Aspiro Therapeutics selected for prestigious Start-Up Stadium presentation
PHOENIX, AZ (June 12, 2025) – Arizona’s bioscience sector will take center stage at the 2025 BIO International Convention, June 16–19 in Boston, as a high-profile delegation from Phoenix joins emerging startups—including Tucson-based Aspiro Therapeutics—to showcase the state’s growing life sciences footprint.
Organized under the PHXisBIO initiative by the City of Phoenix Community and Economic Development Department, the delegation will host the Phoenix Pavilion at Booth 3035, highlighting the region’s strengths in genomics, precision medicine, and biomedical innovation. The event is the largest global gathering of the biotech industry, drawing thousands of investors, researchers, and executives from around the world.
“BIO 2025 offers Arizona a global stage to promote our capabilities in research, clinical innovation, and workforce development,” said representatives from the Phoenix Economic Development team. “Our presence in Boston sends a clear message: Arizona is ready to lead the next generation of biotech growth.”
According to CBRE’s Q2 2024 U.S. Life Sciences R&D Talent Trends report, Phoenix ranked as the fifth-largest emerging life sciences market in the country, driven by rapid job creation, research investment, and increasing demand for lab space. Tucson, also recognized in the same report, was listed among the “markets on the verge” of entering the top 25 nationally, supported by the University of Arizona’s robust research infrastructure and life sciences talent pipeline.
As part of the BIO 2025 programming, Tucson-based Aspiro Therapeutics has been selected as a finalist in the Start-Up Stadium, a prestigious platform for high-potential early-stage biotech companies. Aspiro will present on June 19 in the Respiratory category.
Aspiro is developing a novel inhaled peptidomimetic therapy based on CC16, a naturally occurring lung protein recognized for its anti-inflammatory properties. The treatment aims to address chronic respiratory conditions like asthma and COPD by modifying disease progression, rather than just managing symptoms.
Developed in partnership with researchers at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine – Tucson, the Asthma & Airway Disease Research Center, and the BIO5 Institute, Aspiro’s therapy is preparing for an IND submission in 2026. The company’s founding team includes Dr. Julie Ledford, Dr. Josef Vagner, and Dr. Stefano Guerra, with CEO, James Lovgren, set to present at BIO.
“This recognition validates both our science and the potential impact of our therapy,” said Lovgren. “We’re proud to represent Tucson on this national stage and demonstrate the depth of biotech innovation emerging from Southern Arizona.”
Aspiro has received funding from the NIH and the Flinn Foundation and is one of several bioscience startups launched through Tech Launch Arizona in recent years. Its selection for Start-Up Stadium underscores the growing visibility of Tucson’s life sciences ecosystem.
The rise of Phoenix and Tucson in national biotech rankings is already influencing commercial real estate activity, particularly in demand for lab space, innovation campuses, and research-related mixed-use development. The Phoenix Bioscience Core continues to expand, and Tucson’s UA Tech Park and downtown corridors are attracting renewed interest from both public and private sector developers.