As Texas continues to grow as a biotechnology and health care hub, two Tarrant County companies have been recognized as innovative game changers in the industry. 

Bedford-based Opsin Biotherapeutics and Fort Worth-based Panthera BioSolutions were honored as 2024 Rising Stars during the BioNTX iC3 Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit in Arlington on Oct. 3. 

BioNTX, or Bio North Texas, is the bioscience and health care innovation trade organization in the region. Rising Stars is a cohort of eight companies chosen by the state’s life sciences community for their potential to drive “significant change through innovation and tenacity.” 

“Every year, we are thrilled to learn more about the amazing work that biotech and health care innovation companies are doing in our region and have the opportunity to recognize a few notable organizations at our iC3 Life Science & Healthcare Innovation Summit,” Kathleen Otto, CEO of BioNTX, said in a statement. 

Other Rising Star recipients included: 

• Almaden Genomics – Dallas 
• CorInnova – Houston 
• GenrAb – Dallas
• Island Pharmaceuticals – started in Dallas, but moved to Australia
• SingleCell Biotechnology – Dallas
• Solenic Medical – Addison 

Since 2019, North Texas’ total life sciences and biotech labor pool has increased by 17%, surpassing the average national growth of 13.7%, according to a report from real estate firm CBRE. The real estate firm also named Dallas-Fort Worth as one of the top emerging life sciences markets in terms of size, institutions, talent and rapid growth, alongside Nashville and Atlanta. 

“The life science ecosystem in North Texas is growing rapidly and the Rising Stars play a significant role in its growth,” Logan Atkins, financial adviser at the Davis/Yost Group at Morgan Stanley, said in a statement. The financial group is a member of BioNTX. 

Here’s how Opsin Biotherapeutics and Panthera BioSolutions are fueling innovation across not only Tarrant County, but the state. 

Opsin Biotherapeutics

Founded in 2018, Opsin Biotherapeutics is a joint venture between Nanoscope Technologies and DesignPlex Biomedical working to create opsin gene therapies as alternatives to opioids and electrical spinal cord stimulators for chronic pain management.

In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published a report that estimated that more than 51 million people experience chronic pain. 

Opsin Biotherapeutics has licensed an opsin gene and delivery method that turns pain-blocking neurons into photoreceptors, which can then be activated with a red LED light. 

Opsin is a photosensitive protein that can be affected by the action of light. The protein has been shown to mediate wound healing. 

“I know (opsin protein) sounds like science fiction, but that’s how your eyes work. The light comes in, and those opsins turn into signals to your brain. We do the same thing, except for chronic pain,” Robert Benkowski, CEO and co-founder of Opsin Biotherapeutics, said at the Oct. 3 summit. 

The company’s therapies are currently in development and have not been approved by any regulatory agency for human use. Benkowski told the Report that being recognized as a 2024 Rising Star is a “fantastic honor” as the company works to grow its investment. 

“We’ve had great results in early work and now we’re doing translation research, which includes efficacy and additional safety studies,” Benkowski said. 

The goal is to eventually get the gene therapies to human clinical trials and FDA approval, he added.

Panthera BioSolutions

Launched in October 2021, Panthera BioSolutions offers manufacturing, packaging, product testing, warehousing, logistics and consulting services for pharmaceutical companies. In January, the business opened its facility, which features a training space for pharmaceutical professionals to get hands-on learning experience along with rentable clean rooms. 

Hardik Patel, co-founder of Panthera, previously told the Report the company’s goal is to fill a gap in the industry and be a marketplace that has affordability in place for startups coming up in DFW to “get a leg up and get the instruments they need to get started.” 

Since the opening of its facility, Panthera has officially launched its hands-on training programs and welcomed its first cohort of pharmaceutical leaders. The company has also finished construction of its International Organization for Standardization-certified lab, which allows for in-house testing, Jason Mastoris, co-founder of Panthera, told the Report. 

ISO accreditation proves a laboratory has a quality management system in place and has the ability to provide testing and generate valid results. 

Panthera receiving the 2024 Rising Star honor feels like “validation” for all the work being done, Patel added. 

“We’re just going to fine tune everything with hopefully quarter one of next year being the launch, so we can rent (the space) out,” he said. “My expertise is validation, so I think it’s nice that our peers are recognizing us.”

David Moreno is the health reporter for the Fort Worth Report. His position is supported by a grant from Texas Health Resources. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.

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