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n e w h a v e n b i z . c o m | N o v e m b e r / D e c e m b e r 2 0 2 0 | n e w h a v e n B I Z 5 T R E N D I N G : A r o u n d t h e R e g i o n Industry vets launch biotech in Branford targeting cancer, autoimmune disease A new biotech that is using CRIS- PR gene-editing technology to dis- cover drugs for cancer and autoim- mune diseases has opened a lab in Branford aer raising $35 million earlier this year. e company, EvolveImmune erapeutics, is helmed by veter- an Connecticut venture capitalist Dr. Stephen Bloch, and has already attracted early-stage backing from some large pharmaceutical firms. Bloch is a longtime partner at Westport venture capital firm Ca- naan Part- ners. He teamed with Dr. Charles Fuchs, head of Yale's Smilow Cancer Cen- ter, and genet- icist Sidi Chen to co-found E v o l v e I m - mune in 2019 with technol- ogy licensed from Chen's lab at Yale. e company has been operat- ing in stealth mode since January at UConn's Technology Incubation Program (TIP) in Farmington aer closing on a $35 million series A round led by Pfizer and Solasta Ven- tures. It has since grown to a team of 17 and now occupies a 6,200-square- foot lab and office space at 23 Busi- ness Park Dr. in Branford. Guilford label manufacturer acquiring two companies Brook and Whittle Holding Corp., a Guilford-based label manufactur- er, has agreed to acquire two compa- nies, Innovative Labeling Solutions Inc. and Wizard Labels LLC. e deal is expected to close by mid-November. Financial terms were not disclosed. PHOTO | COURTESY BROOK & WHITTLE Mark Pollard, CEO of Brook & Whittle, said the deal is expected to transform his company's digital and online capabilities. Ohio-based Innovative Labeling Solutions is a full-service provid- er of digitally printed prime labels, while Wizard Labels is an online custom product label company. Like Brook & Whittle, both companies are focused on supply- ing pressure-sensitive and shrink- sleeve labels to a range of consumer end markets, such as the cra bever- age, nutraceuticals, food, household and personal care industries. Developer breaks ground on New Haven mixed-use project A dirt lot in New Haven is being transformed into a large mixed-use development, which will feature 230 rental apartments and 5,600 square feet of street-level retail space. Construction recently started on e Whit Wooster Square, which will include two buildings at 630 and 673 Chapel St. e project is the first mul- tifamily development in the state for Hines, an interna- tional real estate firm based in Texas. e location most recently had been a parking lot and va- cant office building. e development will have a mix of studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apart- ments. It will feature commu- nal work spaces with private offices, a club room, dining room and catering kitchen. Alexion drug wins FDA approval Alexion Pharmaceuticals has won Food and Drug Administration ap- proval to market an improved ver- sion of its newest drug, a move the company says will allow patients with two rare diseases to spend less time receiving treatment. e FDA approved a 100 mg/ mL formulation of Ultomiris — the company's successor to its flagship drug, Soliris — for patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobin- uria (PNH) and atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). PNH is a rare blood disorder marked by the destruction of red blood cells, while aHUS causes blood clots and damage to blood vessel walls that can lead to organ failure and usually strikes the kid- neys. e drug works by inhibit- ing an immune system protein known as C5 that plays a role in both diseases. e original 10 mg/mL ver- sion of Ultomiris garnered FDA approval in Dec. 2018. e New Ha- ven-born com- pany, which has a large research presence in the city, says the new version is as safe and effective as the original but improves the average annual in- travenous infusion time by roughly 60 percent. Investment firm acquires Norwalk data center company New York City private investment firm Stonecourt Capital LP recently acquired 365 Data Centers, a Nor- walk company that owns and oper- ates hybrid data centers. Terms of the deal were not dis- closed. Launched in 2017, 365 Data Cen- ters operates 230,000 square feet of data center space. It provides hybrid data center and business continuity services for more than 650 custom- ers in the eastern United States and has data centers located around the country. Stonecourt Managing Partner Lance Hirt said his company and its investors plan to "deploy significant additional capital to accelerate [365 Data Centers'] growth trajectory." Fairfield company secures $10K grant to develop national PPE clearinghouse A Fairfield company has won a $10,000 grant from a Washington, D.C.-based foundation to advance its creation of a national clearing- house of buyers and sellers of per- sonal protective equipment. Strike Labs LLC was among 21 nonprofits, small businesses and in- dividuals across the country to win a grant from the Booz Allen Foun- dation's $1 million Innovation Fund. e fund supports the develop- ment of creative solutions to address impacts of the COVID-19 pandem- ic. Strike Labs LLC received the grant for its PPE Exchange, which connects buyers and sellers of per- sonal protective equipment. SHU launches telehealth certificate program Sacred Heart University plans to offer a program to teach telehealth Renderings of two buildings that will comprise The Whit Wooster Square on Chapel Street in New Haven. Dr. Stephen Bloch is the co-founder and CEO of EvolveImmune Therapeutics. B R I E F S Guilford-based Brook & Whittle makes shrink sleeve labels like those found on popular beverages. Continued on page 6

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