History
The genesis of Enable-NK cell culture media products was a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which triggered product development efforts in 2020. Novel incorporation of plant extracts [per United States pharmacopeia (USP) compendial-grade standards] was accomplished using an efficient Design of Experiments (DoE) strategy, in consultation with the Department of Statistics, University of Massachusetts (Amherst). The lead formulation emerged in 2021 and underwent extensive beta-testing with Natural Killer (NK) cell research groups in North America and Europe, resulting in the final Enable-NK cell culture media formulation which underwent a limited launch in 2022. Used both as cell culture media as well as a 10x concentrated supplement, several NK research groups have reported measurable improvements in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of NK cells expanded in Enable-NK, including: 30-40% improved cytotoxicity against cancer cells, 20-25% reduced cellular exhaustion , 2x-3x improved transduction efficiency, up to 90% reduction in serum dependence, 35-40% improvement in cryopreservation efficiency, reduction in feeder cell dependence, synergy with feeder cells, and improved metabolism of NK cells. These results have been presented in research posters by our collaborators at leading research conferences, including annual meetings of the Society for Natural Immunity (SNI) and the Society for ImmunoTherapy in Cancer (SITC). We encourage prospective users to download these posters from the Resources section of our website. Product traction with early-adopters has culminated with a commitment by the University of Wisconsin to use Enable-NK for an upcoming clinical trial in Madison, WI. Please stay tuned for our research poster presentation at the November 2023 SITC Annual Meeting in San Diego.
For more information, please reach out to us at: contact@enablelifesciences.com .
Leadership Team
Rachit
CEO and Founder
Sherry
Business Development Strategist
Corporate Advisory Board Members
Dr. Mohan C Vemuri was Director of Research and Development for Cell and Gene therapy in the Cell Biology Division at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Accomplished R&D executive with experience inoverseeing and leading research and development activities to drive innovation and spur growth for an organization. Extensive background in early development in biotech/pharma R&D, managing and leading high-performance cross-functional teams in Immune cells and Gene therapy. Track record of leading innovative cross-functional teams working on CAR-T and CAR-NK immune cell process development to enable the rapid transition of immune cell therapy platforms. Core Competencies include Strategy, Analytical Process Development, Biosafety of Raw Materials and quality control, and Regulatory affairs related to stem cells and immune oncology.
Before joining the biotech industry, Dr. Vemuri served as a faculty at the Children's Hospital ofPhiladelphia, Thomas Jefferson University. He holds a Ph. D in Cell Biology from Sri Venkateswara University in India, an MBA from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and performed hispostdoctoral work at the National Institutes of Health in the USA.
Dr. Vemuri has authored over 60 publications and has edited or co‐edited several stem cell focused books, including Stem Cell Assays, Regulatory Networks in Stem Cells, MSC assays and applications, MSCs and Cell Therapy, Neural Development and Stem Cells and most recently, Pluripotent Stem Cell Assays by Springer Press.
Dan Guthrie brings over 20 years of senior leadership and commercialization experience to OnKologic. Currently Dan Guthrie is the Chief Business Officer of Diality, a medical device start-up in the hemodialysis space. Prior to Diality, Mr. Guthrie served as the Chief Commercial Officer for Neuronetics where he led the company's commercial expansion efforts following its IPO in 2018. Mr. Guthrie has held senior commercial roles at JADAK (a business unit of Novanta, Inc.); Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.; Medtronic PLC (formerly Covidien Ltd); and Fleet Laboratories, Inc. Mr. Guthrie earned his bachelor's degree in finance and marketing from American University and his MBA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Rohit is the Managing Director of Tenacity Ventures and has over 20 years of experience in operating, investing and consulting with companies of all size.
Prior to co-founding Tenacity, Rohit wore many hats as a Chief Business Officer at Clear (formerly ClearTax). Rohit helped the company achieve 10x scale across various business verticals, geographies and products, while improving capital efficiency and quality of teams. Before Clear, Rohit spent a number of years investing at ICICI Venture and Gaja Capital. As an investor, Rohit likes to roll up the sleeves and help founders create the right strategy that will yield true value, help design sound business plans and inspire the teams to achieve those with customer satisfaction as the centerpiece. Before his investing career, Rohit worked on several M&A, marketing and operations assignments at McKinsey & Co. Rohit also worked at Abbott Laboratories, where he worked on shop floor and supply chains.
Rohit has an MBA from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, an MS from NC State, and B. Tech from NIT Trichy.
As a creative and product-focused entrepreneurial leader, I have a proven track record of founding, building, and growing companies to profitability with over $100M in annual revenue. I have also successfully acquired and integrated global companies and led several strategic partnerships to achieve distribution and revenue growth.
My most recent venture, Peel, raised over $95M from top VCs, including Redpoint, Lightspeed, Alibaba, Samsung, and prominent seed and angel investors. I built a team of 200 distributed globally, including one of the first mobile teams in Silicon Valley that built mobile and cloud platforms capable of handling over 100M users and 50 MAU globally.
I am proud to have launched the very first internet-connected hardware device that kickstarted the smart home category. Our product was carried on the shelves of major retailers such as Apple Retail, BestBuy, and Amazon. I evolved the company's strategy from a hardware-centric approach to a software-only play by partnering with leading mobile manufacturers worldwide, including Samsung, LG, Sony, HTC, Xiaomi, Micormax, Vivo, and Oppo.
As a thought leader, I have evangelized the company's vision through national television interviews, keynote speeches at MWC, and various conferences. Before Peel, I worked as a strategy consultant at Booz & Company, helping CEOs develop growth strategies. I also led engineering and product teams at Apple.
I hold a bachelor's degree in engineering NITT, India and an MBA from Wharton.
We are always open to exploring research collaborations and prospective investments. Please reach out to us at contact@onkologic.com.
Sectors and Industries
With a focus on breakthrough advancements in biotechnology, we are positioned at the intersection of healthcare, life sciences, and cellular research. This convergence empowers us to redefine the possibilities of disease treatment, immune response enhancement, and precision medicine. Explore how our NK media is influencing and transforming these vital sectors, setting a new standard for excellence and pioneering a healthier future for humanity.
