At Sur180, our mission is to raise the level of care for endometriosis treatment. We believe in fostering women-centered care that focuses on individuals and their unique needs. We hope to promote integrative medical care with multiple medical specialties that may contribute to women’s well-being, and we are committed to transparency in all of our actions and activities.
Our vision is to bring a new non-hormonal therapeutic option for endometriosis into the
market. We are working on a therapeutic option that will provide long-term effectiveness and reduce or eliminate surgical interventions for endometriosis.
What’s In a Name: Why “Sur180”?
In order to understand the philosophy behind Sur180, you need to understand our name. First, sur means “south” in Spanish. As a newly formed startup based in the South of Texas and the South of Puerto Rico, the “Sur” in our name serves to acknowledge our roots and the work of Sur180’s founding team.
While “Sur-” is an allusion to our co-founders, “180” is a direct reference to our philosophy of change. When we turn 180 degrees, we look in the opposite direction, and that’s what Sur180 is dedicated to doing. We are working to develop new therapeutics for endometriosis that offer an improved alternative to current treatments.
Bringing Together Experience, Dedication, Excellence
Sur180 comprises a group of incredibly skilled, experienced, and renowned biomedical professionals working together diligently for a decade to improve endometriosis care. Our team is made up of a gastrointestinal physiologist, neuroscientist, clinical pharmacologist, molecular biologist, and other clinical and entrepreneurial advisors.
Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Ph.D.
Annelyn Torres-Reveron, Ph.D., is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sur180 Therapeutics. She is a behavioral neuroscientist certified in Integrative Medicine. Her research has focused on the neuropeptides of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis: corticotropin-releasing hormone, urocortin, and their respective receptors. Annelyn also uses non-pharmacological approaches to study the HPA axis and is interested in understanding the mechanisms of how stress alleviation plays a role in reducing inflammatory disease progression. She has completed iCorps training at MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the Therapeutic Accelerator Program through Columbia University and the Puerto Rico Science and Technology Trust, the Pitch Academy at the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Center from Innovation and Commercialization, and is currently enrolled in the University of Washington Biotechnology Program Management. Annelyn was the principal investigator for the experiments that led directly to patenting the use of antalarmin for treating endometriosis. To drive the continuous growth of Sur180 Therapeutics, Annelyn combines her scientific expertise with training in entrepreneurship and startup development.
Caroline B. Appleyard, Ph.D.
Caroline B. Appleyard, Ph.D., is the Co-founder and Scientific Director of Sur180 Therapeutics and a clinical pharmacologist by training. Caroline is a Professor in the Dept. of Basic Sciences at Ponce Health Sciences University in Ponce, Puerto Rico (PHSU), Program Director for the PHSU G-RISE Graduate Training program, and Co-Leader of the Research Education Core of the U54 PHSU-Moffitt Cancer Center Partnership funded by NCI. She has an ongoing research interest in the interactions between inflammatory mediators, microflora, and behavior in the pathogenesis and exacerbation of endometriosis. Her laboratory is investigating the impact of complementary interventions and the disease’s exacerbation by stress in an animal model and translating these findings to the patient population. Caroline received additional training through the Therapeutic Accelerator Program and NIH Clinical Center. She has also completed projects with private industry/pharmaceutical companies for testing various compounds in her laboratory. Her extensive expertise in pharmacology and academic-industry collaborations is crucial during the early development of Sur180 therapeutics. Caroline’s roles in the company include shared decision-making with the
other co-founders, pre-clinical experimental development, grant writing for seeking undiluted funds, oversight of funds management, and bridging communications with academic partners.
Idhaliz Flores, Ph.D.
Idhaliz Flores, Ph.D., is the Co-founder and Chair of the Board of Sur180 Therapeutics. She is a molecular biologist with 20 years of experience in research on Women’s health, endometriosis, and pelvic pain. Idhaliz is a Professor of Basic Sciences and Ob-Gyn at PHSU. She has been involved in endometriosis research since 2001, specifically looking at molecular biomarkers and the immune, genetic, and epigenetic factors associated with the disease. Her work includes research on the epidemiology and prevalence of endometriosis in Puerto Rico, potential diagnostic markers, and genetic variants associated with endometriosis and/or infertility. More recently, her team has conducted studies on the impact of endometriosis on life, health, and work productivity and health system utilization trends and costs. She is currently the Principal Investigator (PI) on a randomized clinical trial study that translates an environmental enrichment intervention to the human scenario and tests its effects on the mental and physical health parameters of women with endometriosis. Idhaliz is a member of the Board of Directors of Fundación Puertorriqueña de Pacientes con Endometriosis (ENDOPR) (www.endometriosispr.com), a patient advocacy foundation in Puerto Rico that has provided support and education to endometriosis patients and their relatives since 2005.
Ignacio Pino, DVM
Ignacio Pino, DVM, is an entrepreneurial adviser for Sur180 Therapeutics and a board member. He is the co-founder, President, and CEO of CDI Labs in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Since co-founding the company, he has been developing and commercializing monoclonal antibodies and proteomic tools. He built successful academic and industrial partnerships in the United States, Europe, China, South Korea, and the Caribbean. He established the MonomabsTM monoclonal antibody development pipeline at CDI Labs, one of their leading sales products. Ignacio successfully raised angel and private investments to secure over $11.5 million in local and National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for CDI Labs. He has worked with the Management Team since before Sur180 Therapeutics was founded and is a principal adviser for entrepreneurship development in Puerto Rico and the United States. Moreover, Ignacio is mentoring Annelyn in raising private investment during the early stages of the company. He has previously collaborated with Idhaliz in academic and NIH-STTR grants. Moving forward, Ignacio will help drive collaborative activities with large pharmaceutical companies for clinical trials and design a cohesive commercialization program.
Lissette Gutierrez, MD
Lissette Gutierrez, MD, is the principal clinical adviser for Sur180 Therapeutics and a board member. She has been practicing obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) for 19 years and works as a sexual health consultant. Lissette has treated numerous women with endometriosis and other pelvic pain disorders in her clinical practice. She is an active member of the medical communities in Puerto Rico and Florida and will serve as a clinical liaison to OBGYNs. Lissette has been crucial in designing strategies from the company’s early stages that align with the clinical needs of doctors and women with endometriosis. Her trustworthiness and recognized expertise in the clinical arena will help Sur180 Therapeutics seamlessly introduce products into the medical community. In addition, she will be the principal liaison with health insurance companies when payment approval for products is required.
Additional Members of the Sur180 Team
Other members of the team include Francis Gonzalez, RAC, working in regulatory affairs and compliance. Denisse Flores, JD, is the main Tax Adviser. The company receives legal services from Pena-Aleczander in McAllen, TX.
sur180therapeutics.com 