The North Carolina Biotechnology Center has awarded $90,000 in loans to three startup companies in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region.
CertiRx, Qualiber and Zoion Pharma each received the maximum $30,000 amount from the Biotech Center’s Company Inception Loan program, which supports companies’ nonscientific startup activities with low-interest loans. Here’s a look at the three companies:
CertiRx — The Research Triangle Park-based medical technology company has developed an authentication system to combat counterfeit prescription drugs. CertiRx’s technology encodes medications with tiny tags that provide detailed information about a drug down to the batch number. CertiRx is looking to place the technology with large pharmaceutical companies who could use it to authenticate drugs and deter would-be counterfeiters. CertiRx was the subject of a MedCity News profile in June.
Qualiber — Based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Qualiber is developing a drug-delivery system based on nanoparticles. The technology was spun out from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Eshelman School of Pharmacy based on the research of professor Leaf Huang. Qualiber’s initial focus will be targeted delivery. The company is developing a way to deliver chemotherapy agents to cancer cells in a way that minimizes side effects.
Zoion Pharma — The Raleigh, North Carolina company was founded by Greg Mossinghoff, a former executive at eye drug development company Inspire Pharmaceuticals. Zoion is developing veterinary medicines, including a treatment for dry-eye disease in dogs.
