Neurona Therapeutics launches with $23.5m financing to repair damaged neural circuits

Unlike more traditional therapeutic modalities such as small molecules or antibodies, Neurona is focused on unique compositions of cells that can be precisely targeted, integrated into damaged neural circuits, and provide activity-dependent regulation.

Neurona interim CEO and a Partner at The Column Group Tim Kutzkey said: "We believe there is an unprecedented opportunity to create a novel class of therapeutics with the potential to permanently repair dysfunctional neural circuits.

"We are leveraging the rigorous scientific work and deep knowledge base of Neurona’s founders to develop therapies with distinct advantages over existing approaches."

Neurona is founded by internationally recognized neuroscientists and stem cell pioneers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF):

Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery, Heather and Melanie Muss Endowed Chair and Principal Investigator in the Brain Tumor Research Center
Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, John Bowes Distinguished Professor in Stem Cell and Tissue Biology and the Department of Neurology, and Founding Director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research
John Rubenstein, MD, PhD, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Distinguished Professor in Child Psychiatry at the Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology
Cory Nicholas, PhD, VP of Research at Neurona Therapeutics and Assistant Professor (Adjunct) in the Department of Neurology at UCSF.

Neurona’s founders have discovered that certain types of neuron transplants can rebalance nervous system activity, repair neural circuits, and rescue multiple animal models of disease.

Neurona will utilize human stem cell derivatives for the treatment of diseases caused by dysregulated neural activity.

Neurona’s Board of Directors includes: Tim Kutzkey, PhD, interim Chief Executive Officer of Neurona and Partner at The Column Group; David Goeddel, PhD, Managing Partner at The Column Group; Leo Guthart, PhD, Founder and Senior Advisor at Topspin Partners; Arnold Kriegstein, MD, PhD, Co-Founder, Professor of Neurology and Director of the stem cell center at UCSF; and Stephen Hauser, MD, Chair of Neurology at UCSF.

Neurona co-founder, VP of research Cory Nicholas said: "Two decades of discoveries in the fields of stem cell biology, cortical brain development, and cell transplantation have revealed the potential for particular types of neurons to repair the nervous system, representing a possible breakthrough therapy for patients with devastating neurological diseases.

"Neurona’s talented team is working tirelessly towards making cell-based therapeutics a reality for these patients."