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Spinal Cord Injury: Addressing Barriers to Recovery

Fibrotic scarring after spinal cord injury creates a barrier to neural regeneration. VEN‑201 is being evaluated in pre‑clinical models to explore its potential to modulate these barriers and unlock new therapeutic possibilities.

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Challenge: The Impact of Fibrosis in SCI

Following spinal cord injury, fibrotic scarring forms at the lesion site. This scar tissue creates both physical and biochemical barriers that prevent neural repair and limit functional recovery.

Our Approach: Why Target Fibrosis in Spinal Cord Injury?

Fibrotic scarring is a central barrier to recovery after spinal cord injury. Current interventions focus on rehabilitation and symptom management, but none directly address the fibrotic response. Based on insights from our Dupuytren’s program, we believe VEN‑201’s anti‑fibrotic properties may have relevance in the central nervous system. Early studies are being initiated to explore whether modulating fibrosis could unlock pathways for neural repair and functional recovery

Sylized illustration of human spine in abstract design

Platform Connection: Extending the Immune-Fibrosis Platform

Our work in Dupuytren’s disease has revealed key insights into immune‑fibrotic pathways. Spinal cord injury represents an extension of this platform into the central nervous system, where fibrosis plays a critical role in limiting recovery. Together, these programs highlight the broad potential of VEN‑201 to address under‑served fibrotic conditions.

Early Development, Expansive Vision

The SCI program is at the pre‑clinical stage, reflecting our commitment to exploring fibrosis across multiple disease areas. By advancing this research, we aim to bring hope to patients facing one of medicine’s most challenging unmet needs.

Explore the Pipeline

Johnny Randel

Johnny Randel is a senior finance executive who has more than 30 years of experience in financial institutions including over 17 in private equity.

Mr. Randel recently retired as the Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) of StepStone Group. Inc (Nasdaq: STEP), a global private markets specialist firm delivering tailored investment solutions, advisory services, and impactful, data-driven insights to the world’s investors with $678B of capital responsibility. Mr. Randel spent over 13 years leading the corporate and investment finance and accounting teams and was the CFO for the lead up and execution of the company’s initial public offering in 2020.

Previously, Mr. Randel held the role of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at Citigroup Private Equity overseeing financial and operational activities for the company and its coinvestment, mezzanine, and fund of fund investment programs. Mr. Randel also held a previous role as Assistant Treasurer within Citigroup Inc.’s Treasury department where he managed rating agency relationships and fixed income client relations. Mr. Randel also held various finance roles supporting corporate finance and strategy over the course of his career. Mr. Randel received his B.G.S. from the University of Kansas and MBA from the University of Southern California.

Matt Cravets

Mr. Cravets is an industry leader in biostatistics with extensive experience in program design and analysis. He currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Biometrics at Gossamer Bio. Prior to joining Gossamer Bio, Mr. Cravets was Vice President of Biometrics at Heron Therapeutics Inc. from 2016 to 2018, where he played a key role in the late-stage development programs for Zynrelef for the treatment post-surgical pain and Cinvanti for the prevention of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting. Before joining Heron, Mr. Cravets was Executive Director of Biometrics at Receptos Inc. from 2014 to 2016, where he built the biostatistics and data management functions while contributing to mid- and late-stage development programs for ozanimod (Zeposia) in multiple sclerosis (MS) and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Before joining Receptos, Mr. Cravets was the head of biostatistics at Ardea Biosciences from 2011-2014, building the biostatistics function while also making significant contributions to the designs and analyses of late-stage studies of lesinurad (Zurampic) for the treatment of gout. From 2003-2011 Mr. Cravets served in roles of increasing responsibility in the biostatistics group at Biogen Idec Inc., contributing to the successful regulatory approvals of rituximab (Rituxan) in both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). From 1996 to 2003, Mr. Cravets was in the biostatistics group at Amgen, Inc., working on multiple products across various neurology, rheumatology, cardiovascular, and bone disease indications. Mr. Cravets began his career in the pharmaceutical products division of Abbott Laboratories in 1994 after completing his master’s degree in statistics at the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at UCLA.

Latha Satish, M.Sc., M.Phil, Ph.D.

Dr. Satish is a trained biotechnologist with several years of experience in cell and molecular biology. Dr. Satish’s interest has been in skin research with a special focus on skin inflammation, infection, and fibrosis. The other arm of Dr. Satish’s research has been to study the molecular determinants of palmar fascial disease, Dupuytren’s contracture.

Her long-term interest has been to develop therapeutic agents to help alleviate the pain and distress of patients with Dupuytren’s. Her studies on Dupuytren’s disease were funded by a private donor, which moved the research forward to study this disease in an animal model, which was not feasible earlier. Dr. Satish’s research on Dupuytren has identified small molecules that can be used as a target to intervene with the progression and development of the disease.

Dr. Satish received her Ph.D. from a prestigious institute in India and did her post-doctoral training at the University of Pittsburgh. Currently, Dr. Satish serves as a faculty at the Division of Asthma Research, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital; named as the top hospital in the US. At Cincinnati Children’s, Dr. Satish researches Atopic Dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting children and adults. Dr. Satish has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, review articles and book chapters.

Dr. Keith Denkler

Dr. Denkler is an accomplished, board certified plastic surgeon with expertise in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. Dr. Denkler is a clinical professor of plastic surgery at UCSF and has a private practice in Marin County.

He is internationally renowned for his use of multiple approaches in treating the debilitating and disabling effects of palmar fibromatosis (Dupuytren disease). Dr. Denkler is an expert in needle aponeurotomy (NA), a minimally invasive procedure that uses subcutaneous needles to release the contracture as well as use of subcutaneous injection of collagenase. He has treated over 10,000 Dupuytren’s fingers, authored >35 publications and book chapters, presented internationally and domestically and is often cited for expert opinion in national and international news discussing Dupuytren’s. HIs pioneering investigational work documenting the safety of epinephrine with local anesthesia contributed to the origination of “wide-awake hand surgery”.

Dr. Denkler trained at prestigious medical institutions in the United States and Europe. He attended Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, followed by residency training in plastic and reconstructive surgery with the Cronin, Bauer, and Biggs group, also in Houston. Additionally, Dr. Denkler completed a hand surgery fellowship with Dr. Eugene Kilgore in San Francisco and one year of fellowship training in craniofacial surgery with Dr. Paul Tessier in Paris, France.

Dr. daiva bajorunas

Daiva Bajorunas MD is an endocrinologist with more than 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.  She has a strong interest in advancing therapeutic options for conditions of significant unmet medical need. 

For the past decade, Daiva has been engaged as a consultant to the pharmaceutical industry, currently as Founder and Principal, DBMD Consulting, and previously as Chief Medical Officer / Chief Scientific Officer for Vault Bioventures. She has provided her expertise to enhance large, mid-size and small pharmaceutical company product development, clinical/regulatory, and life cycle strategies for both drugs and devices, including oral, transdermal, injectable and inhalative delivery systems, working across multiple therapeutic areas and geographies. She has considerable experience chairing Data Safety Monitoring Boards.   

In the past she held various R&D positions of increasing responsibility at Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, BMS, Aventis (acquired by Sanofi), and Kos Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Abbott). Before she joined industry, she held academic appointments at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Cornell University Medical College (CUMC), and was Director of Clinical Care, Endocrinology Service, Memorial Hospital (MH), New York, NY. Daiva received her MD degree at the University of Michigan Medical School, did her residency training at St. Vincent’s Hospital & Medical Center in NY, her metabolism fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center, CA and her endocrinology fellowship at MH/CUMC, NY.