In 2021, Bina was diagnosed with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei (PMP), a rare appendix cancer affecting only 1-3 people per million. Despite undergoing extensive 14 hour surgery which involved removal of multiple organs, her cancer returned within a year, this is a common outcome for PMP patients. The disease, which claimed Audrey Hepburn’s life, has seen no significant treatment advances in almost 45 years, leaving limited options for patients with recurrent or inoperable disease.
Bina’s husband, Ricki, a tech entrepreneur with a background in engineering, identified a potential drug candidate for PMP using computational analysis and molecular docking. The compound showed strong binding affinity to targets associated with disease progression. To validate these findings, an NIH-funded scientist (Archie Svetlov), now a co-founder of Bina Therapeutics, rigorously analyzed the data, performing high throughput screening against standard of care to confirm its scientific significance.
Armed with Actionable Data, Ricki attempted to connect with research institutions, PMP specialists, biotech hubs and charities however, it was the proactive support and willingness of a group formed by Professor Thomas McAvoy that offered to carry out initial in-vitro studies. The preliminary data showed a clear dose response against PMP cell lines which was the precursor to Archie and Ricki’s plan to re-formulate the compound in order to raise its ADME profile to target PMP cells in patients.
This collective effort was the spark that inspired the creation of Bina Therapeutics and took place in under 10 weeks. It is our mission to continue the trajectory of our work to create a meaningful treatment option for rare disease patients starting with Pseudomyxoma Peritonei.
We are deeply grateful to the individuals who have generously supported our early research efforts. Their invaluable advice, access to equipment and cell lines, as well as the collaborative input from their teams, has been instrumental in advancing our work. Their selfless contributions have made a meaningful difference to our project and mission.
We are deeply grateful to the individuals who have generously supported our early research efforts. Their invaluable advice, access to equipment and cell lines, as well as the collaborative input from their teams, has been instrumental in advancing our work. Their selfless contributions have made a meaningful difference to our project and mission.
Professor Thomas McAvoy, a chemical engineer and author of Science Deepens Faith, founded a pioneering research group investigating the role of bacteria in pseudomyxoma peritonei. His team’s research linked bacterial presence in tumors to disease progression. We are deeply grateful to Professor McAvoy and his team for their invaluable research support, provision of cell lines, and expert guidance during our early studies.
We acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our PMP collaborators, whose shared commitment to developing therapeutic strategies for PMP has greatly supported our research. Their input and continuation of support have been essential in guiding and refining our work.
Learn about the founding team, their background and the collaborators that are working with Bina Therapeutics.
