A Brief History of MetaMol 

2006: Research in Georg F. Weber’s academic laboratory identifies a mechanism of generating protein forms that are unique for cancer (alternative splicing of Osteopontin): He B, Mirza M, Weber GF. An osteopontin splice variant induces anchorage independence in human breast cancer. Oncogene 2006;25:2192-2202. This is the first functional elucidation of this cancer-specific protein.

2006: The foundation for the company is laid in the 11-months training program Cincinnati Creates Companies, run by the University of Cincinnati Business School and the local entrepreneurial community.

2006: Georg F. Weber receives the University of Cincinnati Entrepreneurial Launch Pad Award, a small grant to further develop antibodies to Osteopontin variants.

2007: MetaMol Theranostics is registered as an Ohio LLC.

2008: MetaMol achieves 5th Place in the 5th Purdue University Life Science Business Plan Competition. The event is featured in Inside Indiana, 13th and 29th February 2008, and Journal & Courier Lafayette, 29th February 2008.

2008: A collaboration of Georg F. Weber’s academic research laboratory with Roche-Ventana on Osteopontin-c as a breast cancer biomarker leads to a publication and a patent application: Mirza et al. Osteopontin-c is a selective marker for breast cancer. International Journal of Cancer 2008;122:889-897. Grading breast cancer using osteopontin-c, PCT patent US2008/080162 pending.

2008-2010: MetaMol is awarded a phase I small business grant R43 CA136011 from the NIH.

2010: MetaMol is featured in the Ohio News Article “Business plan competitions give flight to fledgling ideas” hiVelocity 29th July 2010.

2010: The US Patent 7,807,790 B2 “A peptide sequence that promotes tumor invasion” issues. The European counterpart receives Intent to Grant notice in early 2011.

2010: MetaMol is a finalist in the X-LAB business plan competition Xavier University Cincinnati.

2010: MetaMol wins the Legal and Intellectual Property Award at the Cincinnati Innovates competition.

2010-2011: MetaMol is awarded a Therapeutic Discovery Project Program grant

2011: Georg F. Weber receives the Emerging Entrepreneurial Achievement Award, University of Cincinnati