Neuroregenerative peptide treatment for multiple sclerosis

REGENERA MS will assess the technical and commercial feasibility of a novel peptide as a superior treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS).

Successful commercialization of our peptide could reduce the socioeconomic burden of MS, provide an early-therapy option to delay disease progression and thus extend and improve patients lives, with potential effectiveness in related neurodegenerative diseases.

MS is a chronic inflammatory, autoimmune, and neurological disease without a cure, affecting the lives of 1.2M Europeans and causing significant economic costs to patients and society. Currently, there is no cure for MS.

Approved disease-modifying treatments such as IFN-1, glatiramer acetate and alemtuzumab are clinically effective but come with high costs, significant side-effects, and intrusive administration.

Thus, a medical unmet need remains for novel MS therapies that can halt progression, promote myelin repair and limit complications.

To improve on the current therapeutic regimen, we propose a next-generation neurotrophic factor (NTF) therapy that has curative potential by halting MS progression and regenerating demyelinated tissue.

My group has discovered a novel peptide with neurotrophic properties and which, in contrast to classical NTFs, (i) has neurorestorative effects and can enhance remyelination (ii) penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB), (iii) can be subcutaneously administered, and (iv) can be inexpensively produced.

In REGENERA MS, we will evaluate the pharmacokinetic properties and efficacy of a novel therapeutic peptide in organotypic brain cultures, human induced oligodendrocyte-like pluripotent stem cell-derived cells and in MS animal models.

Subsequently, we will verify the IP position and strategy, perform an in-depth market and competitor analysis, and finally consolidate these findings into a business case to establish the best path to commercialization.