Houston’s Life Science Hubs have produced many innovative companies

Image of Houston skyline.

Having recently returned from BIO 2022, I came across an interesting publication on the Life Science market in Houston, TX.  They have divided the market into the following HUBS based on population:

-Pearland (Population 125,828)
-League City (Population 116,701)
-Sugar Land (Population 120,000)
-The Woodlands (Population 120,000)
-Conroe (Population 101,582)

These Hubs surround the Texas Medical Center anchored by MD Anderson Cancer Center and Texas Children’s Hospital.

I have chosen an innovative biotech company from each Hub.  My picks include:

Adient Medical, Pearland, is leading the development of an absorbable vascular filter for the prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE), a leading cause of death in the US claiming the lives of over 100,000  Americans annually — more than breast cancer, AIDS, and traffic fatalities combined.  The filter is inserted post PE or DVT and remains for 12 weeks to capture clots, then dissolves into carbon dioxide and water.

Jupeng Bio, League City, develops advanced bioenergy technology which takes wastes and sustainably turns them into advanced biofuel and renewable power.

Backed by decades of experience in developing and licensing industrial-scale technology, Jupeng Bio creates more sustainable communities and transportation by converting waste and non-food crop biomass into advanced biofuel. The Jupeng Bio technology solution uses a flexible approach that is safe, fast and reliable, allowing it to be commercialized wherever there is waste. By taking this localized approach, Jupeng Bio reduces landfill and air pollution, creates jobs, generates tax revenue and safely produces renewable fuel and clean energy.

Hope Biosciences, Sugar Land, develops adult stem cell-based therapeutics for a variety of indications  and is the only clinical grade stem cell banking facility in the nation that banks both adults and newborns.

Their core technology is the ability to make accurate copies of your own stem cells to unprecedented quantities. We start with one tablespoon of fat or approximately 100,000 mesenchymal stem cells and can culture (grow) these cells in a way that not only generates high amounts; but, maintains their original characteristics such as identity, purity, genetic stability, potency, differentiation capacity and phenotype.

In a nutshell, they have the ability to generate unlimited quantities of your stem cells that are the same as those we took from the body.

Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, The Woodlands, is a biopharmaceutical company that is applying a unique approach to gene science based on Nobel Prize-winning technology to discover and develop precise medicines for people with serious, chronic conditions. Using a patient driven approach, we are working to discover and develop innovative medicines to safely and effectively treat disease and improve patient lives.

Their robust pipeline includes candidates for heart failure, Type 1 diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia, metabolism and immune system disorders.

VGXI, Conroe, is a full-service Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) that produces DNA plasmids for human clinical trials, virus production, toxicology studies and pre-clinical research.

VGXI delivers high purity pre-clinical plasmid preparations suitable for all stages of pre-clinical DNA vaccine.  They also provide a Highly Documented (HD) Plasmid Production Service provides high supercoil, low endotoxin plasmid.  Finally, they offer cGMP Production Service provides injectable-grade plasmid DNA suitable for use in human clinical trials.