Edinburgh spin-out targets new drugs for MS

A spin-out from the University of Edinburgh will investigate new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) that could reverse the effects of the disease.

Pheno Therapeutics has just raised £5 million to help it search for new drugs that could repair damage to the nervous system and improve MS patients’ debilitating symptoms.

The company aims to develop new drugs for MS by identifying novel molecules that cause the body to repair or replace the damaged myelin sheath surrounding nerve cells. The disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, slowing or disrupting the electrical signals travelling along the nerves and causing problems with movement, vision, sensation and balance.  

Pheno Therapeutics hopes that by developing drugs that can cause the myelin sheath to repair itself, MS symptoms can be slowed or even halted. The disease currently affects over 100,000 people in the UK and 2.5 million worldwide.

Pheno Therapeutics co-founder professor Siddharthan Chandran said: “There are no interventions for people with later stage multiple sclerosis, which is a devastating and debilitating condition. The opportunity for this company is to bring new and repurposed therapeutics to clinical trials and, by doing so, meet an urgent and currently unmet need."

Current treatments for MS mainly focus on the immune system aspects of the disease and reduce the severity and frequency of relapses. However, there is now a need for neuro-protective agents that can halt the disease and prevent long-term disability.

Pheno Therapeutics will utilise the University of Edinburgh’s advanced cell-based technology platform to screen large compound libraries on human cellular platforms to discover new drug candidates to test in proof-of-concept clinical trials.

The company received funding from a range of backers and has been supported by Edinburgh Innovations, the University’s commercialisation service, as well as medical research charity LifeArc. 

Dr George Baxter, CEO of Edinburgh Innovations, said: “I’m delighted to see this company launch with the support of such credible investors. Everyone involved is focused on driving the science forward, and we look forward to supporting the team as momentum continues to build, ultimately offering the promise of new treatments.”

Dr David Holbrook, head of LifeArc’s Seed Fund, said: “At the Seed Fund, we look to use our translational expertise to invest in enterprises with a sound scientific concept and the potential to lead to new interventions that address patient needs.

“In the founders of Pheno Therapeutics and their research to induce myelin repair, we saw an appealing opportunity, particularly given the existing clinical needs in progressive MS. We are delighted to have reached an agreement to support Pheno Therapeutics translate their discoveries.”