Jupiter, FL – [November 15, 2022] – Myosin Therapeutics is honored to announce that its Chief Executive Officer and Chair of the Board of Directors, Dr. Courtney Miller, received BioFlorida’s 2022 Weaver H. Gaines Entrepreneur of the Year award. This prestigious honor recognizes Dr. Miller’s significant contributions to the state’s life sciences industry.
“We are pleased to present Dr. Miller with the Entrepreneur of the Year award for her contributions to the Florida life sciences industry and her ongoing passion and commitment to develop first-in-class therapies for the treatment of cancer and psychiatric disorders, targeting an untapped superfamily of proteins known as molecular nanomotors,” said Nancy K. Bryan, President and Chief Executive Officer of BioFlorida. “Dr. Miller’s work is a success story for our industry, and we are always excited to celebrate over a decade of work at the UF Scripps Biomedical Research labs, resulting in the success we are seeing now from Myosin Therapeutics.”
Myosin Therapeutics is a Scripps Florida (now Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology), spinoff company founded in 2020 by Dr. Miller and two of her colleagues, Dr. Patrick Griffin, Institute Scientific Director, and Dr. Ted Kamenecka, a senior scientific director in the Department of Molecular Medicine. Myosin Therapeutics designs new lead compounds that target the mechanisms cells use to convert energy into mechanical work and develop these into first-in-class medications. Myosin’s initial intellectual property originated from research developed at Scripps Florida by Dr. Miller and her co-founders. Dr. Miller has been studying molecular motor proteins for nearly two decades.
Myosin Therapeutics has a platform technology that utilizes high throughput screening to discover modulators of any of the 100 different molecular nanomotor proteins expressed in the human body. These modulators have the potential to be developed into medications for various conditions, with Myosin focusing heavily on oncology applications. One of its lead compounds, MT-125, has broad oncological potential and is being pursued in several cancers, including glioblastoma, the most common form of brain cancer. Unlike most therapeutics that only address tumor growth, MT-125 targets both tumor cell proliferation and invasion, while also inducing oxidative stress, through its inhibition of two molecular nanomotors, non-muscle myosin IIA and IIB.
Myosin Therapeutics is also advancing other breakthrough therapies. In 2021, the company was awarded a $2.8 million fast-track Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to develop MT-110 for the treatment of stimulant use disorders. Stimulant use disorders affect nearly 5 million people in the United States according to the latest SAMHSA report, yet there are no FDA-approved medications available to treat it.
Dr. Miller’s dedication to addressing unmet medical needs in both cancer and substance use disorders continues to drive Myosin Therapeutics forward. The recognition from BioFlorida serves as a testament to her leadership and the company’s commitment to innovation in developing first-in-class therapeutics targeting molecular nanomotors.
About Myosin Therapeutics
Myosin Therapeutics is a Jupiter, FL-based biotechnology company spun out of the Wertheim UF Scripps Institute (formerly Scripps Research, Florida). The company is focused on developing therapies for central nervous system and oncology indications with a platform for targeting molecular nanomotor proteins. Myosin’s lead programs for glioblastoma and stimulant use disorder target non-muscle myosin II motor proteins.
About BioFlorida
BioFlorida is the voice of Florida’s life sciences industry, representing over 6,200 establishments and research organizations in biopharmaceuticals, medical technology, and bio agriculture. It provides a network for professionals, investors, and businesses to foster the growth of the industry in Florida, support job creation, and ensure continued advancements in healthcare, agriculture, and environmental biotechnology.
For more information, email contact@myosintherapeutics.com
