Christa Pawlowski
COO, EVP Research & Development, Haima Therapeutics LLC
Development of Heteromultivalent Peptide-decorated Nanoparticles for Hemorrhage Control
Company Description
Effective hemorrhage control requires rapid platelet activity at the site of injury, yet donor platelets face supply and storage limitations. SynthoPlate is a synthetic nanoparticle decorated with a rationally designed, heteromultivalent set of short peptides that mimic essential platelet functions. These include peptides for binding exposed collagen and von Willebrand factor and binding to endogenous platelets via fibrinogen-mimetic peptides. This modular, peptide-driven design enables site-specific adhesion and amplification of clot formation while minimizing off-target clotting risks. Preclinical studies show that SynthoPlate reduces bleeding time and blood loss with a favorable safety profile. Lyophilization and scalable manufacturing further support its translation as a first-in-class, peptide-based, donor-independent hemostatic therapy.
Bio
Dr. Christa Pawlowski has over 15 years of drug discovery and development experience across therapeutic indications including cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory diseases, immunology, and oncology. Dr. Pawlowski is COO and EVP of R&D at Haima Therapeutics, a company focused on the development of peptide-decorated, platelet-inspired nanotechnologies for the treatment of hemorrhage and other blood-related ailments. She previously served as Director of Operations at BioMotiv, a biotech accelerator, managing two start-ups: SapVax (developing adjuvanted peptide immunotherapies for cancer) and Allinaire Therapeutics (developing biologics for cardiopulmonary diseases). She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University.