US company licenses IP from EPFL to develop mitochondria boosters
Professor Johan Auwerx © EPFL
Mitobridge, a US biopharmaceutical company developing drugs that improve mitochondrial function, has licensed intellectual property from the lab of Johan Auwerx at EPFL.
Mitobridge, Inc., is based in Cambridge Massachusetts and pioneers the discovery and development of therapeutics that improve mitochondrial function. It has recently decided to broaden its therapeutic scope to include pathway modulation for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential coenzyme that plays a key role in metabolism, mitochondrial energy production and cell signaling.
As part of this strategy, Mitobridge has entered into an exclusive, worldwide licensing agreement with EPFL for intellectual property (IP) for the treatment of a broad range of diseases and conditions of aging by using compounds that boost NAD+ levels.
A number of studies have shown that low NAD+ levels are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, and maintaining or raising NAD+ levels in cells under such stress can reduce its deleterious effects. Consequently, drugs that maintain or elevate NAD+ levels can be advantageous in in many mitochondrial disorders, such as muscular dystrophies and myopathies as well as kidney, liver and neurodegenerative diseases.
Mitobridge is developing drug candidates that target multiple points in the NAD+ biosynthetic and metabolic pathway, such as Poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase (PARP), Aminocarboxymuconate Semialdehyde Decarboxylase (ACMSD) and Nʹ-Nicotinamide Methyltransferase (NNMT).
The licensing with EPFL specifically focuses on the research carried out by Johan Auwerx’s lab, renowned for its work on mitochondrial function. “Modulating NAD+ levels represents an innovative strategy for improving mitochondrial function and holds great promise for therapeutic development,” says Johan Auwerx. “I am delighted that Mitobridge is pursuing this approach, and look forward to working with the team to progress new product candidates.”
“Our goal is to develop novel therapeutics for restoring healthy mitochondria and impacting severe diseases with limited treatment options,” says George Mulligan, Senior Vice President of Translational Medicine at Mitobridge. “This license strengthens our IP estate and expands our opportunities to address multiple medical conditions associated with with mitochondrial dysfunction.”