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Key people at Proterris.
Proterris develops and commercializes therapeutics leveraging the unique biological properties of carbon monoxide (CO). The company focuses on inhaled and small-molecule CO platforms, aiming to harness its potent cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic effects at non-toxic doses. Its primary application areas target significant unmet needs, initially concentrating on solid organ transplantation, where CO's therapeutic potential can mitigate various complications.
The company was founded by Apeiron Partners, LLC, in collaboration with a consortium of leading academic institutions, including the University of Pittsburgh, Columbia University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Johns Hopkins, and Yale University. This collaboration was established around the insight that carbon monoxide, long recognized for its therapeutic potential as a gasotransmitter, possesses broad applications beyond its traditionally understood toxicological profile, leading to a dominant intellectual property position.
Proterris targets a broad patient population across various medical disciplines, including nephrology, pulmonary conditions, and oncology, in addition to organ transplant recipients. The company envisions a future where its CO-based therapies provide novel treatment options for conditions where current solutions are inadequate, addressing a significant number of patients requiring advanced therapeutic interventions.
Key people at Proterris.
Proterris is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing inhaled and small molecule carbon monoxide (CO) therapeutics to harness CO's cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fibrotic properties for organ preservation, repair, and regeneration.[1][2][3] It targets unmet needs in transplant medicine (e.g., delayed graft function in renal transplants), nephrology, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), pulmonary arterial hypertension, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and oncology, serving over 20 million treatable patients in the U.S. alone through therapies like iCO and PRO-303.[2][3][5] With a globally dominant IP position from acquisitions like Alfama and hemoCORM, Proterris leads in CO-releasing molecules (CORMs), positioning it ahead of nitric oxide or other gasotransmitters in clinical and market potential.[1][4]
Proterris emerged from pioneering research on low-dose CO's therapeutic effects, co-founded by Apeiron Partners, LLC and a consortium of leading universities including the University of Pittsburgh, Columbia University, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Johns Hopkins, and Yale.[2] Key scientific co-founders are Augustine M.K. Choi, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Dean at Weill Cornell Medicine, and Provost for Medical Affairs at Cornell University, and David J. Pinsky, M.D., Chief of Cardiovascular Medicine and Scientific Director at the University of Michigan’s Cardiovascular Center, who generated foundational clinical, translational, and IP data.[1][2][3] The company expanded through strategic acquisitions: it gained Alfama’s extensive CORM assets and subsidiaries (renamed Proterris Portugal Lda.), including patents from hemoCORM Ltd., solidifying its leadership; Alfama itself was founded by figures like Roche scientist Werner Haas and Professor Carlos Romão, backed by Portugal Ventures and international investors.[1] Early focus centered on solid organ transplants, evolving into a broad pipeline amid growing validation of CO as a gasotransmitter rivaling nitric oxide.[2][3]
Proterris rides the gasotransmitter therapeutics wave, leveraging CO's validated effects—honed since Paracelsus-era toxicology insights—amid surging demand for organ repair solutions in a transplant shortage crisis (e.g., DGF affects ~25% of renal transplants).[2][3] Timing aligns with regenerative medicine's rise, post-COVID emphasis on pulmonary therapies (ARDS/IPF), and oncology/nephrology needs, fueled by NIH support and biotech M&A trends.[3][5] Market forces favor it: CO's low-dose safety (below toxic levels), superior preclinical data over NO, and a $20M+ addressable U.S. population position Proterris to disrupt ~$10B+ transplant/immunology markets.[2][4] It influences biotech by pioneering "repurposed gases" for fibrosis/inflammation, inspiring platforms in cytoprotection and potentially accelerating NIH-university translations.[1][2]
Proterris is poised for clinical milestones, with iCO and PRO-303 advancing from preclinical to Phase 1/2 trials in graft rejection and ileus, potentially yielding first approvals in transplants by 2027-2028 amid IP exclusivity.[5][6] Trends like AI-driven drug discovery, combo therapies with biologics, and global transplant demand (rising 10-15% yearly) will amplify its trajectory, especially if oncology/pulmonary readouts succeed.[2][5] Influence may evolve via partnerships or IPO, cementing CO as a biotech staple—transforming a toxic gas into a lifeline for millions, as its founders envisioned.[1][3]
