BioRelix
& Vascular Insights Launch BioHaven Series
 The
Yale BioHaven Entrepreneurship Series, presented by CURE and
Yale OCR, launched its 2007-2008 schedule with
presentations by two local Yale spin-outs: BioRelix, which
is developing antibiotics that target microbial RNA, and
Vascular Insights, which will market a new device for
treating varicose vein disease.
 Speaking
for BioRelix on Oct 24 was Ronald Breaker, Ph.D., the
company founder and Henry Ford II professor in the the
department of molecular, cellular and developmental biology
at Yale University, who told the scientific and technical
side of the company's story. Joining him to discuss the
business side was Ronald W. Lennox, partner at CHL Medical
Partners and the interim CEO of the company during its early
months. Also speaking was Dr. Brian Dixon, who had
joined the company just the previous week as the new CEO.
 Speaking
on the scientific and technical side for Vascular Insights
Nov 13 was Michael Tal, M.D., co-founder of and chief
medical advisor to the company, and associate professor of
radiology at Yale School of Medicine. Joining him to discuss
the business side was John P. Marano, Jr., Ph.D.,
co-founder, president, and CEO.
 Market
estimates suggest that varicose vein disease affects between
75 and 150 million people in North America and Western
Europe, making the market for varicose vein disease one of
the largest markets for any chronic condition in the
developed world.
With technology licensed from Yale University and its own
intellectual property, Vascular Insights is developing the
ClariVein-VA™ vascular ablation device. The device allows
varicose vein disease correction with a simple-to-use,
minimally invasive, small caliber (2 2/3
French), soft, flexible infusion catheter.
 While
reducing procedure time, ClariVein-VA™ requires no
anesthetic, no surgery, no hospitalization and no
discomfort. A vascular sheath is unnecessary and wire
exchanges are eliminated, no tumescent anesthetic is
required, and there is no costly, cumbersome generator to
buy, lease, or maintain.
With seed funding in place, the company is currently
seeking strategic partners to share risk and accelerate
product development.
 BioRelix
owns a world-wide license to develop and market RiboSwitch™-target
antibiotics. “RiboSwitches™” are short stretches of
messenger RNA that bind small metabolites and control genes
that are essential for the survival of many disease-causing
microbes. Each class of RiboSwitch™ could potentially
serve as a novel antibacterial drug target.
 Long
recognized as reliable drugs, antibiotics have become a $30
billion per year industry. But patents for many antibiotics
will expire in the next few years, and all classes of
antibiotics are encountering wide-spread resistance from the
bacterial pathogens at which they are aimed.
In June of 2007, BioRelix raised almost $26 million in a
first funding round.
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