Ysios Capital, member of CataloniaBio & HealthTech, has announced today its participation in the funding round of Neurona Therapeutics, for a total amount of $120 million. Ysios Capital has joined a prominent investor syndicate led by Viking Global Investors and Cormorant Asset Management with the participation of new and existing investors.
This capital extension will allow Neurona to advance in the development of its own cellular therapy for multiple indications, the NRTX-1001. The therapy is being evaluated in an open phase I/II clinical trial for the treatment of drug-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and has potential applications in Alzheimer's disease and other nervous system disorders.
For people with drug-resistant seizures, epilepsy surgery, where the damaged temporal lobe is surgically removed, can be an option. However, current surgical options are not available or effective for all patients, are tissue-destructive, and can have significant adverse effects.
The innovative therapy developed by Neurona has the potential to control seizures while preserving neurocognitive function, which would be a radical change in the treatment of refractory focal epilepsy. It is a pioneering regenerative neuronal cellular therapy derived from stem cells. These fully differentiated neuronal cells, called interneurons, are designed to modify the disease by repairing the affected neuronal network. Administered in a single dose, the transplanted cells integrate into the epileptic region of the brain and durably silence seizure activity.
Jordi Xiol, partner at Ysios Capital, comments: "Technological advances in the last decade have allowed regenerative therapies with stem cells to reach the necessary maturity to treat common diseases such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and type 1 diabetes. The product developed by Neurona aims to transform the treatment of a devastating neurological disorder that has been refractory until now. The clinical results obtained so far demonstrate the great potential of this therapy" and adds "The exceptional transoceanic investor syndicate supporting Neurona is a clear demonstration of the company's strength. We are very proud to be part of this syndicate and to contribute to the development of medical innovations with a real impact on society."
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