Cutting-Edge Proteomics meets AI to Rejuvenate Cancer Immunotherapy
We discover novel drug targets and IO response markers by combining proteomics and computational biology
Protica Bio develops predictive biomarkers based on actionable proteomic insights into tumor cell biology to make cancer treatments more effective, personalized, and accessible. Unlike genomics, our proprietary platform, developed by world-leading proteomics expert Prof. Tami Geiger from Weizmann Institute, delivers unmatched protein coverage, meaning we can see what others cannot, revealing real-time biological signals that predict treatment response and uncover new therapeutic targets.
The Need
Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has revolutionized oncological therapy for selected patients with melanoma and lung cancer. However, the response rates in these and other solid tumors are still significantly lower. Therefore, it is critical to identify predictive markers of response and to identify novel drug targets for combination therapies with ICI.
The Solution
Protica Bio aims to tackle these challenges by combining state-of-the-art proteomics technologies and supporting methods with computational biology. As proteomics allows identification and quantification of the tumor proteome in an unbiased manner, it's combination with machine learning can identify novel cancer regulators and achieve breakthroughs in this domain
Our Team & Advisory Board
Olga Nissan, PhD
Co-Founder & CEO
Prior to the foundation of Protica, Dr. Nissan served as a Technology Manager at EcoPhage, leading the R&D and business aspects of the company. Olga was a laboratory manager at Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Inc., and a Senior Scientist, in charge of a microbiology team at BiomX. Overall, Dr. Nissan has rich leadership experience with R&D and clinical teams. Dr. Nissan completed her Postdoctoral research and Ph.D. at the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Prof. Tamar Geiger
CSO
Tami Geiger is an expert in clinical cancer proteomics. She completed her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in biochemistry at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Then she moved to the laboratory of Prof. Matthias Mann at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry to specialize in proteomics technology and apply it to cancer research. In 2011, Tami opened her own laboratory at the Sackler Faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University. In 2021 Tami moved to the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Prof. Aron Popovtzer, MD
SAB
Otolaryngology, medical oncology & Radiation oncology specialist. Chairman Israel H&N Society.
Prof. Aron Popovtzer is a Professor of Radiation Oncology and Head of the Sharett Institute of Oncology at Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem. Prof. Popovtzer has authored and co-authored several national and international publications and has received several awards for his contributions to the scientific community.
Moran Shapira
Executive Chair
Moran brings with her a rich interdisciplinary background and skills at the cross-section of pharma drug development, biology, business, and IP law, from blockbuster-drugs IP litigation, to evaluation of new technologies, biological and business opportunities, as well as management of collaborations worldwide. Moran holds a BS in Biology from Tel Aviv University, a dual degree from IDC in Finance and Law, and an MBA from Boston University.
Mor Levy, MSc
Senior Scientist
Mor has over six years of experience in biochemistry, pharmacology, pathology, and marine biology. Prior to joining Protica, Mor served as a researcher at The ELSC Vector Core Facility of The Hebrew University. Before that, she was a clinical pharmacology laboratory manager at Hadassah University Medical Center. Mor holds an M.Sc. in marine biology from Tel-Aviv University.
Ori Choshen
Chairman of the Board
Ori is the CEO of VLX Ventures, which invests and creates new startups in the biotech and computational biology domains. Ori brings with him extensive, multidisciplinary experience in building innovation platforms and establishing, investing in, and mentoring innovative startups in the life sciences, pharma, AI, and hi-tech industries.
Adar Yaacov, MD
Senior Bioinformatics Data Scientist
Adar brings a unique combination of computational biology and data science expertise and a clinical view. He has completed his medical studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and is a researcher at the Cancer Computational Biology lab at Hadassah, mentored by Dr. Shai Rosenberg. He is experienced with cancer genomics and transcriptomics scientific projects, using cutting-edge machine learning algorithms in academia and industry-oriented companies.
Dana Cohen, MSc
Board
Dana is an entrepreneur and a senior biotech manager with 26 years in the In Vitro Diagnostics as a CEO of several startup companies as well as BD, marketing and product management positions, particularly focused on oncology, gastroenterology, genetic diseases and drug monitoring. Currently, she is the CEO of DiagKnowstics, the Head of personalized medicine at ZOTAL and a partner at ARION. Dana brings a unique international industry experience, mileage in market education and profound knowledge in molecular diagnostics.
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