GeNeuro , a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for neurological and autoimmune diseases, announced that following a successful collaboration in preclinical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) models.
The Company has signed an exclusive worldwide license with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). The agreement covers the development of an antibody program to block the activity of pHERV-K Env (pathogenic envelope protein of the HERV-K family of Human Endogenous Retroviruses), a potential key factor in the development of ALS.
“We are happy that this collaboration with NINDS confirms the potential of GeNeuro’s pHERV-K antibodies in preclinical ALS models,” said Jesús Martin-Garcia, CEO of GeNeuro. The Company has now launched a preclinical development program for its pHERV-K Env antibody, with the objective of reaching an IND by mid-2020. “This step signals the potential for expansion of the GeNeuro clinical pipeline into additional neurological disorders.”
GeNeuro exercised its collaborator’s license option following positive results from studies of pHERV-K Env antibodies in preclinical ALS models conducted under the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA ) signed with the NINDS in January 2017.
“Following our work linking pHERV-K Env to ALS, the data from the work with GeNeuro provides the basis for a new therapeutic approach against this disease,” said Dr. Avindra Nath, clinical director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
“GeNeuro’s mission is to leverage its expertise in HERV biology to bring potential new treatments to patients, particularly in areas of high medical needs, such as ALS. We are fortunate and proud to have worked with the NINDS team led by Dr. Avindra Nath to maximize efficiencies and increase the chances of success for this new approach targeting pHERV-K Env,” said Hervé Perron, Chief Scientific Officer at GeNeuro.
About ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease or clinically as motor neuron disease, is a fatal, rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor neurons. The incidence of ALS is approximately 1-3 per 100,000 individuals and is consistent across diverse populations.
About GeNeuro
GeNeuro‘s mission is to develop safe and effective treatments against neurological disorders and autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Type 1 Diabetes, by neutralizing causal factors encoded by HERVs, which represent 8% of human DNA. GeNeuro is based in Geneva, Switzerland and has R&D facilities in Lyon, France. It has 28 employees and rights to 17 patent families protecting its technology. For more information, visit: www.geneuro.com
