Hepatitis B Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to finding a cure and improving the quality of life for those affected by hepatitis B worldwide. In 2003, the Foundation established the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research (IHVR) to serve its research needs and to house the Hepatitis B Foundation Lab, which is dedicated solely to hepatitis B research. The Hepatitis B Foundation and the IHVR reside in the same facility, which allows a sharing of valuable resources to achieve their complementary research and outreach mission.

The mission of the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research is to use discovery science to find new therapies for viral hepatitis and liver cancer; to advance its research discoveries through traditional scholarship and educational opportunities; to nurture biotechnology; and to promote public health outreach programs to improve the quality of life for those affected by viral hepatitis.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania is an independent nonprofit economic development organization, supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, to foster dynamic relationships among companies, investors, research institutions and the university community. The Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research (IHVR) receives a grant from Ben Franklin Technology Partners to coordinate the Regional Biotechnology Council of Central Bucks and the Ben Franklin Innovations Center, which assists “start-up” biotech companies in the region.

IMMUNOTOPE is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing immunotherapy products for the treatment and prevention of cancer and chronic viral infections. Our products activate the patient’s own immune system to fight disease and prevent recurrence. Our comprehensive approach to cancer therapy focuses on the critical, unmet need to diagnose cancer at the very earliest stages and to develop effective treatments that destroy tumors and prevent metastasis. Our product portfolio includes ovarian, breast and colon cancer and hepatitis.

Callisto Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of drugs to treat acute leukemia, carcinoid cancer (a neuroendocrine tumor) and multiple myeloma (an incurable blood cancer that invades and proliferates in bone marrow). Callisto presently has two drug candidates in four human clinical trials in the U.S. Atiprimod, Callisto’s drug to treat carcinoid cancer and multiple myleoma, is a small-molecule, orally available drug with antiproliferative and antiangiogenic activity. Callisto is presently in a Phase II clinical trial of Atiprimod in advanced carcinoid cancer patients in one clinical site in the U.S. Atiprimod is also being evaluated in relapsed or refracory multiple myeloma patients in a Phase I/IIa clinical trial being conducted at four clinical sites in the U.S.

BioSante is developing a pipeline of hormone therapy products to treat both men and women. BioSante's hormone therapy products are gel formulations for transdermal administration that deliver bioidentical estradiol and testosterone. Symptoms treated with hormone therapy in men include impotence, diminished sex drive, muscle weakness and osteoporosis. Symptoms in menopausal women include hot flashes, vaginal atrophy, decreased libido and osteoporosis. The estrogen and testosterone markets in the United States alone account for over $2.5 billion in annual sales.

Active Cell Technologies, Inc. provides R & D for therapeutic cultures, as well as process development contract services for recombinant proteins and peptides including: cytokines, fusion proteins, growth factors, monoclonal antibodies and recombinant vaccines. ACT is experienced in developing biopharmaceutical production processes beginning with characterized microbial and mammalian cell lines/expression systems. In this area there is a focus on increasing product yields and recoveries by the development of scalable cell culture, fermentation and purification processes.