Michael Tolentino’s expertise in the fields of retinal diseases and biotechnology has led him to play a crucial role in the development of several commercially available therapeutics for retinal diseases. He has demonstrated the importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, which formed the basis for the development of several drugs, including Macugen, Lucentis, Eylea, and Avastin. He was the first to test Avastin in an eye model of ocular neovascularization in the laboratory of Judah Folkman at Harvard Medical School. As the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Aviceda Therapeutics, he continues to apply his expertise to develop biotechnology solutions for various diseases.
Early Life Developments
As a child, Michael was inspired by his father, a renowned ophthalmologist and scientist at Harvard Medical School, who encouraged him to pursue a career in medical research and develop cures for blindness and cancer. Michael’s passion for using cutting-edge technologies to unravel disease pathogenesis and pioneer treatments began at a young age. As a pre-teen, he worked in his father’s lab at Harvard Medical School, researching the use of silicone oil as a vitreous replacement. As a teenager, Michael worked in the lab of Miguel Refojo at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, investigating the use of perfluorocarbon to oxygenate scleral contact lenses.
During college, Michael worked at the National Eye Institute, studying the progression of cataracts. In medical school, he developed a model of brain tumors at the University of Massachusetts, and at Harvard Medical School, he studied the predictors and genetics of age-related macular degeneration. After completing medical school, Michael joined the lab of Dr. Judah Folkman at Harvard Medical School, where he developed anti-angiogenic therapeutics and elucidated the role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in diabetic retinopathy, wet macular degeneration and cancer. His research led to the development of Avastin, Lucentis, Eyelea, Beovu, drugs used to treat neovascular eye diseases.
As a research faculty at the University of Pennsylvania he helped pioneer the fields of gene therapy and RNA therapeutics. His research served as the basis for the Johnson and Johnson Covid vaccine and gene therapies used currently in several approved therapeutics. He also invented bevasiranib the first RNA interference therapeutic to enter clinic trials.
Michael’s extensive experience in medical research, combined with his passion for developing cutting-edge solutions to complex medical problems, has made him a valuable asset to the field of ophthalmology, oncology and fibrosis. His dedication to solving medical problems and improving patient outcomes has inspired and motivated him throughout his career.
During his time as a consultant with Promedior, Michael gained a deeper understanding of glyco-immunology, which became a key factor in his co-founding of Aviceda Therapeutics with Mohamed Genead and Derek Kunimoto. Aviceda is focused on developing breakthrough therapeutics for patients with unmet medical needs, utilizing a glyco-immunology platform to design and develop novel biologics. Their mission is to develop therapeutics that target and modulate the immune system to treat diseases such as macular degeneration, cancer, autoimmune disorders and fibrotic diseases. Michael’s passion for biotechnology and his extensive research and development experience make him an invaluable leader in the field, with the potential to continue making ground breaking contributions to the industry.
In what way does the body regulate inflammation? The immune system has receptors that identify foreign sugars and activate the immune response, as well as identifying the self-sugar, sialic acid, that suppress the immune response. Similar to biometric sensors used in high-end security systems, immune cells contain sensors that identify a unique sugar pattern or “fingerprint” that can adjust inflammation levels. Aviceda has discovered sugar patterns that mimic these sugar-based fingerprints, which can either activate or suppress the immune system. These patterns are placed on a nanoparticle that serves as a substitute for cells or organisms and can be developed into a pharmaceutical product. A single sugar represents a single line on a fingerprint, but several sugars presented on a nanoparticle create a distinct fingerprint that can regulate inflammation. Using this technology, the company is creating and producing therapeutics to treat diseases such as macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s, lung fibrosis, blood fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and cytokine storms where inflammation resolution is necessary. It is also developing immunotherapies that activate the immune system, specifically targeting various cancers.
Aviceda is a glycomimetic platform technology company that owns the largest library of sugars that can be screened to discover and patent the best glyco-fingerprint for specific inflammatory cells, synthesize, manufactures the sugar pattern, and places that pattern on a nanoparticle therapeutic base. This proprietary high throughput discovery platform for therapeutic drug development makes Aviceda Therapeutics the world leader in the burgeoning biotechnology field of sugar (glyco) modulation of the immune system.
Vision behind Founding Aviceda
Michael has devoted his academic and professional careers to finding treatments for blindness and cancer. It has taken him three decades to realize that both diseases result from a malfunctioning immune system. In the case of geographic atrophy, a major cause of blindness in older individuals, the immune system erroneously targets and consumes macular retinal cells, leading to central vision loss. However, a sugar-coated nanoparticle can be introduced to switch off these immune cells that attack the retina, thus preventing blindness in this condition.
On the other hand, cancer cells are capable of evading the immune system by masquerading as a healthy cell wearing a sugar signature costume that suppresses immune cells that would otherwise eliminate the cancer cells. This is akin to a wolf in sheep’s clothing, where cancer cells cloak themselves with a layer of sialic acid sugar to escape immune destruction. Unmasking these cloaked cancer cells would allow the immune cells to cure the cancer. Aviceda was founded with the goal of treating and possibly even curing macular degeneration and cancer, driven by this desire to combat these diseases. By introducing a sugar-coated nanoparticle that can expose and unmask cancer cells, the immune system can be activated to attack and eliminate them.
The primary responsibility of a leader is to identify and solve problems. Michael understands this and constantly strives to improve his leadership skills by asking pertinent questions and exploring relevant technological solutions. For instance, he may question why a particular disease leads to two different causes of blindness in macular degeneration (AMD). By finding the answer to this question, Michael determined the best course of action and arrived at an appropriate solution. This approach allows him to grow and develop as a leader while also achieving positive outcomes for his team and organization.
Primary Offerings
Aviceda Therapeutics is a pioneer in the development of glycomimetic immune modulating therapeutics that can resolve acute, chronic, and fibrotic inflammation to treat diseases such as dry macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, neurological inflammation, lung inflammation, lung fibrosis, liver fibrosis, and myelofibrosis, or block the main glyco-immune checkpoint pathways to treat cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancer that are not responsive to current immune checkpoint inhibitors such as Keytruda.
Aviceda, with its library of sugars, the company’s technology to screen for the best sugars, and the technology to present them on a druggable nanoparticle platform, can design, develop, and manufacture selective or pan selective anti-inflammatories to treat a myriad of diseases. Since many diseases are caused by unresolved inflammation, the potential to treat a variety of inflammatory diseases, as mentioned above, is limitless with this therapeutic platform.
Leading with Values and Culture
As the CTO of Aviceda, Michael’s primary responsibility is to educate his team on the necessary technology and methods for developing the therapeutics that Aviceda is working on. This is accomplished through fostering a culture of team collaboration, brainstorming, and project discipline. Developing drugs is a complex process that presents new challenges on a daily basis. To solve these challenges, Michael’s team works together to develop a deep understanding of the problem and generate a list of potential solutions. These solutions are democratically chosen based on their likelihood of success.
Project discipline is another critical component of Aviceda’s culture. This involves defining the steps and relationships within an overall project timeline, which is made up of the various problems or tasks that need to be accomplished. By prioritizing teamwork and optimal project execution, Aviceda has created a culture that values collaboration, problem-solving, and accountability. This culture is fundamental to Aviceda’s success, and it aligns perfectly with Michael’s personal values and approach to leadership.
Committed to Solving Challenges
Michael is a highly motivated individual who is driven to solve problems and tackle complex puzzles. As a way of entertaining himself and keeping his problem-solving skills sharp, he enjoys playing computer versions of Sudoku. Although he enjoys engaging in intellectual conversations, Michael is most passionate about inventing technological advances and addressing intricate problems. Whether he’s driving, gardening, taking a shower, or actively conducting research, Michael is constantly brainstorming new ideas and algorithms to develop innovative biotechnology solutions. His dedication to problem-solving and his commitment to advancing technology inspire him to seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth.
Believing in Changing Impossible to Reality
Michael identifies successful leaders as individuals who possess problem-solving skills, a commitment to lifelong learning, and a clear, focused vision. These leaders effectively leverage these attributes to guide their teams from point A to point B in a manner that is efficient, speedy, and exceptional. Successful leaders tend to be proactive rather than reactive, anticipating problems and devising multiple solutions in advance. Additionally, they adhere to the principle of under promising and overdelivering, a strategy that is challenging to execute but often leads to success.
Michael’s primary advice for the next generation of leaders is to eliminate the words “cannot” and “impossible” from their vocabulary. Although people may frequently tell you that something cannot be done or is impossible, he has often encountered these situations and successfully transformed the impossible into reality by working through the problem. Leaders must have a clear vision and ignore those who are limited by their perceptions.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
