Resident Companies in Action: VerImmune

This month, the team at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC spoke with Joshua Wang, Ph.D., CEO and founder of VerImmune.

VerImmune is a biotech company on a mission to develop and provide innovative treatment solutions to patients with serious diseases. Wang has a deep passion for advancing the field of science and turning promising research into potentially viable treatment opportunities, which led to the founding of VerImmune.

VerImmune's Virus-inspired Particle (ViP) delivery technology can be manipulated through genetic engineering or chemistry to target specific cells and tissues, offering a potentially viable solution to the problem of delivery. With a primary focus on immuno-oncology, the company aims to repurpose pre-existing childhood or viral immunity to target cancer, taking a different approach from the typical drugs, cell therapies, and vaccines in development.

For VerImmune, 2023 is all about preparing and achieving the development milestones for their first product, VERI-101, to be ready for next year's Investigational New Drug (IND) filing and Phase 1 clinical trials.

"Our motto and mission statement for 2023 is to be 'Clinic Ready’,” said Wang.

VerImmune became a resident company at JLABS @ Washington, DC in 2021 to accelerate its growth and advance its innovative ViP technology. The company aims to further develop its technology platform and advance its pipeline of novel therapeutics for treating serious diseases. VerImmune also hopes to expand its internal team as well as its network of industry contacts and potential partners, including investors, pharmaceutical companies, and other biotech startups.

"The support we've received externally, from meeting with Johnson & Johnson R&D folks to clinical folks and strategists, has been instrumental in building our network and advancing our mission," Wang said. "Internally, as one of the first fully functioning labs to move-in and operate after the COVID-19 pandemic, we really appreciate the dedicated efforts of the JLABS @ Washington, DC team in helping us settle in and for the daily maintaining of the laboratory facilities."

VerImmune strives to provide innovative treatment solutions to patients with serious diseases, along with building a strong, collaborative team that shares their belief in providing cutting-edge solutions.

As Wang explained, "Our first priority is to help patients and make a difference in their lives. We strive to foster a positive and supportive work culture, where our team members can grow, thrive, and enjoy the process of making a significant impact on patient care. It's not always sunshine and rainbows, but a team that has your back and recognizes the importance of transparency and open communication can make all the difference in those difficult times."

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VerImmune is a resident company at Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JLABS @ Washington, DC, which helps unleash the potential of innovators’ early scientific discoveries by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure (lab and offices), assigning a mentor to provide guidance, offering access to the investor community, and delivering training program to support startup executives. Interested in learning more? Connect with our team to discuss incubation, collaboration, or investment opportunities.

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