Developing breakthrough therapies for regenerative medicine to improve quality of life.

Samba BioLogics, Inc. is a preclinical stage biotechnology company based in Vermont. We produce breakthrough agonist biologics that preserve tissue and improve repair after ischemic injury. Our pipeline includes “Cell-Kro,” a biologic drug that promotes engraftment of transplanted progenitor cells, and “VasaPlex,” a biologic that rescues jeopardized cardiac tissue after myocardial infarction.

About Our Solutions

Cell-Kro

No treatments that preserve or replace damaged tissue after myocardial infarction (MI) currently exist and poor graft success is a common problem after transplantation of cultured cells into injured tissues. Cell grafts after ischemic injuries, such as MI, are especially inefficient due to low adhesion to host tissue, low cell survival rates and low levels of migration.

Cell-Kro is a connective tissue growth factor (CTGF-D4) and insulin combo that primes reparative cells for successful engraftment and survival. Short term incubation of cardiac progenitor cells in Cell-Kro prior to transplantation in a rat model of MI promoted robust, sub-epicardial engraftment, survival and migration of cell derivatives one week after MI. One-month studies showed rebuilt blood vessels and a reduced negative remodeling. Cell-Kro is a powerful tool that remarkably promotes graft success and lasting cell replacement.

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VasaPlex

Coronary heart disease leading to acute myocardial infarction (MI; heart attack) is a principal cause of mortality worldwide. Cornerstone treatments for MI are designed to restore blood flow (i.e. to “reperfuse”) blocked coronary arteries. Despite reduced times to intervention, and successful stent placement, 30-50% of primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) patients exhibit low- or “no-reflow”, a phenomenon linked to poor outcomes, increased probability of heart failure, and death. Low/no-reflow occurs when macroscopic vessels
are opened by stenting or thrombolysis, but distal myocardial perfusion remains compromised.

VasaPlex (HGF:IgG complex) and “VasaPlex-F2” (FGF2:HGF:IgG complex) are vaso- and cardioprotective biologic drugs we’ve designed to increase vascular integrity and preserve cardiac tissue jeopardized by reperfusion injury and low/no-re-flow. In a large animal (pig) model of acute MI with reperfusion, intracoronary infusion of VasaPlex preserved 48 ± 12% of myocardial tissue at risk.

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Our Values

Harnessing Scientific Discovery

Innovation

We design, develop, and deliver breakthrough products in regenerative medicine.

Inspiration

We celebrate and promote a spirit of discovery.

Integrity

We build trust with an approach that is objective, data-driven, and honest.

Collaboration

We tackle problems and find solutions through effective teamwork and communication.

Perseverance

We embrace challenges and overcome obstacles through hard work, focus, and persistence.

Our People

The Samba BioLogics Team

Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer

Jeffrey L. Spees, Ph.D.
Director of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry

Wolfgang Dostmann, Ph.D.
Director, Drug Development and Innovation

Benjamin Liebman, M.S.
Co-founder, CEO

Dylan Ratigan, B.A.

Co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer

Jeffrey L. Spees, Ph.D.

Dr. Spees is an expert in adult stem/progenitor cell biology, regenerative medicine, and paracrine mechanisms of tissue repair and remodeling after injury. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for >18 years, highly cited (>8900 times), and led to multiple patents granted in the United States and Europe. He received his BS w/honors from Union College, his PhD from the University of California, Davis, and completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Tulane Center for Gene Therapy with Dr. Darwin Prockop. Currently, Spees is a Professor of Medicine in the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont (UVM) and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Neurological Sciences. Since 2005, he has directed the Stem Cell Core in the Department of Medicine. In addition to co-founding Samba, he is founder and CEO of Big Kehuna, LLC, a biomedical consulting company. He lives in South Hero, Vermont with his wife, Dr. Erin Spees, and their son, Olin.

Director of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry

Wolfgang Dostmann, Ph.D.

Wolfgang completed his Masters of Science Degree in Chemistry, his Ph. D. in Organic Synthetic Chemistry from the University Bremen, Germany and his Doctorate Degree in Pharmacology from the Technical University of Munich, Germany. He received training at Novartis, New Jersey, and postdoctoral fellowships to study at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) with Susan S Taylor and Nobel Laureate Roger Y Tsien, as well as the University of Bergen, Norway. Wolfgang is currently Full Professor of Pharmacology at the Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont. He holds a series of patents in cyclic nucleotide and peptide-based protein kinase modulators and is cofounder of BIOLOG Life Science Institute – Bremen, Germany. His main research focuses on cyclic nucleotide protein kinase structure/function where he pioneered the development of peptide arrays, fluorescence biosensors, crystallography, mechanisms of blood vessel biology, and small molecule drug discovery. In addition to designing biologics, he is currently involved in the development of first-in-class cGMP-dependent protein kinase-targeted therapies for the treatment of hypertension. Wolfgang is the recipient of the 2021 University of Vermont Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award.

Director, Drug Development and Innovation

Benjamin Liebman, M.S.

Ben received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Hampshire College. While working in the Spees Lab in the Department of Medicine, he completed a Masters of Science Degree in Pharmacology at the University of Vermont. Ben’s award-winning thesis work focused on characterizing the cardioprotective effects of VasaPlex and the bioactivity of other growth-factor:immunoglobulin complexes such as Jagged1-Fc:FGF2 and VasaPlex-F2.

Co-founder, CEO

Dylan Ratigan, B.A.

Dylan Ratigan has created multiple businesses valued at hundreds of millions of dollars in both media and industrial development. A highly regarded businessman and journalist, Dylan holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from Union College, Schenectady, NY, and also an honorary doctorate from Union College (Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa). He trained in corporate finance, valuation, and M&A at NYU. He was Global Managing Editor for Corporate Finance at Bloomberg LP, before working for nine years as a host and show creator at CNBC and MSNBC. Dylan authored a NY-Times Best-selling book focused on fundamental alignment of interests between individuals, groups and institutions and effective solutions for our times.