Sinaptica Therapeutics Selected for StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot

Moonshot supported by Gates Ventures and Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) to accelerate innovation around Alzheimer’s

Sinaptica is one of 14 companies initially selected that are advancing innovative solutions for Alzheimer’s to commercialization and scalability

Collaboration will support the company’s Phase 3 clinical development plans based on unprecedented Phase 2 data in Alzheimer’s showing >80% disease slowing on cognitive & functional endpoints

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sinaptica Therapeutics, Inc., a clinical-stage company leading the development of a new class of personalized neuromodulation therapeutics to treat Alzheimer’s (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, today announced that it has been selected to join StartUp Health’s Alzheimer’s Moonshot. This bold new initiative and global community of founders and funders collaborating to prevent, diagnose, manage, and ultimately cure Alzheimer’s disease is supported by the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and Gates Ventures.

The collaboration will help support the global development of Sinaptica’s patented neuromodulation therapy, which takes a precision medicine approach targeting the Default Mode Network in the brain. The company has prioritized mild/moderate Alzheimer’s Disease as its first indication and is preparing for a pivotal Phase 3 trial in 2025.

“Sinaptica is honored to be included in this hand-selected group of innovators working to end Alzheimer’s – a goal which we believe will require combinatorial approaches,” said Sinaptica CEO Ken Mariash. “Sinaptica brings a bold new personalized neuromodulation approach that can be combined with virtually any drug, given its near-total lack of side effects. Also, we know diagnostics are a key piece of the puzzle and will look to combine our novel electrophysiological biomarker with those of others in the Moonshot, to better characterize the disease and bring a more personalized, precision medicine approach to Alzheimer’s treatments.”

“We’re excited to welcome Sinaptica Therapeutics to the Alzheimer’s Moonshot and the StartUp Health family,” said Steven Krein, CEO and co-founder of StartUp Health. “We created the Alzheimer’s Moonshot to bring together trailblazers, support new approaches and rapidly accelerate progress in this challenging disease. Sinaptica is a perfect fit and we look forward to partnering with them.”

Sinaptica is building on unprecedented positive Phase 2 data in Alzheimer’s published by the company’s scientific co-founders, showing greater than 80% disease slowing on all four gold-standard AD cognitive and functional clinical endpoints, in the peer-reviewed Oxford University Press journal, Brain. Additional exciting 52-week data from the Phase 2 study will also be published in an upcoming issue of a peer-reviewed journal. Sinaptica’s technology has been granted FDA Breakthrough Device Designation, and the company is preparing for a larger Phase 3 clinical trial in Alzheimer s patients at multiple sites.

About StartUp Health

Since 2011, StartUp Health has been on a mission to solve the biggest health challenges of our time by creating and sustaining a global ecosystem of health moonshot communities. StartUp Health has provided support to more than 1,000 founders and contributed to the development of more than 500 health innovation companies. Our valued partners include The Helmsley Charitable Trust, Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) and Gates Ventures in addition to nearly 100 families and mission-aligned organizations. Visit startuphealth.com.

About Sinaptica Therapeutics

Sinaptica Therapeutics is a clinical-stage neuromodulation therapeutics company leading the development of a new class of personalized therapeutics to revolutionize the treatment of Alzheimer’s and neurodegenerative diseases. The company utilizes a patented novel, non-invasive approach to treating Alzheimer’s via precision neurostimulation of a key brain network involved in memory, the Default Mode Network. This novel approach slowed disease progression by >80% on all four gold-standard cognitive and functional clinical endpoints in a placebo-controlled Phase 2 clinical study, with results published in the peer-reviewed Oxford University Press journal, Brain. The technology was granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA in 2022 and the company is preparing for a pivotal randomized controlled clinical trial in 2025. Sinaptica’s mission is to bring a safe, effective, and non-invasive neuromodulation therapy to Alzheimer’s patients that can help to significantly slow the progression of both cognitive and functional decline. Learn more at sinapticatx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X @SinapticaTX.

The SinaptiStim™ System is for investigational use only. It has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is not available for commercial sale in any geography.

Contacts

Kira Gordon, BrightPoint

kira@brightpointny.com
646-243-4920

Progentos Therapeutics Closes $65 Million Series A Financing to Advance Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis and Other Degenerative Diseases

Founded by Chief Executive Officer Chris Loose, Ph.D. and Chief Scientific Officer, Sanjay Magavi, Ph.D., Progentos to Drive Clinical Development of Novel Therapeutics for Remyelination

Financing Led by Forbion with other Leading Life Science Investors including Alta Partners, Mission BioCapital, Longwood Fund, and Dolby Family Ventures

WATERTOWN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Progentos Therapeutics, a biotech company addressing the critical unmet need to regenerate myelin and restore function for patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other demyelinating diseases, today announced its launch and the closing of a $65 million series A round. This funding will enable Progentos to advance its MS program through human proof of concept studies and expand its pipeline in additional degenerative diseases.

Progentos is developing first-in-class small molecules designed to induce remyelination of axons affected by MS. In MS, disability is caused by demyelination, damage to the myelin sheaths that support the function and survival of axons. The Company’s proprietary molecules outperform previous approaches in differentiating oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) to generate new oligodendrocytes and regenerate myelin in in vivo models.

While there are many treatments that are highly effective at slowing the progression of disease, there is a significant unmet need for new approaches that can regenerate myelin and restore function for patients with MS,” said Dr. Chris Loose, CEO of Progentos. “I am thrilled with the support received from this group of investors and appreciate their recognition of the need to advance the current standard of care for the millions of individuals impacted by MS and other demyelinating diseases.”

The series A financing was led by Netherlands-based Forbion which was joined by Alta Partners, Mission BioCapital, Longwood Fund, and Dolby Family Ventures.

We are truly excited to be part of Progentos’ journey towards delivering potentially disease-modifying drugs for diseases like multiple sclerosis, diseases with high unmet clinical needs. Chris and Sanjay are bringing a high level of technical expertise, entrepreneurship, and leadership and we are honored to support them in this endeavor,” said Forbion General Partner Dmitrij Hristodorov, Ph.D.

About Progentos Therapeutics

Progentos is developing first-in-class compounds to induce endogenous oligodendrocyte progenitor cells to remyelinate axons in patients suffering from MS and other demyelinating diseases. Combining expertise in chemistry, biology and in vivo models, Progentos discovers and develops novel small-molecule drugs to regenerate tissues in patients with degenerative diseases. The Company will have operations in Watertown, MA, USA and Naarden, The Netherlands. More information can be found at www.progentos.com

Contacts

Jason Glashow

Glashow Strategic Communications for Progentos Therapeutics

jason@glashowstrategic.com

Alpha Cognition – developing novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Alpha Cognition is a clinical stage, biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing novel treatments for under-served neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Alpha Cognition - developing novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ALPHA-1062, a patented new chemical entity that has demonstrated safety and improved ALPHA-1062, is a patented new chemical entity being developed as a new generation acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, with expected minimal gastrointestinal side effects. ALPHA-1062’s active metabolite is differentiated from donepezil and rivastigmine in that it binds neuronal nicotinic receptors, most notably the alpha-7 subtype, which is known to have a positive effect on cognition. ALPHA-1062 is also being developed in combination with memantine to treat moderate to severe Alzheimer’s dementia and as an intranasal formulation for traumatic brain injury.

ALPHA-0602 (Progranulin) is expressed in several cell types in the central nervous system and in peripheral tissues, promotes cell survival, regulates certain inflammatory processes, and plays a significant role in regulating lysosomal function and microglial responses to disease. Its intended use for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has been patented by the Company and Alpha-0602 has been granted an Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by the FDA.

ALPHA-0702 and ALPHA-0802 are Granulin Epithelin Motifs, or GEMs, derived from full length progranulin which have therapeutic potential across multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Progranulin is comprised of 7½ Granulin Epithelin Motifs (GEMs). GEMs are important in regulating cell growth, survival, repair, and inflammation. Individual granulin domain peptides are approximately 60 amino acids in length (~7kDa). GEMs are metabolically stable and resistant to proteolysis (long half-life). Evidence suggests that not all GEMs are equally potent at promoting cell survival signaling or reducing proteinopathy, and may compete (e.g., binding to effectors) with active GEMs and effectively decrease their potency. Specific GEM combinations have been shown to be more effective than full length progranulin in promoting Cathepsin D maturation. GEMs have been shown to be important in regulating cell growth, survival, repair, and inflammation. Alpha-0702 and ALPHA-0802 are designed to deliver this with potentially lower toxicity, and greater therapeutic effect.

More info : http://www.alphacognition.com/

Keywords : Alpha Cognition , neurodegenerative diseases , dementia , Alzheimer’s Dementia , Alzheimer Disease , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , acetylcholinesterase inhibitor , orphan drug , CNS , neuroscience , traumatic brain injury , Granulin Epithelin Motifs , Gene Therapy