Innovators of USC: University-affiliated entrepreneurs focus on autoimmune disease

Denis Evseenko leads a research team at CarthroniX that works on anti-inflammatory and regenerative drugs that may work against autoimmune disorders. (Photo by Chris Shinn)

Approximately 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune disease, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association. This includes the millions suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Researchers at USC have developed novel small molecule drugs in regenerative and anti-inflammatory medicine that aim to provide relief and healing for patients with these diseases.

Leading this group of scientists is Denis Evseenko, USC associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Evseenko, who is director of skeletal regeneration of the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and his postdoctoral scholar/research associate Ben Van Handel are collaborating to bring their technology to the marketplace and to in-need patients.

In pursuit of this goal, they created a startup company, CarthroniX. The drugs being developed by CarthroniX can currently be separated into two classes: one class is both regenerative and anti-inflammatory, and the second is solely anti-inflammatory.