In honor of Veterans Day, this month we are highlighting Biocom California member companies that are veteran-owned and veteran-founded. These eight life science companies are developing new treatments for skin disorders, helping build more diverse clinical trials, providing cybersecurity expertise and health and safety consulting for life science companies, and more.

Arcutis Biotherapeutics

Arcutis Biotherapeutics is a Los Angeles-based company specializing in developing non-steroidal therapies for dermatological conditions and skin diseases that have historically been difficult to treat. This summer, the company received FDA approval for its Zoryve cream, a steroid-free topical cream, to treat atopic dermatitis in both adults and children ages 6 and older. Zoryve is also approved to treat plaque psoriasis, and a foam version of the medication is available for seborrheic dermatitis. The foam version of Zoryve was the first new topical drug with a new mechanism of action to come to market for seborrheic dermatitis in over 20 years. In Arcutis’ pipeline are new possible treatments for alopecia areata, chronic hand eczema and vitiligo. Arcutis’ CEO Frank Watanabe has been in life science for more than 20 years and served in the U.S. Navy Reserves for 25 years. Check out our interview with Frank in our May 2024 Member Spotlight.

Connetic

Not all companies are going to have the same IT needs, and life science companies in particular have to consider managing large amounts of data and regulatory compliance in addition to managing security issues and cloud computing. Connetic is an IT and cybersecurity firm specializing in supporting growing life science companies and has been offering its services for nearly 30 years. The San Diego-based company says it has a unique service model that provides unlimited, 24-hour IT support for a fixed fee based on company’s employee headcount, and emphasizes that it doesn’t try to sell their clients new systems—they are equipped to work with existing infrastructures.

Matthew Strebe, Connetic’s founder, is a decorated Navy veteran who began his career installing and managing optical fiber networks aboard warships. He has written more than 18 books on IT and network security and is an expert in data breach forensics.

Curavit Clinical Research

Curavit designs and executes virtual clinical trials for its biotech and pharma clients. The company says it leverages emerging technologies in mobile health, cloud computing and data science to recruit, engage and monitor diverse patient populations from around the globe. These “decentralized” trials can bring together leading researchers and increase diversity within clinical trials, and also eliminates the need for a trial to have a multi-site footprint. Curavit’s platform, Stratus, allows the company to screen, solicit and enroll patients, as well as engage and monitor them remotely with real-time data. The company is collaborating with MedRhythms to evaluate its rehabilitation system that works to improve the walking ability of patients with chronic strokes. It also incorporated a Health Economics and Outcomes Research (HEOR) practice to collect evidence on the health economics value of novel pharmaceutical products, especially digital therapeutics.

Dave Hanaman, Curavit’s co-founder, president and chief commercial officer, served as an officer in the U.S. Navy.

EHS Analytical Solutions

EHS Analytical Solutions specializes in environmental, health and safety (EH&S) consulting and staffing services for biotech, pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies in San Diego, Irvine and the Bay Area. The company says its mission is to help its clients reduce their EHS operational costs, meet compliance objectives, reduce risk and liability, and achieve long-term efficiencies and solutions. EHS Analytical Solutions is a certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) owned by Adam Fillmore, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Enterprise Mobility

You may know Enterprise as a household name in the rental car business but might not realize the company was founded by a veteran. Jack Taylor, a decorated World War II Navy fighter pilot, started Enterprise Mobility in 1957. He named the company after one of the aircraft carriers he served on, the U.S.S. Enterprise, and began the fleet for his new company with just seven cars. Today, the company has more than 8,000 locations around the world. Nearly 70 years later, Enterprise Mobility is still privately owned and operates under the third generation of Taylor family leadership—Jack’s granddaughter, Chrissy Taylor, serves as CEO. The company honors its heritage by supporting veterans through philanthropic efforts. Over the past decade, it has donated more than 1,000 vehicles to veterans in need.

For businesses, the company offers its unique Commute with Enterprise program, one of the largest and most cost-effective vanpool operations in the U.S. This alternative commuting solution provides customizable programs to help employees overcome transportation challenges and is supported by its extensive Enterprise Rent-A-Car neighborhood network. Vanpooling participants determine driving responsibilities and routing among themselves—unlike ride-hailing apps that require riders to request, wait and pay for each use. Everyone splits the costs and driving duties, saving valuable time and money, and riders have more control over their commute. Annually, the program takes the equivalent of approximately 50,000 vehicles off the road and has reduced more than 405 metric tons of CO2e in fiscal year 2024.

FreMon Scientific

Thawing plasma for medical and clinical applications is a highly controlled process, and FreMon Scientific is a San Diego-based company specializing in developing platforms and products to store and process it more effectively. The company is best known for ZipThaw, a portable and lightweight device that can safely thaw fresh frozen plasma and plasma frozen within 24 hours after phlebotomy. The FDA-cleared device is equipped with a barcode reader and software that allows for tracking and capturing during the thawing process—the company says its product addresses issues not being met by current plasma thawing devices. Its ZipSleeve is a disposable leak-proof “smart sleeve” that can fit almost any plasma unit size and reduces the risk of contamination. The company has demonstrated how ZipThaw works at medical centers including Naval Medical Center San Diego and Texas A&M Animal Hospital.

The company was founded by two veterans, Moni Shavit and Frederick J. Thacher. Frederick was awarded a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Air Medal for his service.

Neuvogen Therapeutics

Neuvogen is San Diego-based immuno-oncology company working to develop next-generation whole cell cancer vaccines, with the goal of improving life for patients with solid tumors. The company says it is researching ways to address multiple biologic pathways and targets to utilize a patient’s immune system to fight cancer.

Occupational Services, Inc.

Occupational Services, Inc. (OSI) is a San Diego-based professional consulting firm that provides services in chemical, biological and radiation safety for research laboratories, medical facilities and manufacturing companies. For more than 35 years, they have supported biotechnology firms with environmental compliance, occupational health and safety, radiation safety, and industrial hygiene. The company works with clients to reduce potential compliance and injury risk, therefore lowering costs and increasing the success of regulatory inspections. Beyond San Diego, they are staffed with experts in San Francisco and Austin.

Nick Rinaldi, owner, founder and vice president, and Chad Hansen, president and CEO, both served in the U.S. Air Force. The company notes several of its employees are veterans and that they try to hire veterans as much as possible.