POTSDAM, NY, USA, February 7, 2023/EINPresswire.com- Lento Bio, an early-stage pharmaceutical research company developing novel small molecule drugs for presbyopia, is proud to announce two major points of progress in assembling the technical and scientific expertise required to further development of its novel pipeline focused on presbyopia and other diseases of aging. These include an official collaboration with Florida State University and expansion of Lento’s advisory board.
Presbyopia is a common age-related condition that affects the ability of the eye to focus on close objects. It typically begins to develop around the age of 40 and affects more than 1.4 billion people worldwide. Major causes include the formation of Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) and other crosslinks causing stiffening of the lens. Currently, the main treatment options for presbyopia are glasses, contact lenses, and surgery. Lento Bio is developing novel small molecule drugs that will target the underlying damage and thus have the potential to provide a more effective and less invasive treatment option for presbyopia.
Official Medicinal Chemistry Collaboration with Florida State University
Lento has established an official research collaboration with Florida State University focused on medicinal chemistry and rational asset development. Dr. James Frederich’s lab at Florida State University will help Lento Bio develop novel variants of its current lead compounds in order to bring the company to the point of having an optimized eyedrop for reducing lens stiffness and treating presbyopia. They will also help synthesize de novo compounds to potentially further expand Lento Bio’s pipeline.
Dr. James Frederich heads an NIH-funded research laboratory at Florida State University that focuses on developing new strategies and tactics to build complex natural products. His laboratory is specifically interested in biologically active structures that modulate protein-protein interactions in vivo. Dr. Frederich received his PhD in synthetic organic chemistry from UC Irvine under the supervision of Prof. Larry Overman. He then served as an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellow at UCLA with Prof. Patrick Harran before starting his independent career at Florida State in 2014. To date, his laboratory has raised over $3 million in federal funding to tackle challenging fundamental problems at the interface of chemistry, biology, and medicine.
“AGE-related diseases remain an underexplored problem at the frontier of chemistry, biology, and medicine. My research team at Florida State University brings a unique chemical perspective to this translational partnership with Lento Bio” says Dr. Frederich. “Working together, we look forward to designing novel organic small molecules to reverse the effects of AGE crosslinking implicated in the pathobiology of several metabolic disorders.”
“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Frederich and his team at Florida State University,” said Kris Barnes, CEO of Lento Bio. “Their expertise in medicinal chemistry will be invaluable as we continue to develop our small molecule drugs for presbyopia and other aging indications.”
Dr. Frederich will also be joining Lento Bio’s scientific advisory board.
Scientific Advisory Board Expansion
Lento Bio is also happy to announce the appointment of three additional members to its advisory board. This board will provide valuable guidance and expertise in the multiple areas of biology and medicine relevant to Lento Bio’s development.
The additional members of the scientific advisory board are Dr. Mark Breazzano, a practicing ophthalmologist and professor at Upstate Medical University; Dr Igor Bussel, a practicing ophthalmologist and professor at UC Irvine; and Kenneth Scott, an angel investor and serial entrepreneur with extensive experience in aging disease medicine.
Dr. Mark Breazzano brings profound clinical and research expertise to Lento Bio’s primary area of investigation, ophthalmology drug development. Heavily involved as a clinical investigator in multiple clinical trials within the ophthalmology space, Dr. Breazzano carries the relevant experience to assist in Lento Bio’s trajectory. In addition to performing thousands of ophthalmic procedures as a practicing ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal specialist, he holds a patent and has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research papers, book chapters and abstracts in the field. He also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Upstate Medical University where he teaches the latest techniques to medical doctors in training.
“I’m excited to join the board of scientific advisors and help tackle the ubiquitous problem of presbyopia,” said Dr. Breazzano. “Working in tandem with the Dr. Barnes, we will collaborate to support new scientific developments and the overall growth for Lento Bio.”
Dr. Igor Bussel is a clinician-scientist and ophthalmic surgeon. He remains an Assistant Clinical Professor at the UCI School of Medicine and has served as a consultant to numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies focused on developing interventions for age-related diseases. Dr. Bussel brings specialized expertise in early-stage and clinical trial development, and his expertise will be invaluable to Lento Bio as it continues to develop its small molecule drugs for presbyopia.
“I’m thrilled to join the board of scientific advisors to help tackle this universal ophthalmic unmet need” said Dr. Bussel
Kenneth Scott is a seed investor in biotech companies addressing age-related infirmities. In addition, he has excelled in a wide range of career pursuits, from an economist, software developer, international software consultant, and serial entrepreneur, to a real estate developer. In recent years, he has funded and supported several newly breaking biotechnologies in senolytics, exosomes, and peptides, amongst others. Today, Kenneth spends much of his time working to advance his passion by promoting an understanding of meaningful longevity and providing insights on rejuvenation and activities in the longevity space.
“Vision is our key sensory connection with our environment. Presbyopia, usually affecting us in our 40s, gradually degrades our productivity and enjoyment of life. I am pleased to work with Lento Bio in the quest to remove this scourge of aging.” said Mr. Scott.
“As a company with a multi-faceted strategy to advance treatments for age-associated disease, our advisory board was strategically chosen from a list of experts in multiple fields to ensure that we are well prepared for the exciting road ahead” said Dr. Kris Barnes, CEO of Lento Bio