San Antonio’s science-rich atmosphere has spawned a variety of biomedical enterprises.  Among them are several major, established companies with marketed pharmaceutical products or medical devices, as well as a leading contract development and manufacturing organization.  The city is also home to a number of emerging startup firms developing product pipelines for future commercialization.

San Antonio Industry Leaders
A pioneer of San Antonio’s bioscience sector, DPT Laboratories, Ltd., a DFB Pharmaceuticals company, is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), offering full-service sourcing solutions for the world’s leading pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare companies.  The privately-held firm, which dates back more than 65 years, specializes in semi-solid and liquid dosage forms.  DPT recently opened a new 258,000-square foot, dual-building campus at Brooks City-Base, a technology and business center on the site of a former military base, in addition to its other San Antonio locations.    

Founded in 1976 by San Antonio emergency room physician, Dr. Jim Leininger, Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (NYSE: KCI) is a global medical technology company with leadership positions in advanced wound care and therapeutic surfaces. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a wide range of proprietary products that can improve clinical outcomes while helping to reduce the overall cost of patient care.

San Antonio-based Genyzme Oncology is a division of the Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ), one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies and recipient of the U.S. National Medal of Technology, awarded by the President of the United States to recognize innovation.  Genzyme Oncology develops and commercializes novel treatments for patients with cancer through internal research and active collaborations.  Marketed products include leukemia drugs, Campath® and Clolar®.  Genzyme entered the San Antonio market in 2004 with the acquisition of ILEX Oncology, Inc. and recently announced a $1.9 million renovation of its facilities at the Texas Research Park.

Privately-held Mission Pharmacal has operated in San Antonio for more than 50 years.  The founding Walsdorf family is now in its third generation. Marketed products include Tindamax®, approved for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis, the most common vaginal infection among women of childbearing age in the United States, as well as Citracal® vitamin supplements.

Smith & Nephew Endoscopy established a San Antonio presence with its 2006 acquisition of OsteoBiologics, a privately-held San Antonio developer of bone-replacement and tissue repair technologies. Smith & Nephew is a leader in developing innovative tissue repair solutions for sports medicine indications.  Its TRUREPAIR product line provides porous structural, bioresorbable scaffolds uniquely designed for the repair and replacement of bone.

 

Emerging Bioscience Companies

Cancer drug development is one of the core competencies of San Antonio’s bioscience sector and the therapeutic focus for several emerging companies.

Azaya Therapeutics was recently recognized as one of the Most Promising Life Science Technology Companies by The Rice Alliance for Technology & Entrepreneurship at Rice University.  Azaya is applying its protein-stabilized liposome (PSL) platform technology to extend the life of standard-of-care chemotherapy drugs with new formulations that could make them more effective.

BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is focused on discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs for the treatment of cancer and cancer supportive care.  It currently has two drug candidates, Karenitecin (BNP 1350) and Tavocept, in late-stage clinical development.

OncoVista, Inc. is focused on developing innovative, targeted therapies for cancer treatment, including novel drugs and nanotechnologies. Its first clinical-stage compound, Cordycepin, a nucleoside analog, is in a Phase I/II trial for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients who express the enzyme terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT). OncoVista also holds controlling interest in a German company, AdnaGen AG, with unique technology for rapid, sensitive detection and analysis of prognostic biomarkers in circulating tumor cells.

Other companies within San Antonio’s life sciences sector focus on developing drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for other therapeutic areas.

Pharmaceuticals that decrease bacteria in the mouth, reduce chronic inflammation and improve systemic health are the focus of San Antonio-based Frio Pharmaceuticals.  Frio has two trials in Phase II clinical and was also recognized by the Rice Alliance as one of the Most Promising Life Science Technology Companies during the 6th Annual Life Science Technology Venture Forum this summer.

An innovative life sciences company founded in 1993, INCELL Corporation is developing an oral vaccine business utilizing its proprietary platform technology for stimulating mucosal immunity. In addition, INCELL manufactures products for cell culture and research applications and provides contract services to other companies.

One of the city’s newest life science firms, Pronucleotein Biotechnologies LLC, is developing aptamer-based, hand-held diagnostic assays to eliminate culture enrichment for real-time, rapid testing for food and water safety and homeland security applications.

San Antonio has a track record of developing life- and limb-saving medical devices, such as the Palmaz® Stent, the first commercially successful intravascular stent, named one of “Ten Patents that Changed the World” by IP Worldwide magazine.  Several emerging medical device firms are carrying on this tradition of innovation.

Based at the Texas Research Park, BioMedical Enterprises (BME) is focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing minimally invasive orthopaedic instrumentation and implants that elicit a biologic response. Since its inception in 1991, BME has applied its understanding of bone healing to the development of products to treat musculoskeletal disorders.

Dental Implant Technologies provides a comprehensive suite of digitally integrated restorative services and products for full arch dental implant patients.  The company’s innovative approach to implant therapy utilizes 3-D imaging and industrial CAD/CAM techniques to radically simplify a complex and costly procedure.

LIFETECHniques, Inc., which relocated from California to downtown San Antonio a year ago, serves as a research and development incubator to create new medical device products and companies. Since inception, LIFETECHniques has received approximately $10 million in National Institutes of Health research grants for its new MedSignals computerized pillbox to help people manage their medications and its smoking cessation device called SmokeSignals, a computerized cigarette case that monitors smoking habits.