Geneva, Switzerland - GeNeuro (Euronext Paris: CH0308403085 - GNRO), a biopharmaceutical company developing new treatments for neurological and autoimmune diseases, announced that the NINDS, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), presented novel pre-clinical results at the American Neurological Association (ANA) annual meeting, October 17-19, confirming in pre-clinical models of ALS the neurotoxic properties of HERV-K ENV, a retroviral envelope protein encoded by a pathogenic member of the HERV-K family of endogenous human retroviruses, and the therapeutic potential of GeNeuro's antibody developed to neutralize HERV-K ENV.
'Our pre-clinical work on ALS has evidenced that HERV-K ENV mediates toxicity via three interlinked pathways, leading to neuronal cell death. GeNeuro's GN-K01 antibody has demonstrated to neutralize this effect in pre-clinical in vivo and in vitro models,' said Dr. Avindra Nath, clinical director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 'This novel preclinical data holds promises that neutralizing HERV-K ENV with GeNeuro's antibody could become a treatment option for patients with sporadic ALS'. 'GeNeuro continues its mission 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 work with the NINDS team led by Dr. Avindra Nath to develop a new approach targeting HERV-K ENV,' said Herve Perron, Chief Scientific Officer at GeNeuro.
Following the extension of the partnership with the NINDS announced at the end of 2018, GeNeuro had launched a preclinical development program for its anti-HERV-K ENV antibody, which is now humanized and ready to enter GMP manufacturing. The program could start clinical trials as early as 2022. 'These results confirm the potentially key role of HERV-K ENV in ALS and the potential of GeNeuro's new antibody in this indication,' said Jesus Martin-Garcia, CEO of GeNeuro. 'We will now seek partnerships to bring this product to patients as rapidly as possible.'
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 leading to progressive muscular paralysis. The incidence of ALS is approximately 5 per 100,000 individuals in the USA, 1-3 per 100,000 individuals worldwide, 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, 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 owns rights to 17 patent families protecting its technology.
Contact:
NewCap
Jesus Martin-Garcia
Louis-Victor Delouvrier
T: +33 1 44 71 98 52
E: geneuro@newcap.eu
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Mathilde Bohin
Chairman and CEO
T: +41 22 552 4800
E: investors@geneuro.com
Media
Arthur Rouille
T: +33 1 44 71 94 98
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