Category Archives: Molecular Genetics

This article was originally published here

Epilepsia. 2021 Nov 6. doi: 10.1111/epi.17115. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with infants with epileptic encephalopathy, and early interventions targeting social and cognitive deficits can have positive effects on developmental outcome. However, early diagnosis of ASD among infants with epilepsy is complicated by variability in clinical phenotypes. Commonality in both biological and molecular mechanisms have been suggested between ASD and epilepsy, such as occurs with tuberous sclerosis complex. This review summarizes the current understanding of causal mechanisms between epilepsy and ASD, with a particularly genetic focus. Hypothetical explanations to support the conjugation of the two conditions include abnormalities in synaptic growth, imbalance in neuronal excitation/inhibition, and abnormal synaptic plasticity. Investigation of the probable genetic basis has implemented many genes, although the main risk supports existing hypotheses in that these cluster to abnormalities in ion channels, synaptic function and structure, and transcription regulators, with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and mTORpathies having been a notable research focus. Experimental models not only have a crucial role in determining gene functions but are also useful instruments for tracing disease trajectory. Precision medicine from gene therapy remains a theoretical possibility, but more contemporary developments continue in molecular tests to aid earlier diagnoses and better therapeutic targeting.

PMID:34741464 | DOI:10.1111/epi.17115

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The epilepsy-autism spectrum disorder phenotype in the era of molecular genetics and precision therapy - DocWire News

The gene, named LZTFL1, is found in 60 per cent of people belonging to South Asian ancestry (Representative image)

Researchers at the Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, have identified the gene responsible for doubling the risk of respiratory failures from COVID-19. University of Oxfords Medical Research Council Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine researchers have identified the gene that doubles the risk of respiratory failures in those suffering from COVID-19.

The gene, named LZTFL1, is found in 60 per cent of people belonging to South Asian ancestry, suggests study. The researchers also say that this could explain why there have been excess deaths seen in some of the UK communities and how badly India got impacted during the second wave of covid.

Despite finding the gene in 60 per cent of the people, it is too early to say that just one factor had led to these severe repercussions. Socio economic factors play an equal role when it comes to communities being severely impacted by the disease.

Like we said, 60 per cent of South Asian ancestry has this gene in them, 15 per cent of those with European ancestry also inhibits this gene. Also, Afro-Caribbean ancestry also carries the gene (2 per cent ). And hence, this gene does not explain why there were higher covid led deaths in black people and some other minority ethnic communities.

What does the study reveal?

The study which was released in the journal Nature Genetics this week, researchers used cutting edge technology to figure out which gene is responsible for the deaths in 65 year old from covid-19 and whats the role of this gene to this outcome. An artificial intelligence algorithm was used by researchers to analyse huge quantities of genetic data from different types of cells present from all parts of the body. This analysis showed that this genetic signal will affect cells found in the lung.

The study found that there is a possibility that a risky gene present in the body of the human prevents the cells lining the airways and eventually stops the lung from responding to the virus in a proper way. You can also say that the absence of genes can substantially change how a persons lungs respond to covid-19 virus. While the gene may impact the response system of the lungs, it does not impact the immune system of the human body. Researchers thereby believe that even though some people may have this gene, they should respond to the vaccines normally.

Professor Prof James Davies, co author of the study said in the statement that while genetics cannot be changed, the results of the study has shown that people with this particular higher risk gene can be benefited more with the vaccination. The genetic signal in our body affects the lung and not the immune system. Meaning, the increased risk should be cancelled out by the vaccine.

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A California condor.

It was just an ordinary day of analysing biological samples from California condors in the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance for Leona Chemnick, a researcher in the alliance's conservation genetics labthat was until she came across something that was not quite ordinary. Leona found that two California condor chicks were genetically related to their mother but didn't seem to be related to any male.

Puzzled and likely bewildered, Leona discussed the situation with Oliver Ryder, the Director of Conservation Genetics at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. It dawned on them, or as Oliver put it, "hit them in the face," that the discovery that neither bird was genetically related to a male implied that both chicks were biologically fatherless. Which meant parthenogenesis, or asexual reproduction, had been at play.

Parthenogenesis is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which an embryo that hasn't been fertilised by sperm continues to develop with only the mother's genetic materials. This is the first time parthenogenesis that researchers have documented in condors. It is also the first time it has been discovered using molecular genetic testing and in any avian species where the female bird has access to a mate.

This phenomenon, although rare, has been observed in fishes and lizards before. So you might wonder why this is such a huge deal. Well, not long ago, California condors had teetered over the edge of extinction, and it was only through extensive and dedicated conservative methods that conservationists were able to save the species from total extinction. Even then, California condors continue to remain critically endangered. It's thus a big deal that condors can reproduce asexually, potentially increasing the species' chances of producing offspring.

Scientists have previously documented parthenogenesis in isolated domesticated birds such as turkeys and chickens, but this is the first time a "virgin birth" has produced viable chicks in a wild condor population.

The California condor parthenotes were produced by two different dams, each of which was housed with a fertile male continuously. Both of these females had a large number of offspring with their partnersone had 11 chicks, while the other had 23 chicks after being paired with a male for over 20 years. Following parthenogenesis, the latter pair reproduced twice more.

"We only confirmed it because of the normal genetic studies we do to prove parentage. Our results showed that both eggs possessed the expected male ZZ sex chromosomes, but all markers were only inherited from their dams, verifying our findings," said Oliver.

Unfortunately, one parthenogenic offspring died in 2003 at the age of 3, and another died in 2017 at 8.

Luckily, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance researchers could confirm this groundbreaking discovery by analysing data gathered during the successful and collaborative California Condor Recovery Program.

Using blood, eggshell membranes, tissues, and feathers to gather genetic data from 911 individual condors, conservationists have been conducting extensive genetics and genomics research for over 30 years. Before confirming the outcome of this unique case of parthenogenesis, they were able to cross-reference historical genetic records.

The study is expected to have a profound effect on wildlife genetics and conservation science.

The study was published in the Journal of Heredity last week and can be accessed here.

**

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Ray of Hope: Researchers Identify Two Asexual Births Among Critically Endangered California Condors | The Weather Channel - Articles from The Weather...

New data show the therapy led to minimal changes in renal function, even after more than 8 years.

New long-term data show that patients with Fabry disease who are treated with migalastat (Galafold) experienced stable renal function after 2 years or more on the drug.

The report offers some of the first data regarding the long-term data regarding the medication, which was approved by the FDA in 2018. The study was published in the journal Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports.

Fabry disease is a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by a mutation of the GLA gene. The mutation leads to buildup of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) throughout the body, including in the kidneys. Renal manifestations of the diseaseas well as likely associated cardiac eventsare a significant cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with Fabry, noted corresponding author Daniel G. Bichet, MD of the University of Montreal, and colleagues.

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), in combination with the oral chaperone migalastat, has become the standard treatment for people with Fabry disease. The investigators explained that migalastat works by targeting the lysosomal enzyme lysosomal enzyme -galactosidase A (-Gal A), which is functionally deficient in patients with Fabry.

As a small molecule pharmacological chaperone, migalastat binds to and stabilizes amenable mutant forms of -Gal A in the endoplasmic reticulum, facilitating trafficking of -Gal A to lysosomes and restoring endogenous enzyme activity, Bichet and colleagues wrote.

Previous reports, including the phase 3 clinical trials for migalastat, showed that patients on the medication had stable renal function. However, those studies were based on shorter time frames of 24 months or less.

In the new study, the authors conducted a post-hoc analysis to look at the long-term renal-function changes in patients with amenable GLA variants who were given migalastat for 2 or more years as part of the phase 3 trials and/or long-term open-label extension studies.

A total of 78 patients were included in the analysis. Of those, 36 were ERT-naive, and 42 were ERT-experienced. The 2 groups had average ages of 45 years and 50 years, respectively. The ERT-naive group had a mean baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 91.4 mL/min/mL/1.73 m2, while the ERT-experienced group had a mean baseline eGFR of 89.2 mL/min/1.73 m2.

All of the patients were prescribed migalastat at a dose of 123 mg every other day. The patients all took the drug for at least 2 years, and up to 8.6 years. Investigators then calculated an annualized rate of change for the patients, using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation.

In the ERT-naive cohort, the mean annualized rates of change from baseline were -1.6 mL/min/1.73 m2 overall. Stratified by gender, male patients had a mean annualized change rate of -1.8 mL/min/1.73 m2 and females had a change rate of -1.4 mL/min/1.73 m2.

In the RT-experienced cohort, the overall mean annualized rate of change was -1.6 mL/min/1.73 m2, -2.6 mL/min/1.73 m2for male patients, and -0.8 mL/min/1.73 m2for female patients.

This translated to a minimal annualized change in renal function from baseline.

Bichet and colleagues said the data show migalastat led to preserved renal function across a broad range of patients.

In conclusion, patients with Fabry disease and amenable GLA variants receiving long-term migalastat treatment (8.6 years) maintained renal function irrespective of treatment status, sex, or phenotype, they wrote.

Reference

Bichet DG, Torra R, Wallace E, et al. Long-term follow-up of renal function in patients treated with migalastat for Fabry disease. Mol Genet Metab Rep. Published online August 4, 2021. doi:10.1016/j.ymgmr.2021.100786

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Migalastat Preserved Renal Function Over Long Term in Patients With Fabry Disease - AJMC.com Managed Markets Network

ITEM 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.On November 2, 2021, Myriad Genetics, Inc. (the "Company") announced itsfinancial results for the three months ended September 30, 2021. The earningsrelease is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-Kand incorporated herein by reference.

Exhibit 99.1 contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of thePrivate Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements relatingto our business, goals, strategy and financial and operational outlook. These"forward-looking statements" are management's present expectations of futureevents and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could causeactual results to differ materially and adversely from those described in theforward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to:uncertainties associated with COVID-19, including its possible effects on theCompany's operations and the demand for its products and services; risks relatedto the Company's ability to efficiently and flexibly manage its business amiduncertainties associated with COVID-19; the risk that sales and profit marginsof the Company's existing molecular diagnostic tests may decline or that theCompany may not be able to operate its business on a profitable basis; risksrelated to the Company's ability to generate sufficient revenue from itsexisting product portfolio or in launching and commercializing new tests; risksrelated to changes in governmental or private insurers' coverage andreimbursement levels for the Company's tests or the Company's ability to obtainreimbursement for its new tests at comparable levels to its existing tests;risks related to increased competition and the development of new competingtests and services; the risk that the Company may be unable to develop orachieve commercial success for additional molecular diagnostic tests in a timelymanner, or at all; the risk that the Company may not successfully develop newmarkets for its molecular diagnostic tests, including the Company's ability tosuccessfully generate revenue outside the United States; the risk that licensesto the technology underlying the Company's molecular diagnostic tests and anyfuture tests are terminated or cannot be maintained on satisfactory terms; risksrelated to delays or other problems with operating the Company's laboratorytesting facilities; risks related to public concern over genetic testing ingeneral or the Company's tests in particular; risks related to regulatoryrequirements or enforcement in the United States and foreign countries andchanges in the structure of the healthcare system or healthcare payment systems;risks related to the Company's ability to obtain new corporate collaborations orlicenses and acquire new technologies or businesses on satisfactory terms, if atall; risks related to the Company's ability to successfully integrate and derivebenefits from any technologies or businesses that it licenses or acquires; risksrelated to the Company's projections about the potential market opportunity forthe Company's products; the risk that the Company or its licensors may be unableto protect or that third parties will infringe the proprietary technologiesunderlying the Company's tests; the risk of patent-infringement claims orchallenges to the validity of the Company's patents; risks related to changes inintellectual property laws covering the Company's molecular diagnostic tests, orpatents or enforcement, in the United States and foreign countries; risksrelated to security breaches, loss of data and other disruptions, including fromcyberattacks; risks of new, changing and competitive technologies andregulations in the United States and internationally; the risk that the Companymay be unable to comply with financial operating covenants under the Company'scredit or lending agreements; and other factors discussed under the heading"Risk Factors" contained in Item 1A of the Company's Transition Report on Form10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2021, aswell as any updates to those risk factors filed from time to time in theCompany's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K.

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The exhibit(s) may contain hypertext links to information on our website orother parties' websites. The information on our website and other parties'websites is not incorporated by reference into this Current Report on Form 8-Kand does not constitute a part of this Form 8-K.In accordance with General Instruction B-2 of Form 8-K, the information setforth in Item 2.02 and in Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed to be "filed" forpurposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the"Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, andshall not be incorporated by reference into any registration statement or otherdocument filed under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or the Exchange Act,except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

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The pathology, phylogeny, and epidemiology of Echinococcus ortleppi (G5 genotype): a new case report of echinococcosis in China - Infectious Diseases...

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Credit: Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute

Manel Esteller, Director of the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC), ICREA Researcher and Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona is recognized by the prestigious Stanford University in the United States among the top 0.1% of researchers with the most impact on world level in all areas of Science.

This is reflected in a study recently published by the Data Center for Biomedical Sciences, Statistics, Meta-Analysis and Innovation (METRICS) of Stanford University. Considering more than 100,000 researchers in 22 scientific disciplines worldwide in terms of the citations of their discoveries, their main authorship and their transcendence for other researchers, the authors conclude that Dr Esteller occupies position 127 of the ranking, being the first biomedical researcher considered for those who work in Spain.

Dr Manel Esteller's research focuses on the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of human diseases, mainly cancer. The results derived from their studies have allowed, in addition to knowing the molecular bases of various pathologies, the development of novel diagnostic tools and new therapies for human diseases.

Reference article:

Baas, Jeroen; Boyack, Kevin; Ioannidis, John P.A. (2021), August 2021 data-update for Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators, Mendeley Data, V3, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.3

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Dr. Manel Esteller, director of the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, recognized among the researchers with the most scientific impact...

The National Institutes of Environmental Health Sciences has selected a study published by Wayne State University School of Medicine researchers as an Extramural Paper of the Month.

The paper, Paternal preconception phthalate exposure alters sperm methylome and embryonic programming, published in in the October issue of the journal Environment International by J. Richard Pilsner, Ph.D., professor and Robert J. Sokol, M.D., Endowed Chair of Molecular Obstetrics and Gynecology, and director of Molecular Genetics and Infertility for the C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development; and Stephen Krawetz, Ph.D., the Charlotte B. Failing Professor of Fetal Therapy and Diagnosis, and associate director of the Mott Center, was selected by the NIEHS as a paper of the month for September.

The Extramural Papers of the Month are selected based on their important findings and potential for public health impact.

The researchers reported that male mice exposed to phthalates before conception had DNA methylation changes in sperm, which can be transferred to the next generation as altered gene expression in embryos. DNA methylation occurs when a chemical compound, called a methyl group, attaches to DNA, affecting whether a gene is turned on or off.

They exposed male mice to either a low or high level of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate for two sperm production cycles, or 67 days. Following exposure, they mated the mice with unexposed females. They then assessed genome-wide methylation in sperm, embryos and extra-embryonic tissues, which support the developing embryo.

Compared with unexposed controls, paternal preconception DEHP exposure altered methylation in 704 sperm gene regions, 1,716 embryo gene regions, and 3,181 extra-embryonic gene regions. Of these, 29 gene regions overlapped between sperm and embryonic tissues, suggesting methylation changes related to paternal DEHP exposure may be transmitted to the next generation. The researchers also identified changes in gene expression in embryos in both exposure groups compared with controls. Many of the altered genes were related to pathways important in development.

The researchers said their results indicate that preconception is a sensitive window in which phthalate exposure alters sperm methylation and embryo gene expression in ways that may influence offspring health and development.

Others involved in the research and subsequent publication include Oladele Oluwayiose, a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst; Chelsea Marcho, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Haotian Wu, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; Alexander Suvorov, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Emily Houle, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst; and Jesse Mager, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst.

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Report by Mott Center researchers named NIEHS Extramural Paper of the Month - The South End

NEWTON, Mass. and GENEVA, Switzerland, Oct. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acer Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: ACER) (Acer”) and its collaboration partner, RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA (SIX: RLF, OTCQB: RLFTF) (Relief”), today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has issued a new U.S. patent to Acer for certain claims related to ACER-001 (sodium phenylbutyrate). Patent 11,154,521 covers pharmaceutical composition claims related to ACER-001’s taste-masked, multi-particulate dosage formulation for oral administration. The newly issued patent has an expiration date in 2036.

We are extremely pleased that our ACER-001 formulation patent has been issued, adding key protection to our growing intellectual property portfolio for ACER-001 as we continue to advance its development to potentially treat patients with Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs), Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) and other possible indications,” said Jeff Davis, Chief Business Officer at Acer. This patent issuance is an important step in our pursuit of possible ACER-001 commercialization, and we intend to submit it for listing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in its Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations, or Orange Book, should ACER-001 receive marketing approval.”

Jack Weinstein, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Relief, added, In parallel to the patent application efforts in the U.S., Acer and Relief are pursuing similar claims in the European Patent Office to cover ACER-001 as we continue to execute on our plan to submit a Marketing Authorization Application for ACER-001 for the treatment of patients with UCDs in Europe in Q2/Q3 2022.”

Parties interested in the ACER-001 program for UCDs may sign up for updates at: https://www.acertx.com/rare-disease-research/acer-001-for-urea-cycle-disorders-ucds/

ACER-001 is an investigational product candidate which has not been approved by FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or any other regulatory authority. There can be no assurance that this product candidate will receive regulatory authority approval for marketing in any territory or become commercially available for the indications under investigation.

About UCDs UCDs are a group of disorders caused by genetic mutations that result in a deficiency in one of the six enzymes that catalyze the urea cycle, which can lead to an excess accumulation of ammonia in the bloodstream, a condition known as hyperammonemia. Acute hyperammonemia can cause lethargy, somnolence, coma, and multi-organ failure, while chronic hyperammonemia can lead to headaches, confusion, lethargy, failure to thrive, behavioral changes, and learning and cognitive deficits. Common symptoms of both acute and chronic hyperammonemia also include seizures and psychiatric symptoms.1,2 The current treatment of patients with UCDs consists of dietary management to limit ammonia production in conjunction with medications that provide alternative pathways for the removal of ammonia from the bloodstream. Some patients may also require individual branched-chain amino acid supplementation.

Current medical treatments for patients with UCDs include nitrogen scavengers, RAVICTI® and BUPHENYL®, in which the active pharmaceutical ingredients are glycerol phenylbutyrate and sodium phenylbutyrate, respectively. According to a 2016 study by Shchelochkov et al., published in Molecular Genetics and Metabolism Reports, while nitrogen scavenging medications have been shown to be effective in helping to manage ammonia levels in some patients with UCDs, non-compliance with treatment is common. Reasons referenced for non-compliance associated with some available medications include unpleasant taste, frequency with which medication must be taken, required number of pills, and the high cost of the medication.3

About ACER-001 ACER-001 (sodium phenylbutyrate) is being developed for the treatment of various inborn errors of metabolism, including UCDs and MSUD. ACER-001 is a nitrogen-binding agent in development for use as adjunctive therapy in the chronic management of patients with UCDs involving deficiencies of carbamylphosphate synthetase (CPS), ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC), or argininosuccinic acid synthetase (AS). The formulation is a multi-particulate dosage formulation for oral administration consisting of a core center, a layer of active drug, and a taste-masked coating designed to avoid the bitter taste of sodium phenylbutyrate in the mouth while quickly dissolving in the low pH of the stomach. The ACER-001 NDA for UCDs is currently under FDA review with a PDUFA target action date of June 5, 2022. ACER-001 is also being developed for MSUD and has been granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for this indication. ACER-001 is an investigational product candidate which has not been approved by FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), or any other regulatory authority.

About Acer Therapeutics Inc. Acer is a pharmaceutical company focused on the acquisition, development and commercialization of therapies for serious rare and life-threatening diseases with significant unmet medical needs. Acer’s pipeline includes four programs: ACER-001 (sodium phenylbutyrate) for treatment of various inborn errors of metabolism, including urea cycle disorders (UCDs) and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD); ACER-801 (osanetant) for treatment of induced Vasomotor Symptoms (iVMS); EDSIVO (celiprolol) for treatment of vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (vEDS) in patients with a confirmed type III collagen (COL3A1) mutation; and ACER-2820 (emetine), a host-directed therapy against a variety of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. Each of Acer’s product candidates is believed to present a comparatively de-risked profile, having one or more of a favorable safety profile, clinical proof-of-concept data, mechanistic differentiation and/or accelerated paths for development through specific programs and procedures established by the FDA. In March 2021, Acer entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement with Relief for development and commercialization of ACER-001. For more information, visit http://www.acertx.com.

About RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA Relief focuses primarily on clinical-stage programs based on molecules with a history of clinical testing and use in human patients or a strong scientific rationale. Relief’s lead drug candidate RLF-100 (aviptadil), a synthetic form of Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP), is in late-stage clinical testing in the U.S. for the treatment of respiratory deficiency due to COVID-19. As part of its pipeline diversification strategy, in March 2021, Relief entered into a Collaboration and License Agreement with Acer Therapeutics for development and commercialization of ACER-001. ACER-001 is a taste-masked and immediate release proprietary powder formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) for the treatment of Urea Cycle Disorders and Maple Syrup Urine Disease. In addition, Relief’s recently completed acquisitions of APR Applied Pharma Research SA and AdVita Lifescience GmbH, bring to Relief a diverse pipeline of marketed and development-stage programs.

RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the symbol RLF and quoted in the U.S. on OTCQB under the symbol RLFTF. For more information, visit http://www.relieftherapeutics.com. Follow Relief on LinkedIn.

References

Acer Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties for purposes of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding strategy, future operations, timelines, future financial position, future revenues, projected expenses, regulatory submissions, actions or approvals, cash position, liquidity, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to the potential for our product candidates to safely and effectively treat diseases and to be approved for marketing; the commercial or market opportunity of any of our product candidates in any target indication and any territory; our ability to secure the additional capital necessary to fund our various product candidate development programs; the adequacy of our capital to support our future operations and our ability to successfully fund, initiate and complete clinical trials and regulatory submissions; the ability to protect our intellectual property rights; our strategy and business focus; and the development, expected timeline and commercial potential of any of our product candidates. We may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations and involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of many factors, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with the ability to project future cash utilization and reserves needed for contingent future liabilities and business operations, the availability of sufficient resources to fund our various product candidate development programs and to meet our business objectives and operational requirements, the fact that the results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future clinical trial results, the protection and market exclusivity provided by our intellectual property, risks related to the drug development and the regulatory approval process, including the timing and requirements of regulatory actions, and the impact of competitive products and technological changes. We disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made. You should review additional disclosures we make in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Annual Report on Form 10-K. You may access these documents for no charge at http://www.sec.gov.

Relief Forward-Looking Statements This communication expressly or implicitly contains certain forward-looking statements concerning RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA and its businesses. Such statements involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including (i) whether the FDA will approve Acer’s NDA for ACER-001, (ii) whether RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA will be able to submit an application for approval of ACER-001 in Europe in Q2/Q3 2022 (or at all), (iii) whether any such application submitted to European authorities seeking marketing authorization for ACER-001 for the treatment of patient in Europe with UCDs will be approved, and (iv) those other risks, uncertainties and factors described in RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA’s annual and periodic filings with the SIX Stock Exchange, all of which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA is providing this communication as of this date and does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements contained herein as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

CORPORATE CONTACTS Acer Therapeutics: Jim DeNike Acer Therapeutics Inc. jdenike@acertx.com +1 844-902-6100

RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA: Jack Weinstein Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer contact@relieftherapeutics.com

INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACTS Acer Therapeutics: Hans Vitzthum LifeSci Advisors hans@lifesciadvisors.com +1 617-430-7578

RELIEF THERAPEUTICS Holding SA: Michael Miller Rx Communications Group mmiller@rxir.com +1-917-633-6086

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Acer Therapeutics and Relief Therapeutics Announce Issuance of U.S. Patent 11154521 Covering ACER-001 Formulation - Stockhouse

Each year, St. Olaf College recognizes alumni whose service and leadership exemplify the ideals and mission of the college. In honoring these graduates for their exceptional achievements and professional contributions, they become an integral part of college history and a testament to St. Olafs tradition of excellence.The college is pleased to recognize its 2020 and 2021 alumni award recipients.2020 | Utit Choomuang 75, Amanda Cox 01, Branden Moriarity 07, Nicholas Epley 96, and Michael Solhaug 672021 | Jason DeRose 97, Kristen Rosdahl Ehresmann 84, Tony Miller 89, and David Rose 89

Animator Utit Choomuang has led a life of intellect and curiosity about the world around him. His artistic talent, work ethic, and easygoing personality sustained a distinguished career as an animator for such shows as The Simpsons and the Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show. He now lives near his childhood community in Thailand, where he is continually seeking ways to bolster the village of his ancestors.

Choomuang first came to the United States in 1971 as a Rotary Club exchange student at Northfield High School, sponsored by Sigurd Fredrickson, a music professor at St. Olaf, and his wife, Margit. They recognized his artistry, curiosity, and intellect, and helped him apply for and receive a scholarship to attend St. Olaf in the fall of 1972. Not in my wildest dreams did I think I could go to college, Choomuang says. At St. Olaf, I was allowed to dream and given the freedom to speak, think, and do. I had access to unlimited subjects and discovered the ability to think and learn for myself. He graduated in three years with a B.A. degree in art and art history.

While developing his burgeoning animation skills and learning the art of moving pictures, Choomuang was mentored by the late Professor Emeritus of Art Arch Leann, who told Choomuang he could be a filmmaker. I was fascinated that you could make a drawing walk and talk, Choomuang says. As a senior, his animated film By and Bye about his first experience flying in an airplane won first prize in a WCCO-TV film competition.

Choomuangs career as an animator has included stints with independent filmmaker Barry Nelson, CBS-TVs Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, and Disney Televisions Goof Troop. He joined The Simpsons on a trial basis before getting paid to work in character layout, drawing images from storyboards to define a scenes action.

My first drawing of Bart walked too much like Charlie Brown, so I practiced day and night, trying to get better at drawing the Simpsons, Choomuang says. Eventually, he was promoted to overseas animation director at Akom Animation in Seoul, South Korea. Choomuang managed three subcontracted studios with hundreds of artists who were responsible for animating every frame of each episode of the show. He retired from The Simpsons after 16 years.

It was the perfect job for me, Choomuang says. Im a problem solver. I knew camera work, sound work, background, ink and paint, every aspect of animation. Im proud of having worked on a famous show.

Today, Choomuang lives in Nongnokkai, Thailand, his childhood home, which has been overdeveloped and stripped of trees by the shrimp farming industry, and devastated by a recent typhoon. After pursuing sustainable shrimp farming and reforestation efforts for several years, he now cultivates and maintains land and waters that support local farming and fishing projects. He also is developing an English immersion school for local villagers, which is currently paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

So many people helped me to come to the United States and to study at St. Olaf, Choomuang says. I was lucky to meet the right people at the right time, which has led to a magical life. I want to create that magic for others. Thailand is the place I know, and Ive gone home again to help people have the same chances I did.

As the New York Timess data editor, Amanda Cox leverages and presents data in reader-friendly formats, such as charts, graphs, and interactive news.

Cox got her start in journalism when she took over the humor page of St. Olafs student newspaper, The Mess. My roommate was dating the editor and I often told him the page wasnt funny, Cox says. After the students responsible for the page left abruptly over a disagreement, Cox was asked to fill in. Id see an older couple regularly read the paper together after church on Sundays, she says. The same feelings I saw watching them are now evoked in seeing my Times work being read on the subway.

Cox earned a B.A. degree in mathematics and statistics at St. Olaf and a masters degree in statistics at the University of Washington, during which she interned with the graphics department at the New York Times. She was hired as a graphics editor in 2005 before joining The Upshot in 2014, the Timess website featuring articles that combine data visualization with conventional journalistic analysis. In 2019, she was named data editor, coordinating data work across departments and serving as an adviser when questions arise about how to think about and use data thoughtfully.

Certain types of scale, context, and patterns are best understood in forms beyond words alone, Cox says.

Known for her statistical expertise and rigor, programming skills, and artistry, Coxs work has been recognized with several honors and awards in the field of data visualization. In 2012, she received the Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award from the American Statistical Association. In 2013, she gave the keynote address at the inaugural meeting of OpenVis, a conference on open-source data visualization tools and techniques. She spoke there again in 2017 and 2018.

Cox is continually imagining new ways to inform readers with data, and is proud that she has a conference room named in her honor at Google headquarters.

Behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley is the John Templeton Keller Professor of Behavioral Science and faculty director of the Center for Decision Research at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He also is a Neubauer Family Faculty Fellow at the university.

Epleys work in social cognition how thinking people make inferences about what other thinking people are thinking is helping us understand each other better. His experimental research focuses on investigating the accuracy of those inferences and the common mistakes we make in attempting to read other peoples minds. He is the author of Mindwise: How We Understand What Others Think, Believe, Feel, and Want.

Our beliefs and our mental states are invisible, and yet everyone makes inferences about others minds as easily as we breathe, Epley says, noting that his research has shown that people tend to use their own perceptions, biases, and egos as the basis for often incorrectly interpreting others behavior. I investigate the gaps between what we think others think of us and what they actually think of us.

Epley earned a B.A. degree in psychology and philosophy at St. Olaf. St. Olaf inspired me in academics like nothing else Ive experienced in life, he says. I was given the independence to do my own research and to pursue the things I was interested in. He conducted his first behavioral science research with psychology professors Mark Sundby and Charles Huff, publishing his first scientific paper with Huff. He also completed an independent study in moral theory studying why good people do bad things with Professor of Philosophy and Religion Edmund Santurri. We just plowed through books from Alasdair MacIntyre to Dostoevsky. Its what inspired me to become an academic, Epley says. I loved having the independence to figure out what I was interested in and to test my ideas.

Epley went on to earn a Ph.D. in psychology at Cornell University and worked as a professor in the psychology department at Harvard University before joining the Chicago Booth faculty in 2004. He teaches an ethics and well-being course to M.B.A. students called Designing a Good Life, but research remains his core focus. A recent study, conducted on Chicago public transportation, found that people who engaged in conversations with the strangers sitting next to them had a more pleasurable commute than those who did not.

Our brains are uniquely equipped to connect with the minds of others, and that connection is a major source, maybe even the dominant source, of well-being for us, Epley says. Its critical to our mental health and also surprisingly powerful for our physical health.

Epleys research, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Templeton Foundation, has been published in both the mainstream media and peer-reviewed journals. He is the recipient of the 2018 Career Trajectory Award from the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, the 2015 Book Prize for the Promotion of Social and Personality Science, the 2011 Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association, and the 2008 Theoretical Innovation Award from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. He was named a Professor to Watch by the Financial Times, one of the Worlds Best 40 under 40 Business School Professors by Poets and Quants, and one of the 100 Most Influential in Business Ethics in 2015 by Ethisphere.

Branden Moriarity is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics/Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the University of Minnesota Medical School and the director of the Moriarity Lab, which has garnered widespread attention for its cutting-edge work in preclinical drug testing, genome engineering, gene therapy, and cancer immunotherapy. The lab is known for developing novel cellular therapeutics for the treatment of cancer and genetic diseases.

Ive been interested in cancer research since I started in the sciences, Moriarity says. Everyone knows someone or is someone who has had cancer, so thats what drives me.

St. Olaf gave Moriarity his start in scientific research. While earning a B.A. degree in biology and chemistry with a concentration in biomolecular sciences, he was a research assistant in Professor of Chemistry Doug Beussmans lab and a summer Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) International Research Scholar in the Czech Republic, studying the way certain chemotherapy agents interacted with DNA and publishing a paper on his findings. He also participated in St. Olafs Biology in South India study abroad program. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in molecular, cellular, developmental biology, and genetics from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2012, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship from 2012 to 2014.

I was taught graduate-level science at St. Olaf, especially in my upper-level courses, Moriarity says. I was surprised during my first year in graduate school to be rehashing what Id already learned. That allowed me to focus more on my research, and to propel it faster and further.

Throughout his time at St. Olaf, Moriarity was supported by TRIOs Student Support Services (SSS) program, a federally-funded, college retention program designed to help ensure academic success for first-generation students or those from low-income backgrounds.

The SSS programs impact on me was huge, and I wouldnt be where I am today without it, Moriarity says.

Moriarity also holds academic appointments in three of the University of Minnesotas graduate programs: Microbiology, Immunology, and Cancer Biology; Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology, and Genetics; and the Comparative and Molecular Biosciences. These are in addition to appointments in the universitys Stem Cell Institute, the Center for Genome Engineering, and the Masonic Cancer Center, at which he co-directs the Genome Engineering Shared Resource.

Moriarity has authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications on pediatric cancers, osteosarcomas, cancer immunotherapy, and genome engineering. Among his many awards are recent honors from the University of Minnesota, including a McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, an Early Innovator Award, and an Innovator in Translational Research Award. He has received the TRIO Achievement Award from the Midwest Federal TRIO program and Minnesotas Federal TRIO program.

In addition to his demanding research and teaching schedule, Moriarity has started three genome engineering and cancer immunotherapy biotech companies out of the University of Minnesota, including Catamaran Bio, a Boston-based startup that manufactures genetic therapies to treat cancer based on research conducted at the universitys medical school. Catamaran Bio recently raised $42 million in venture capital, a record amount for any company rooted in the universitys scientific research. Moriarity was the chief scientific officer of B-MoGen Biotechnologies, which was acquired by Minneapolis-based Bio-Techne Corporation in 2019. He currently is a founder and chief innovation officer of Luminary Therapeutics, which is focused on nonviral autologous CAR-T cell therapies.

These companies allow us to place critical focus on designing and engineering new therapies, and then getting them to the clinic safely, Moriarity says. Theyre providing hope.

Pediatric nephrologist and Vietnam War veteran Michael Solhaug has led a remarkable life of service as a humanitarian and healer. His distinguished career in pediatric medicine includes work as a clinician at Childrens Hospital of the Kings Daughters (CHKD) in Norfolk, Virginia, and as an educator and administrator at Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS). He was among a handful of Vietnam vets on the first Operation Smile medical missionary team to visit Vietnam in 1989 to provide corrective facial surgery to thousands of children, returning to the country on three subsequent trips with the organization in 1990, 2007, and 2014.

I was able to use my skill and my heart in a different way for the Vietnamese people, Solhaug says. The missions developed friendship and understanding between the Vietnamese and the Americans, and transformed the vets from soldiers to healers.

A talented hockey and football player, Solhaug graduated from St. Olaf with a B.S. degree in biology and chemistry in 1967 and was inducted into the St. Olaf Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. While he focused on sports and social activities in college, Solhaug says that, in hindsight, his years at St. Olaf were incredibly formative.

I learned the innate worth of every human being and that there is vitality in honest human relationships. St. Olaf also instilled in me the importance of service to others, Solhaug says.

After graduation, Solhaug continued a family tradition of military service, enrolling in the U.S. Navys Officer Candidate School and volunteering for Swift Boat duty in Vietnam. He spent most of 1969 in command of a five-man patrol crew. He was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V for valor during a 1969 riverine operation, and later received the Navy Commendation Medal for valor and meritorious service. He currently serves on the Swift Boat Sailors Association Board of Directors.

Solhaug says his wartime experiences in Vietnam shaped his desire to become a doctor. In an essay at the time of his 30th St. Olaf Reunion in 1997, Solhaug wrote, I witnessed the extremes of human behavior and also discovered the nobility of the human spirit especially [in] the children. [They seemed to be saying,] I am strong enough to heal, if you will be my healer.

After a stint as a middle school substitute science teacher further cemented his passion for working with children, Solhaug attended the University of Minnesota Medical School, earning an M.D. in 1975. He began his career working jointly as a specialist at CHKD and in primary care at Tidewater Childrens Associates in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Solhaug founded CHKDs pediatric nephrology department to provide specialty care to children with acute and chronic kidney-related diseases, and has served as both its medical director and academic director. He currently is professor of physiology and professor of pediatrics at EVMS, where he has conducted National Institutes of Healthfunded research. He is vice chair of education in the Department of Physiological Sciences, and his past administrative roles include associate dean positions in academic affairs and admissions, as well as serving as president of the Faculty Senate, among others.

Medical school admissions work has been particularly satisfying for Solhaug. Helping young men and women find pathways to medicine is important to me, he says. He shares that passion with St. Olaf, mentoring students as they prepare for medical school, including 15 Oles who have attended EVMS. His service to St. Olaf also includes mentoring student-athletes, supporting the Ice Arena project, and serving as co-chair of his 50th Reunion committee.

Journalist and National Public Radio Western Bureau Chief Jason DeRose believes in the power of journalism to tell peoples stories authentically.

People should be characters in their own stories, not anecdotes, he says. Their experiences, feelings, and beliefs should be taken seriously. Public radio and other forms of nonprofit journalism are mission driven, rather than profit driven, which enables us to connect with the people at the heart of any story.

DeRose, who holds a B.A. in English and religion, magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from St. Olaf and a masters of divinity degree from the University of Chicago, has worked in radio since high school. At St. Olaf, he worked as a technical board operator at WCAL for NPRs All Things Considered, while also studying literature, history, philosophy, religion, and the arts in the interdisciplinary Great Conversation program.

Great Con was a deep dive into what it means to be human, and working at WCAL was a fantastic hands-on experience, and where I first learned how to do much of what I do now, professionally, DeRose says. During college, he interned on NPRs Washington Desk in Washington, D.C., where he also temped as a producer on All Things Considered.

As western bureau chief, DeRose oversees and edits news coverage from member station reporters and freelancers in California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Hawaii. He also edits NPRs coverage of religion and LGBTQ rights. He previously was a business editor at the network during the Great Recession of 200910 and an editor on the NPR midday news program, Day to Day. Prior to joining NPR, DeRose worked as a reporter and editor at WBEZ in Chicago and KPLU in Seattle.

Over the course of his career, DeRose has reported on stories of national importance, such as views toward Islam in post9/11 America and clergy sex abuse in the Catholic Church. In covering important issues, journalism can have a lasting impact and do good in the world, he says.

While in college, DeRose also interned as an oral history interviewer at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and was a journalism trainer at the International Center for Journalists. He has taught journalism ethics, radio reporting, multimedia storytelling, and religion reporting at DePaul University in Chicago and at Northwestern Universitys Medill School of Journalism.

DeRose holds leadership roles at his church, St. Pauls Lutheran in Santa Monica, California, where he works with LGBTQ pastoral ministry interns. He also supervises interns at NPR and regularly teaches the art of storytelling at Holden Village, a retreat center in Washington States Cascade Mountains. He has been on Holdens board of directors since 2009.

DeRose remains engaged with St. Olaf through his friendships with several of his former professors and his participation in alumni travel programs. He recently was part of an alumni panel on journalism careers and supports both the Taylor Center for Equity and Inclusion andthe Great Conversation.

Epidemiologist Kristen Rosdahl Ehresmann has led a life of service guided by an abiding faith and servant ethic. As director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention, and Control Division of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), she believes the role of public health is to foster strong and healthy communities.

Every person matters, and we care for them, no matter their circumstances, she says. That mission fits with my faith perspective following the commandments of love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself and helps me fulfill who I was meant to be.

Ehresmann has spent her entire career at MDH, where she is currently responsible for its HIV/STD, tuberculosis, refugee health, and immunization programs, as well as its activities related to emerging infection and infection prevention and foodborne, waterborne, and zoonotic diseases. Her research and publications have focused on vaccine-preventable disease in both children and adults. She is a recipient of MDHs Achievement Award and its Star Honors Award for Exceptional Leadership.

As an educator, Ehresmann holds an adjunct faculty position at the University of Minnesota and, until 2020, held a community faculty position at Metropolitan State University, which honored her with a Faculty Excellence Award in 2009. She regularly appears in statewide media and before the state legislature to discuss public health initiatives. The liberal arts were foundational in teaching me to communicate effectively, as a large part of my job is educating others on the science of infectious diseases and their prevention, she says.

Ehresmanns team at the MDH has been particularly visible during the pandemic, assisting in the planning and coordination for the prevention, management, and mitigation of COVID-19. The work has been equally difficult and rewarding, she says. My motivation is that weve helped people be healthier by preventing disease and death.

While earning a bachelor of science degree in nursing from St. Olaf, Ehresmann studied abroad in Vellore, India. The experience piqued her interest in working in public health.

Working in India transformed my worldview and awakened my desire to get upstream, she says, referring to the health care approach that examines and addresses root causes rather than symptoms to improve outcomes. After graduation, Ehresmann volunteered for Eat Smart for Your Heart, a summer community outreach program geared toward encouraging healthy eating and activities to improve heart health, an experience that further cemented her desire to go into public health.

She has worked as a registered nurse at several hospitals and clinics and earned a masters in public health in epidemiology from the University of Minnesota in 1990. She began her career at MDH as a graduate student worker and has risen through the ranks to her current position as division director. Ive had a lot of continuity in my career, she says, noting how much shes enjoyed working with many dedicated science professionals over the years.

At the national level, Ehresmann is a member of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Infectious Disease Policy Committee and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee and is a liaison member of the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee. She also is a voting member of the Council for Outbreak Response: Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial-Resistant Pathogens. From 2008 to 2012, Ehresmann was a voting member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Ehresmann has been a consistent steward of St. Olaf, hosting interns at MDH and giving lectures in the nursing program, as well as volunteering with the Piper Center for Vocation and Career for events related to health care.

David Roses peripatetic career highlights the value of his liberal arts education. Since graduating in 1989, he has been a five-time technology entrepreneur, an MIT educator, a two-time author, and an international speaker. He is an expert in digital product innovation for the Internet of things, inventing products that help millions of people every day.

Im always interested in emerging categories, Rose says. Im constantly thinking about how technology might improve peoples lives. Recently he has been working on using augmented reality to show people things they otherwise find hard to visualize or imagine, such as more sustainable landscapes or new designs for walkable cities.

Rose recently assembled a team to create ClearWater AR, the first augmented reality experience for boating and fishing. The company is developing smart tech that helps people see underwater topography and the location of fish and increases the visibility of hazard buoys in lowlight and fog.

Augmented reality can paint a Yellow Brick Road on the water to help people navigate more safely, Rose says.

Rose has worked as an innovation consultant to invent new products for Fortune 500 companies and founded five companies across the consumer electronics, health care, and social shopping industries. He was vice president for vision technology at Warby Parker, where he developed an online vision testing business and a virtual try-on app. Most recently, as a futurist at EPAM Continuum, he created prototypes with emerging technologies, such as computer vision for at-home physical therapy, and affective computing to help autonomous cars understand driver attention.

Roses computer vision company, Ditto Labs, developed tools to identify products in shared photos and videos so that people could ditto their friends and shop for similar items. His health care company, Vitality, invented the GlowCap, smart medication packaging that nudges people to take prescription medications for diabetes or transplants. His other companies have created products for digital photo sharing, interactive science museum exhibits, and smart toys like Guitar Hero and LEGO Mindstorms. His company Ambient Devices fused physical product design with digital connectivity in the Ambient Orb, which changes color to represent information, such as weather forecasts, stock market trends, energy consumption, blood sugar levels, and number of steps walked.

Rose holds a bachelors degree in physics and studio art from St. Olaf and a masters of education from Harvard University. During his time on the Hill, he sang in the St. Olaf Choir and was the photo editor of The Mess.

St. Olaf is an incredible sandbox, Rose says. I nurtured so many interests. The liberal arts made me curious and interested in diving down the rabbit hole about everything. Whether it was physics, art history, architecture, Eastern religions, or music, St. Olaf offered a depth and rigor that made each subject irresistible.

Roses first book, Enchanted Objects: Design, Human Desire, and the Internet of Things, is a blueprint for a future filled with animate everyday objects. His second book, SuperSight, explores the impact of computer vision and smart glasses. He has taught at the MITs Media Lab, Harvard Universitys Graduate School of Design, Yale Universitys Graduate School of Design, and the Copenhagen Interaction Design Institute in Denmark. He holds five patents, and his inventions have been featured at the Museum of Modern Art, in the New York Times, Wired, and the Economist, and on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Entrepreneur Tony Miller is the founder and managing partner of Lemhi Ventures, which leverages venture capital to change the health care services industry. Lemhis portfolio includes 15 companies that utilize disruptive innovation, technology, and data to deliver better health outcomes, lower costs, and greater control to people over their health care decisions.

We work to change the products of health insurance, not the operating side of it, Miller says. Lemhis first two venture capital funds raised $450 million, which is fully invested. The firm is currently in the process of raising its third fund.

Until June 2021, Miller was the founder and CEO of Bind Benefits, Inc., a Lemhi-invested company that partnered with UnitedHealth Group to pioneer personalized health plans that allow people to pay for coverage and services as they need them. Previously, he was cofounder and CEO of another Lemhi-invested company, Carol Corp., which introduced health care shopping and provider comparison tools for consumers.

Miller calls himself an accidental Ole. His first choice had been to go to the University of North Carolina, but St. Olaf afforded him the chance to compete on the football and track teams for all four years. Playing sports at St. Olaf was a phenomenal experience that I wouldnt have gotten anywhere else, he says. My teammates are still some of my best friends. He earned a bachelors degree in biology and went on to earn a masters degree in kinesiology from the University of Illinois. He also holds an M.B.A. from Cornell University.

His early career includes a stint as a wellness coordinator for Medica Health Plans an experience that opened his eyes to how health insurance might be restructured, he says. He also worked at UnitedHealth Group and for Deloitte and Touche, where his main project was helping Kaiser Permanente buy and sell health plans nationwide. All of those experiences exposed me to the inner workings of the health care services industry, and how its products might be improved, Miller says. I started to wonder, What if the consumer was more in control of the dollars spent on health care? That curiosity led Miller to cofound Definity Health in 1998, which became a pioneer and national leader in consumer-driven health benefit programs, before it was sold to UnitedHealth in 2007.

Miller regularly shares career advice with St. Olaf students as a guest lecturer in St. Olafs Interim entrepreneurship class, taught by St. Olaf Entrepreneur in Residence Sian Muir.

I tell the students that even though I have a business degree, everything I apply in business I learned from the liberal arts, Miller says. Cornell taught me the hard skills of business, like finance and microeconomics, but the liberal arts foundation I got at St. Olaf helped me develop a questioning perspective that is nuanced and analytical. It taught me to have a point of view and to be purpose-driven in using my skills to be part of the solutions to societal problems.

Marla Hill Holt 88 is a regular contributor to St. Olaf Magazine.

Link:
Service and Leadership: The St. Olaf Alumni Achievement Awards, 2020 and 2021 - St. Olaf College News