Liferna Biotech, Innovation Partnerships Celebrate Licensing Agreement with Startup Bell Celebration

6/5/2025

While rare, fibrotic autoimmune diseases are devastating, with afflicted patients having extremely limited treatment options. These diseases profoundly impact the lives of not only those fighting it, but the lives of their caregivers as well. 

One such fibrotic disease is systemic sclerosis (SSc), also known as scleroderma, which is  characterized by immune system dysregulation, tissue fibrosis and vascular dysfunction, resulting in the hardening and tightening of the skin, limited mobility, decreased lung function, kidney deterioration, gastrointestinal discomfort and, eventually, internal organ damage. Liferna Biotech, based out of San Diego, is focused on providing novel solutions to scleroderma patients’ ailments with their mission of developing life-changing medicines to treat autoimmune and fibrotic diseases.

In early June 2025, the team from Liferna Biotech joined Innovation Partnerships to celebrate their official launch and exit from stealth mode with the ringing of the startup bell. Several members of the Liferna Biotech team present to mark the celebratory occasion, including: Dushyant Varshney, founder, CEO and chairman of the board of directors; Wendy Taylor, COO & founder; K.C. Kummerfeld, founder and CFO; Dr. Kiyoshi Tachikawa, co-founder and CSO; Dinesh Khanna, Frederick G L Huetwell Professor of Rheumatology and professor of internal medicine; and Johann Gudjonsson, Arthur C Curtis Professor of Skin Molecular Immunology, professor of dermatology, professor of internal medicine and research and Mary H Weiser Professor of Food Allergy.

Liferna’s lead product is based on technology in-licensed from the labs of U-M professors Dinesh Khanna and Johann Gudjonsson, two leaders in the world of sclerosis research. Drs. Khanna and Gudjonsson would go on to connect with Varshney, Kiyoshi, Taylor and Kummerfeld to work with Innovation Partnerships to utilize exclusive world-wide application of their initial patent application in 2024.

“Liferna Biotech would not have been possible without the unique innovation ecosystem present at the University of Michigan,” said Varshney. “The U-M team provided our team the perfect combination of access to leading researchers, funding and mentorship support to bring Liferna Biotech out of stealth mode.”

Liferna Biotech is currently developing go-to-market plans, with the goal of bringing their novel therapeutics to patients by 2031.