Harvard's Office of Technology Development and LabCentral invite you to the second Guppy Tank of 2026, where Harvard life-science innovators will pitch their early-stage concepts to a panel of entrepreneurs and investors for constructive, in-depth feedback.
Please join us on Tuesday, June 2, from 4 PM to 6 PM at LabCentral to hear the presentation, learn from experts on startup formation, and participate in giving audience feedback. The event is accompanied by a reception with food and drinks. All are welcome!
PRESENTED BY
Yelena Bisharyan
Co- Founder & CEO, Trillion Bio
Yelena Bisharyan, PhD, is a biotech executive with a proven track record of translating breakthrough scientific discoveries into products. She has deep expertise in biologics platforms, strategic partnerships, and venture creation. Previously, Yelena was Director of Business Development at Harvard OTD, where she advanced innovations from lab to market, and prior to that, VP of Business Development at TetraGenetics, where she led the company through growth and acquisition. Over her 17+ years in the biotech industry, Yelena has been instrumental in launching startups and structuring and negotiating numerous high-value licensing and collaboration agreements across multiple therapeutic modalities, including biologics drug discovery and drug delivery platforms, as well as a broad range of other technologies. She now leads Trillion Bio as Co-Founder and CEO, translating that commercial and scientific depth into a platform poised to redefine how high-concentration biologics are formulated and delivered.
Samir Mitragotri,
Hiller Professor of Bioengineering and Hansjörg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering,
Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
I am a physician scientist and practicing dermatologist focused on translating advances in receptor biology into the clinic. Clinically, I specialize in seeing patients with rare autoimmune skin and connective tissue diseases. In the laboratory, I have a particular interest in G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are the target of ~1/3 of FDA approved medications. There are two primary arms to my research focus, and basic science component and translational/clinical component.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Injectable biologics represent a major therapeutic category for diseases such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, and infections, with the market projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030. While these therapies span peptides, nucleic acids, and proteins, most particularly monoclonal antibodies are administered intravenously, driving up costs and limiting patient convenience.
Currently, subcutaneous administration of antibodies is limited by low and variable bioavailability, on average ~60%, necessitating higher drug doses. This, in turn, increases manufacturing costs and requires formulations at high concentrations. The use of such high-concentration formulations is further constrained by the limited solubility and stability of high–molecular-weight proteins, forcing the industry to either to use enzymes to degrade subcutaneous tissue to accommodate large volumes or use suspensions to increase antibody loading in the formulation.
Trillion Bio overcomes these challenges using the Ionic Liquid technology, which enhances bioavailability from the subcutaneous space to near-complete levels, thereby reducing dose requirements and increasing predictability. In addition, Trillion Bio’s ionic liquids improve the solubility and stability of antibodies in a solution format, reaching concentrations that were previously unattainable. This allows dosing of therapeutic amounts of antibodies while maintaining the formulations as a solution.
Taken together, Trillion Bio’s technology aims to convert long and expensive intravenous infusions of antibodies into a self-administered injections by concurrently reducing the dose requirement and increasing formulation concentrations.