MADISON, Wis., Feb. 5, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dianomi Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on osteoarthritis and pain with technology licensed from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), has established a partnership with and received an investment of $3 million from Ligand Pharmaceuticals. The partnership focuses on Dianomi's proprietary Mineral Coated Microparticle (MCM) technology, developed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, that is uniquely designed to provide stability and controlled release delivery of biologics and small molecule drugs.

Dianomi's worldwide, exclusive license from WARF includes core intellectual property developed by William Murphy, Ph.D., a Dianomi co-founder and UW-Madison Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Orthopedics & Rehabilitation. Murphy's BioInspired Materials Laboratory developed the MCM technology to harness the natural property of mineralized tissues (e.g. bones, teeth) to extend the therapeutic life of biological drugs. The MCM technology is designed to provide sustained release delivery, which can ultimately lower dosing and enhance patient compliance, thus impacting drug safety and efficacy.

"Traditional approaches for encapsulation and delivery of drugs utilize artificial polymers that often disrupt drug structure and function," said Murphy, Chief Scientific Officer of Dianomi. "Our MCM technology overcomes this limitation by providing a matrix that naturally stabilizes the drug, with properties that can be tailored to the drug and its intended application. I am excited to advance this technology toward clinical applications that could benefit patients."

Barry Kurokawa, CEO of Dianomi, commented, "Murphy's lab has honed the MCM technology over the last decade, enabling Dianomi to quickly move forward with product development opportunities to aid patients with osteoarthritis and pain. Additionally, because this technology is so versatile, it has the potential to be used with many other products to provide a much-improved dosing regimen, applicable for products in development or already on the market. Our proprietary technology provides the opportunity to breathe new life into products that are looking at impending patent expiration or experiencing increased competition, thus providing next-generation treatment options."

Dianomi's focus on the osteoarthritis market is a sizeable opportunity with significant unmet medical need.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and affects over 30 million individuals in the US alone. With aging and obesity as contributing factors to the disease, about 3 million new patients are diagnosed each year. Medical options thus far have been limited and often result in more invasive treatment, such as joint replacement surgery.

About Dianomi

Dianomi Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on optimizing the therapeutic profile of proven biologics to improve patient dosing, safety and efficacy. The company is advancing a pipeline of next-generation treatments for inflammatory diseases, targeting osteoarthritis and pain. The company's proprietary Mineral Coated Microparticle (MCM) technology mimics the ability of human bones and teeth to store and protect biologics, and provides greatly improved, sustained-release delivery of active biologics. For more information, please visit dianomitx.com.

About WARF

The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) helps steward the cycle of research, discovery, commercialization and investment for the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Founded in 1925 as an independent, nonprofit foundation, WARF manages more than 2,000 patents and an investment portfolio of $2.7 billion as it funds university research, obtains patents for campus discoveries and licenses inventions to industry. For more information, visit warf.org and view WARF's Cycle of Innovation.

SOURCE Dianomi Therapeutics Inc.

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