GeNeuro SA
This article was originally published in Start Up
Executive Summary
Swiss start-up GeNeuro SA aims at an MS cure. The company licensed technology from French infectious-disease specialist bioMérieux SA, whose studies showed the presence of the MS-associated retrovirus (a member of the HERV-W family) may be a major triggering and aggravating factor in MS. GeNeuro's novel approach primarily focuses on the development of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies, which will target and neutralize the pathogenic MSRV/HERV-W proteins and thereby, in theory, prevent the initiation of the inflammatory and autoimmune cascades induced by these proteins in MS.
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Start-Up Previews (02/2011)
A preview of the emerging health companies profiled in the current issue of Start-Up. This month's profile group, "Emerging MS Treatments: Reading the Gilenya Tea Leaves," includes profiles of Allozyne, GeNeuro, Nuron Biotech and Receptos. Plus these Start-Ups Across Health Care: Intralink-Spine, NinePoint Medical, PanOptica and Urovalve.
Receptos Inc.
Receptos isn't the only company in the G-coupled protein receptor oral MS drug arena, but it believes its proprietary S1P1 agonist will improve on Novartis' first-in-class S1P1 modulator Gilenya. Unlike Gilenya, which hits four of the five S1P receptor subtypes, the Receptos molecule binds selectively to S1P1 and has a predicted human half-life of approximately one day, potentially improving the safety profile and reducing complications for MS patients.