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Joshua McClure
CEO @ Maxwell Biosciences - developing broad spectrum biodefense biotechnology effective against viruses, fungi and bacteria with a single molecule. One drug 💥 Many bugs.
Joshua "Scotch" McClure is the CEO and Co-founder of Maxwell Biosciences, a preclinical drug platform company focused on developing biomimetic therapeutics.12 He is an engineer with over 20 years of experience as a CEO and 10 years of experience as a corporate board director.4 McClure founded Maxwell Biosciences in 2016.1
Under McClure's leadership, Maxwell has grown from a startup to a company heading into FDA clinical trials, working with large corporations to develop innovative anti-infective coatings, and developing new drugs with the US Army to fight Ebola and other dangerous pathogens.1 The company's CLAROMER™ drug platform has shown promising results against various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi.3
McClure is a multi-patent inventor, including anti-viral applications of Maxwell's platform.5 He has led the company in raising approximately $47 million from government entities and $27 million in investor support.3
In 2024, J. Scotch McClure was named to The Healthcare Technology Report's list of the Top 25 Executives in Biotechnology1, recognizing his accomplishments in the biotech industry.
Highlights
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Peptide-based vaccine approach for any zoonotic influenza bridging into mammals: a peptide-based vaccine specifically targeting the E627K mutation in the PB2 protein of avian influenza viruses. This approach aims to exploit the consistency of this mutation across different influenza strains over time.
Rationale: The E627K mutation has been present in highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses like H5N1 and the 1918 pandemic flu virus for over 80 years, making it a potentially stable target for vaccine development.
Proposed peptide sequence: Using bioinformatics tools, researchers have identified the peptide sequence DTVQIIKLL in the PB2 protein of H5N1 virus as a potential vaccine candidate. This peptide is expected to bind to HLA-A26 restricted immune system cell surface receptors. Why isn’t this being developed right now?
Advantages: This peptide-based approach could allow vaccine development to begin proactively, rather than waiting for new mutations to occur. It also avoids using live avian influenza viruses during production, enhancing safety, and avoids the risks of an mRNA vaccine strategy.
