New York University has teamed up with corporate-backed biopharmaceutical incubator Futurx to spawn neurodegenerative disease drug developer Glixogen Therapeutics.
Futurx, a biopharmaceutical incubator supported by pharmaceutical developers Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Takeda Pharmaceutical, formally unveiled Israel-based Glixogen Therapeutics yesterday to design drugs based on New York University (NYU) research.
Glixogen Therapeutics will specialise in treatments for neurodegenerative disorders such as multiple sclerosis, focusing on the mitigation of a process called demyelination which destroys protective sheets insulating the nervous system known as myelin.
The company’s primary program will inhibit a pathway protein called Gli1 to help populate demyelinated areas with stem cells differentiated as myelin-producing oligodendrocytes.
Glixogen’s founding research was led by James Salzer, a professor of neuroscience, physiology and neurology in NYU’s School of Medicine who also practices at drug discovery accelerator Office of Therapeutics Alliances, which is operated by the NYU Langone Medical Center.
Its business strategy will initially target the research and development outcomes necessary to prepare Glixogen’s drug candidates for clinical trials.
Salzer said: “We are delighted to partner with Futurx to launch Glixogen Therapeutics, which will focus on myelin repair – an urgent clinical need in multiple sclerosis and other neurological disorders for which there are currently no approved therapies.
“The resources and expertise at Glixogen provide an exciting opportunity to advance recent insights into the biology of stem cells and myelin repair towards novel clinical therapeutics.”
Futurx is also supported by venture capital firm OrbiMed Israel Partners. Takeda and J&J participate in the incubator through respective subsidiaries Takeda Ventures and Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC.
