an update on the Cethrin trial and the second offered perspectives on accelerating the pace of the translation of research to clinical trials.

May 4, 2012.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, Presents at an International Neurotrauma Conference in Xian, China. The conference, hosted by the International Association of Neurorestoratology (IANR), the Global College of Neuroprotection and Neuroregeneration (GCNN), and the International Spinal Cord Injury Treatment and Trial (ISCITT) Symposium, brought together leading experts on neurotrauma to discuss the latest developments in neurorestoration and cell transplantation. Dr. McKerracher presented an update on the development of Cethrin as a treatment for spinal cord injury.

May 4, 2012.  BioAxone’s Cethrin Featured on Global TV. A spinal cord injury patient treated with Cethrin was interviewed on Global TV this evening. Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Fehlings commented on the promising reductions in paralysis seen in this patient and other participants in the Phase I/IIa Cethrin trial.

December 1, 2011.  BioAxone’s Cethrin Named a Top Ten Neurosciences Project to Watch by Windhover. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc. announced today that the company’s lead product for the treatment of acute spinal cord injury was selected by Windhover and its advisors as one of the “Top 10 Neuroscience Projects to Watch for 2012”. Elsevier Business Intelligence and Windhover Conferences select companies with high-value assets for partnership, and with the potential to create future growth through investment deals. David Cassak, VP Content, Elsevier Business Intelligence, stated that “many of the companies we selected in the past have gone on to do big deals, and we expect the same from this year’s companies.” Dr. Lisa McKerracher was invited to present BioAxone’s program at the Windhover Therapeutic Area Conference in Boston, MA.

November 21, 2011.  Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, Presented at the Central Nervous System Summit in Boca Raton, Florida. Dr. McKerracher spoke on “The Importance of Collaboration and Innovation in Developing Treatments for CNS Neurotrauma.” The conference was attended by 350 professionals, including pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, contract research manufacturers, and clinical investigators, who came together to focus on improving treatments for CNS disorders. The Honorable Patrick Kennedy opened the conference.

September 17, 2011.  BioAxone Invited to Present at Summit and Expo in Orlando, Florida Organized by Paralyzed Veterans of America. At the Summit, Dr. Lisa McKerracher, CEO of BioAxone, presented clinical results from the Cethrin spinal cord injury trial in a talk entitled “From Bench to Phase I/IIa Clinical Trial in SCI.” The Paralyzed Veterans of America is dedicated to a mission of research and discovery related to spinal cord dysfunction. The meeting brought together health professionals, patients, and research scientists to facilitate networking and education.

August 1, 2011.  NeuroPerspective Highlights “Striking” Results of Phase I/IIa Cethrin Trial. The July/August 2011 issue of NeuroPerspective, a publication from NI Research, describes the results of the Phase I/IIa trial of BioAxone’s lead drug, Cethrin, in spinal cord injury. The article comments that “between preliminary evidence of impressive benefit, and Cethrin’s strong safety profile, this is an underappreciated program.” BioAxone CEO, Dr. Lisa McKerracher, commented that the attention follows the recent publication of the Cethrin clinical trial results in the May 2011 issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma.

May 31, 2011.  BioAxone BioSciences Purchases Intellectual Property for Cethrin™. BioAxone BioSciences, Inc., a Florida registered company, announced today the closing of an agreement to purchase intellectual property and technology assets from BioAxone Therapeutic Inc., the Canadian company that developed Cethrin™ as a biologic drug to treat spinal cord injury. “I am delighted to be able to announce this news.” commented Dr. Lisa McKerracher, Founder and CEO of BioAxone BioSciences, and the original inventor of Cethrin. “The Board of Directors of BioAxone Therapeutic, the Canadian BioAxone, have really worked hard together to find the best path forward to ensure continued development of Cethrin. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to head the management of the program again. Placing the technology in a new company will ensure rapid progress, which is important, because the preclinical and clinical data shows such promise for Cethrin to be the first drug to be approved to foster axon regeneration in the injured spinal cord.” BioAxone will move forward with the development of a placebo-controlled Phase IIb trial for Cethrin in acute cervical spinal cord injury.

May 28, 2011.  Initial Phase I/IIa Cethrin Spinal Cord Injury Clinical Trial Results Reported the Journal of Neurotrauma. Clinical data from the first-in-man trial of Cethrin in spinal cord injury were published today in the Journal of Neurotrauma. Cethrin is an innovative regenerative drug designed to reduce paralysis after acute spinal cord injury. The article highlights the fact that Cethrin caused no serious adverse events and that Cethrin-treated patients transitioned from complete to incomplete paralysis at a much higher rate than commonly seen in historical patients.

May 23, 2011.  Cethrin Highlighted in the Toronto Star as a Promising Potential Treatment for Spinal Cord Injury. A spinal cord injury patient demonstrating a remarkable recovery in mobility after receiving Cethrin treatment during the Phase I/IIa clinical trial was highlighted in an issue of the Toronto Star today. Neurosurgeon Dr. Michael Fehlings comments on the “astonishing” rate of recovery in patients treated with Cethrin and the article emphasizes that Cethrin may help reverse paralysis after spinal cord injury.