ARIZ Precision Medicine is pioneering cancer research out of their lab in Davis. They’re working to create a safer alternative to chemotherapy by developing a drug that targets cancer cells. ARIZ modulates cancer-causing genes and proteins to induce a natural, biological death in cancer cells. So far, their data shows their drug can kill 90 percent of cancer cells in a dish while only affecting five to ten percent of normal cells, whereas traditional chemotherapy affects both types of cells equally. As we learned during a recent visit with ARIZ at their lab at the UC Davis-HM Clause Life Science Innovation Center, much of their success is tied to the resources they’ve been able to tap into in Greater Sacramento, including a wealth of support from the University of California, Davis.

The Greater Sacramento advantage

ARIZ has deep connections to Davis. Many of its staff are either from Davis, went to UC Davis or settled down there before joining the company. ARIZ Founder, CEO and Chairman Lonnie Bookbinder obtained his undergraduate degree in biology from UC Davis. After working around the country, he moved back to Davis to start ARIZ.

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