A preview of the emerging health care companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Bringing New Blood to the Anemia Market," features profiles of Akebia, Neumedicines and Palkion. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Aterovax, Pico-Tesla Magnetic Therapies, SpineAlign Medical, Theraclion, Virdante Pharmaceuticals and Zacharon Pharmaceuticals.

CrystalGenomics Inc. and ProQuest Investments formed Palkion Inc. to identify and develop orally available anemia drugs that modulate the HIF prolyl hydroxylase enzyme system. Palkion is finishing up preclinical toxicology on its lead candidate for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease.

Sales of erythropoiesis-stimulating agents for treating anemia totaled approximately $11.5 billion in 2008, about $7 billion in the US. Any emerging venture expecting to sink its teeth into this huge market will need to prove its future product offers greater ease of manufacture, storage, and administration, and lower price and a better safety profile compared with the widely used biologics, while overcoming the higher barriers to approval set by the FDA.