The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has released the names of companies chosen during its first solicitation announced in February. Selected companies are Boulder-based Sophono, Inc., receiving $600,000 for a new hearing device, and Aurora-based biopharmaceutical company PeptiVir, Inc. which will receive $300,000, for its universal flu vaccine under development.

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The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development Announces Companies
Selected From Its First Solicitation: Sophono, Inc., Receiving $600K; and PeptiVir, Inc., $300K
The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4) has released the names of
companies chosen during its first solicitation announced in February. Selected companies are Boulder‐based
Sophono, Inc., receiving $600,000 for a new hearing device, and Aurora‐based biopharmaceutical company
PeptiVir, Inc. which will receive $300,000, for its universal flu vaccine under development.
Aurora, CO, September 27, 2010 ‐‐ The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development (CID4)
has completed the selection process resulting from its first solicitation announced in February. The
announcement is made by Richard C. Duke, Ph.D., CID4 President & CEO, who says, "Boulder‐based medical
device company Sophono, Inc., is receiving $600,000 for its Alpha 1 Magnetic Bone Anchored Hearing System,
the world's first and only non‐percutaneous, osseointegrated hearing solution designed to treat conductive
and mixed hearing loss and single sided deafness; and Aurora‐based biopharmaceutical company PeptiVir,
Inc., which will receive $300,000 for its universal flu vaccine under development."
In addition to initial financial support from the State of Colorado (HB 1001), CID4 has also received federal
support from the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority via a Fiscal 2010 Senate appropriation supported by
Colorado Senator Michael Bennet. Senator Bennet says, "We can strengthen our economic recovery and
ensure Colorado remains a leader in innovation and entrepreneurship by supporting efforts that turn
groundbreaking research into startups and companies that will grow and create good‐paying jobs. Aurora is
an excellent community to host cutting edge efforts to build a thriving and competitive bioscience cluster."
Further, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr., says: “Supporting Colorado’s life sciences companies is critical to
growing jobs and our economy in Colorado, and I congratulate both the CID4 for success in its first solicitation
and those companies chosen to receive funding.” At the CID4 launch in February, The Honorable Ed Tauer,
Mayor of the City of Aurora and member of the CID4 Board of Directors, concurred, saying: "By helping
promising technologies in need of startup assistance to become great companies, CID4 becomes our secret
weapon to growing more, higher‐paying Colorado jobs."
About Sophono, Inc.
"Sophono's Alpha 1 has received its CE mark and is already being sold in Europe. Our investment will allow the
Sophono team to accelerate its FDA clearance process." Kevin M. Smith, CID4 Executive Vice President/COO,
explains. "This acceleration will create job growth in the life science cluster as well as bringing a new therapy
alternative to those patients who suffer from conductive hearing loss. This investment was made possible by
the seed funding CID4 has received from the State of Colorado’s BDEGP program and we believe it is the
beginning of a new investment model to spur the growth of Colorado’s innovative companies."
In addition, according to Sophono's President and CEO Jim Kasic, the company plans to relocate manufacturing
and assembling operations from Germany to Boulder, resulting in the hiring of 6‐10 employees here within the
next few months. "We're very fortunate that CID4 is going to assist Sophono in growing our business more
quickly in the U.S.," Kasic says.
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Relying on the principles of magnetism and bone conduction, this new device ‐ the Sophono Alpha 1 ‐ is
intended as a simple treatment for hearing disorders such as conductive and mixed hearing loss and single
sided deafness.
Because the Alpha 1 implant lies completely under the skin, there are none of the hygiene and skin healing
issues that are associated with abutments that require penetration of the skin. Alpha 1's benefits to patients
include:
 Implant lies completely under the skin
 No skin penetrating abutment
 Reliable implantation technique
 Fast healing time
 An option for treatment for those who've said "no" to other more invasive therapies
For more information about Sophono, Inc., visit http://www.sophono.com.
About PeptiVir, Inc.
PeptiVir, Inc., is an early stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and
commercialization of a conformationally‐constrained, synthetic peptide‐based vaccine platform for the
prevention of viral diseases. PeptiVir’s lead product, PVI‐1000, has the potential to be a “universal” influenza
vaccine wherein one or two administrations could lead to sustained protection against multiple seasonal and
pandemic strains. This is in contrast to existing influenza vaccines that must be generated and administered
yearly and induce antibodies that provide protection only against that year’s seasonal flu strains. PVI‐1000 is
predicted to work by inducing cross‐reactive antibodies that would protect against multiple influenza virus
strains, a prediction that should be readily confirmed in humans by examining the biological activity of the
antibodies produced following vaccination.
"There is an urgent need to develop new and different types of influenza vaccines that can provide protection
against many different strains of influenza virus, including potential new pandemic influenza strains from birds
or animals that have never previously adapted to infect humans," Kathryn Holmes, Professor of Microbiology,
University of Colorado School of Medicine and a PeptiVir founder, explains. "Our new PeptiVir vaccine has the
potential to greatly reduce current vaccine manufacturing costs, require fewer immunizations, and provide
broader protection against both current influenza strains and novel influenza strains that could cause future
pandemics."
PeptiVir, Inc., is one of four finalists announced earlier this month for the 2010 BioWest Venture Showcase
competition: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100913005578/en.
About The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic Development
CID4 is a private, not‐for‐profit entity, formed in Fall 2009 to bridge the gap between basic research and
successful product commercialization, thereby creating more Colorado jobs in the life science industry.
The Institute's mission is to advance the life science industry in Colorado through active management and
funding of life science projects, resulting in the creation of new companies and new jobs. The need for CID4
was initially outlined in the 'Colorado Bioscience Roadmap 2008,' a study compiled by the national Battelle
Technology Partnership Practice for the State of Colorado and its bioscience industry partners. A copy of the
study is found at: http://www.cobioscience.com/stateplan08.pdf.
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CID4 is transforming life science innovation into commercial success by identifying and funding potential
opportunities, and utilizing the talents of an advanced leadership team to ensure ultimate market value. By
actively promoting the real world application of cutting edge research, CID4 is a leader in the formation of new
companies and the creation of high‐paying jobs. For more information about the Institute and to apply for
CID4's second solicitation for proposals (deadline October 15, 2010), visit http://www.cid4.com.
CID4 can also be found at these social media sites:
News Feed Blog: http://cid4.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CID4Colorado
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aurora‐CO/CID4/140635632624462
YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/cid4colorado
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Contacts:
Kevin M. Smith, Executive Vice President & COO, The Colorado Institute for Drug, Device and Diagnostic
Development ‐ http://www.cid4.com ‐ 720‐859‐4047 or 720‐220‐7315 ‐ kevin.smith@cid4.com
Maggie Chamberlin Holben, APR, Absolutely PR ‐ http://www.absolutelypr.com ‐ 303‐984‐9801 or
303‐669‐3558 ‐ maggie@absolutelypr.com