Merand Pharmaceuticals is developing a novel microRNA therapeutic (MicroRNA93 or miR-93), which was discovered at UVA, to treat patients suffering from Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). UVA LVG facilitated the patent protection of the miR-93 technology and exclusively licensed it to Merand.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a common, progressive circulatory issue that affects over 200 million people globally. Patients who suffer from PAD experience reduced blood flow to the legs, caused by blockages in the arteries which causes pain and non-healing ulcers that often lead to amputation. The miR-93 technology has shown to promote angiogenesis, or the development of new blood vessels, which leads to restored blood flow.

The miR-93 therapeutic was discovered by a research team in the lab of UVA Cardiologist and Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine Dr. Brian Annex. During his tenure at UVA, he was awarded more than $3M from the NIH to study its role in growing and stabilizing functional blood vessels to increase perfusion recovery and reduce inflammation in PAD. Dr. Annex co-founded Merand Pharmaceuticals with industry veteran Tony Giordano, Ph.D., to pursue the commercial potential for the therapeutic.