This Durham University spin-out provides new hope for the world’s one billion sufferers of neurodegenerative diseases.
Conditions such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and motor neuron disease (MND), are caused by permanent damage of the nerve cells
and their connections.
With little or no effective long-lasting treatment options currently available, these diseases pose a huge unmet global medical need.
Nevrargenics Ltd is investigating exciting new treatment possibilities presented by retinoids, small molecules that play many essential roles in the development of the body’s organs, the
regeneration of cells, the sense of vision and the immune system.
Two research groups based at Durham and Aberdeen Universities have collaborated to develop a portfolio of innovative drugs, based on 15 years of cutting-edge research.
“Small biotech companies like ours are the innovators. We can take the risks needed to enable the major, transformative, disease modifying breakthroughs needed to solve neurodegeneration.
Support Recieved from Northern Accellerator
Executives into Business attracts talented business leaders to the innovative commercial opportunities created in the North East’s universities. The programme helped to recruit Dimitri Dimitriou as Chief Business Officer and James Bromhead as Chairman, each bringing with them three decades of international experience in their field of expertise.
Proof-of-Concept funding is aimed at helping academics progress their ideas into commercial opportunities. This supported the team’s investor engagement, and allowed them to push forwards pre-clinical work and scale up work.
Andy said: “We wouldn’t be where we are today without the support of Northern Accelerator. To say it had a transformative impact on our work is no overstatement.”
Strength to Strength
Nevrargenics has been given the green light by Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to run a clinical trial for its lead drug, targeted at reversing both
ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD).
If successful, an application will be made for a more extensive trial which is hoped will lead to many new treatments and hopefully cures for all neurodegenerative diseases.
The company is moving into a dedicated facility in Durham and after raising $1million of first seed investment, and is currently raising $5million in equity funding to scale up production,
run the clinical trial in ALS and FTD, and expand its drug portfolio.
