Ventoux Biosciences
novel, first-line treatments for dupuytren's disease
About Us
Revolutionizing dupuytren's treatment
Founder Story: Inspired by Patients, Powered by Purpose
leadership
Kurt Harrington
CEO and Founder
Kurt is an experienced pharmaceutical executive and a Dupuytren’s and Ledderhose patient. He formed Ventoux Biosciences to help address the significant unmet medical need in Dupuytren’s Disease – a common, disabling, fibroproliferative hand disease with few treatment options.
Kurt is an accomplished leader with over 25 years of Biopharmaceutical experience. Prior to starting Ventoux Biosciences, Kurt served as a consultant and advisor supporting leadership, founders, and operators ranging from large-cap multinational companies to early stage start ups on commercialization, corporate strategy, business development, market access and product development. Kurt served in various positions of increasing responsibility at AstraZeneca, Biogen, Amylin (acquired by BMS), Cadence Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals), and Avanir (acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceutical).
Kurt received his M.B.A. in Pharmaceutical Marketing from Saint Joseph’s University and B.S. in Marketing from Western Michigan University.
Ken Lipson, Ph.D.
Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President Corporate Strategy
Dr. Lipson has more than 30 years of experience in biotechnology and multinational pharmaceutical companies, including FibroGen, 3M Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacia, SUGEN and CIBA-Geigy (now Novartis). Most of his career has focused on discovery and research of drugs for treatment of fibrosis and cancer, during which he made key contributions to several agents that are marketed or are currently in development. Dr. Lipson received awards from two of the companies at which he worked for his seminal contributions. In addition to the fibrosis and oncology therapeutic areas, he also has experience in cardiovascular, neuromuscular, inflammation, metabolic and infectious diseases, which are represented in his more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals, review articles and book chapters, and patent applications.
Prior to his industry experience, Dr. Lipson served on the faculty of the department of Pathology at Temple University Medical School. Dr. Lipson earned two simultaneous BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry from the University of Toledo, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University. His postdoctoral studies at Sloan-Kettering Institute and Temple University Medical School provided additional training in biochemistry, pharmacology, cell biology and molecular biology.
Ventoux Biosciences
Scientific advisory board
Dr. daiva bajorunas
Daiva Bajorunas MD is an endocrinologist with more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry. She has a strong interest in advancing therapeutic options for conditions of significant unmet medical need.
For the past decade, Daiva has been engaged as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, currently as Founder and Principal, DBMD Consulting, and previously as Chief Medical Officer / Chief Scientific Officer for Vault Bioventures. She has provided her expertise to enhance large, mid-size and small pharmaceutical company product development, clinical/regulatory, and life cycle strategies for both drugs and devices, including oral, transdermal, injectable and inhalative delivery systems, working across multiple therapeutic areas and geographies. She has considerable experience chairing Data Safety Monitoring Boards.
In the past she held various R&D positions of increasing responsibility at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, BMS, Aventis (acquired by Sanofi), and Kos Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Abbott). Before she joined industry, she held academic appointments at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University Medical College (CUMC), and was Director of Clinical Care, Endocrinology Service, Memorial Hospital (MH), New York, NY. Daiva received her MD degree at the University of Michigan Medical School, did her residency training at St. Vincent’s Hospital & Medical Center in NY, her metabolism fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center, CA and her endocrinology fellowship at MH/CUMC, NY.
Dr. Keith Denkler
Dr. Denkler is an accomplished, board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Denkler is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at UCSF and has a private practice in Marin County.
He is internationally renowned for his use of multiple approaches in treating the debilitating and disabling effects of palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren disease). Dr. Denkler is an expert in needle aponeurotomy (NA), a minimally invasive procedure that uses subcutaneous needles to release the contracture as well as use of subcutaneous injection of collagenase. He has treated over 10,000 Dupuytren’s fingers, authored >35 publications and book chapters, presented internationally and domestically and is often cited for expert opinion in national and international news discussing Dupuytren’s. HIs pioneering investigational work documenting the safety of epinephrine with local anesthesia contributed to the origination of “wide-awake hand surgery”.
Dr. Denkler trained at prestigious medical institutions in the United States and Europe. He attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, followed by residency training in plastic and reconstructive surgery with the Cronin, Bauer, and Biggs group, also in Houston. Additionally, Dr. Denkler completed a hand surgery fellowship with Dr. Eugene Kilgore in San Francisco and one year of fellowship training in craniofacial surgery with Dr. Paul Tessier in Paris, France.
Latha Satish
Dr. Satish is a trained biotechnologist with several years of experience in cell and molecular biology. Dr. Satish’s interest has been in skin research with a special focus on skin inflammation, infection, and fibrosis. The other arm of Dr. Satish’s research has been to study the molecular determinants of palmar fascial disease, Dupuytren’s contracture.
Her long-term interest has been to develop therapeutic agents to help alleviate the pain and distress of patients with Dupuytren’s. Her studies on Dupuytren’s disease were funded by a private donor, which moved the research forward to study this disease in an animal model, which was not feasible earlier. Dr. Satish’s research on Dupuytren has identified small molecules that can be used as a target to intervene with the progression and development of the disease.
Dr. Satish received her Ph.D. from a prestigious institute in India and did her post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Dr. Satish serves as a faculty at the Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; named as the top hospital in the US. At Cincinnati Children’s, Dr. Satish researches Atopic Dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting children and adults. Dr. Satish has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, review articles and book chapters.
Dupuytren's disease
Dupuytren's Disease (Palmar Fibromatosis)
A Chronic, Progressive, Debilitating, Irreversible Disease
How Does Dupuytren's Impact Patients
Decreased / Loss of Hand Function
Disease causes fingers to bend inwards towards the palm. Affected fingers can not straighten, thus significant impact on hand function.
Loss of Hand Mobility
Fibrosis from Dupuytren's may also move laterally across the palm, impacting ability to spread hand / fingers.
Activities of Daily Living
Typically simple activities can be difficult or impossible for Dupuytren's patients - from shaking hands to putting on gloves or throwing a football.
Reduced Quality of Life (QoL)
Dupuytren's disease affects both performance of activities and patient QoL.
Work Loss / Economic Implications
Loss of hand function / range or hand motion are key limiters for some patients to perform work tasks.
Other Symptoms
Patients with Dupuytren's may also experience pain, tenderness, burning, pressure / tension, tightness, and itching.
Significant unmet Medical need & Large addressable population
>40 million
Estimated Prevalence in United States and Europe
Up to 85%
Post Operative Disease Recurrence
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Approved first-line, disease modifying pharmacologic treatment options
Pipeline
Powered by purpose
a pipeline inspired by patients
Pipeline
VEN-201, an investigational compound, demonstrated key anti-fibrotic actions and a positive safety profile in a pre-clinical in vivo study using an established dermal fibrosis (scleroderma) model. Based on the demonstrated anti-fibrotic effects we are working to advance VEN-201 as our lead developmental candidate targeting Dupuytren’s and Ledderhose disease.
Investors
About Us
Ventoux Biosciences, Inc. is a pioneering pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, dedicated to revolutionizing the treatment of Dupuytren's disease (palmar fibromatosis). Founded in October 2022 by a patient impacted by Dupuytren's - our mission is to identify, test, and deliver first-line pharmacologic treatments aimed at delaying disease progression and improving post-operative outcomes. Our team is comprised of seasoned fibrosis and oncology drug discoverers, award winning Dupuytren's researchers, clinical development and regulatory leaders, and esteemed Dupuytren's treatment specialists. We are committed to swiftly expanding treatment options for individuals afflicted with this under-served, immuno-fibrotic, disease.
why invest
Ventoux Biosciences is committed to maximizing investor value by developing novel treatments for under-served fibrotic diseases with focus on Dupuytren's disease - a common, chronic, and progressive disease with no pharmacologic approved first-line options to delay disease progression and no cure.
HOw to Invest
We are pleased to offer two different ways to invest in Ventoux Biosciences. Whether you are an experienced investor or first time investor, you can support our mission to revolutionize treatment for Dupuytren's disease. Please see below for additional information.
Major Investors
If you are interested in potential investment’s of $20k and above, please use the button below to set up a meeting.
Retail Investors
We'd Love To Hear From You
contact us
Address
315 S. Coast Highway 101 Suite U245 Encinitas, CA