Rewind Therapeutics, a privately held Belgian biotech company and KU Leuven spin-off, completed a €15.2 million Series A financing to develop novel re-myelinating therapies for patients suffering from Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and other myelin-related diseases. The round was led by life science investors Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund (BIVF), Merck Ventures BV (MV) and Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), together with KU Leuven’s Centre for Drug Design and Discovery (CD3) and KU Leuven Gemma Frisius Fund (GFF).
Myelin is the substance that surrounds the nerve fibers, forming an electrically insulating layer. It is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system. In a demyelinating disease, such as MS, the protective myelin sheath of neurons is damaged. This damage impairs the proper functioning of affected nerves. Disrupted nerve signals cause the symptoms of MS, which vary from one person to another and over time, depending on where and when the damage occurs. Remyelination therapies can restore neuronal function and prevent further neuronal loss and clinical disability.
While marketed MS therapies are effective in fighting the symptoms, they are not capable of reversing or halting the disease. None of the available drugs on the market can reverse the myelin damage. New therapies able to repair such damage would mean a substantial breakthrough for patients with myelin disorder diseases.
The company will use the proceeds of the €15.2 million series A round to bring their proprietary first small molecule product to the clinic and to further expand their pipeline of novel drug candidates targeting myelin disorders.
Rewind Therapeutics is founded by CD3 (Leuven, Belgium) and Axxam S.p.A. (Milano, Italy). In close collaboration with both organizations and a world-class academic network, Rewind Therapeutics aspires to advance innovative first-in-class therapies for myelin-related diseases into fast track clinical application.
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