Cytonics

Cytonics Corporation is an emerging biotech company.

Backed by Johnson & Johnson, this company focuses on molecular diagnostics and therapeutic products for chronic musculoskeletal diseases. Its initial focus is on treating patients suffering from osteoarthritis (OA).

Essentially, Cytonics is targeting these patients with a pair of technologies. The first is a test that assesses a subject’s risk of osteoarthritis. The second is a system that concentrates a special protein in the blood that can be used to treat damaged joints.

This system has treated more than 7,000 patients nationwide, and has been shown to alleviate pain and slow joint damage.

Formed in 2006, Cytonics developed its breakthrough FACT diagnostic test for OA, which detects a biomarker that correlates with degree of cartilage damage from samples of patient joint fluid.

This is an unprecedented tool that allows for early detection and accurate diagnoses of OA. Licensed to Synthes (later acquired by Johnson & Johnson) in 2011, this diagnostic paved the way for more personalized medicine and improved treatment plans.

The discovery of this biomarker is what led to the development of Cytonics' flagship OA treatment: the Autologous Protease Inhibitor Concentrate (APIC) therapy, which selectively concentrates a therapeutic protein called Alpha-2-Macroglobulin (“A2M”) from patients’ own blood for direct injection into their arthritic joints.

APIC has successfully treated more than 10,000 patients to date, providing clinical and commercial proof that the company's core technology works.

Now, Cytonics is focused on CYT-108, a genetically-engineered A2M variant that has the potential to be even more effective than APIC. If approved by the Food & Drug Administration, CYT-108 may be one of the first “disease modifying” pharmaceuticals for OA - something that has eluded the pharmaceutical industry for decades.

Since its last raise, Cytonics has made strides toward advancing CYT-108 out of the laboratory and into clinical trials.

Its first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial is underway, marking a transition from a preclinical-research company to a clinical-stage biotech company.

This milestone is the culmination of ten million dollars and six years worth of research and development.

Cytonics has expanded its corporate reach globally, and has established an Australian subsidiary (Cytonics Australia Pty Ltd) to tap into the Australian government's RDTI program and Australian medical research infrastructure. This R&D incentive program refunds 43.5% of all research and development fees spent in Australia.

Cytonics is seeking capital to continue advancing these technologies, and to develop its latest discovery: a synthetic version of the blood protein that has the potential to cure osteoarthritis.

Phase 1 data collection will be complete in early Q2 2025 and a clinical-study report will be ready in Q3 2025.

Cytonics has twenty-five patents granted and four others pending.

Team Background

Antonio Carvalho - CEO & CFO

Prior to joining the team at Cytonics, Antonio worked for 15 years at Novartis (NYSE: NVS), a global pharmaceutical company. While there, he served as Vice President of Finance of the Global Oncology Unit, and Vice President of Finance for the company’s U.S. Pharmaceutical Operations unit.

Before that, he was Senior Vice President of Wunderman, a digital marketing company, and Chief Financial Officer at Advantage Resourcing, a staffing company.

Antonio earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Iona College.

Gaetano Scuderi - Founder

Gaetano has been recognized as one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the U.S., having spent more than two decades in the field.

In addition to overseeing Cytonics, he practices orthopedic surgery in Jupiter, Florida. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford University.

Gaetano practiced spinal surgery at the University of California, San Diego, and began his career working at the University of Miami.

He earned a degree from SUNY Stony Brook and his M.D. from the University of Buffalo.

Joey Bose - President

Joey has more than 10 years of experience in investment banking, focusing on the Biotechnology and Life Sciences sectors.

He was the Vice President of Investment Banking for Affinia Capital, a company that helps raise money for businesses in the Energy and Life Sciences industries.

Before that, he was an investment banking associate for CG Capital Markets, an investment bank.

Joey spent three years as a graduate student researcher at Johns Hopkins University, and an additional year at the University of Virginia.

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from UVA and a Master’s in Bioengineering from Johns Hopkins.

Lewis Hanna - Chief Scientific Officer

Lewis has more than 40 years of experience leading biotech research teams for Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies.

He was Director of Process Development for Alexion Pharmaceutical, and served the same position for Lexin Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Prior to that, he was a principal research scientist with R.W. Johnson Pharmaceutical Research Institute.

Lewis earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from City University of New York, and a Postdoctoral degree from Cornell.

Co-Investors