A recently discovered brain-derived enzyme with big potential to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease has led to the largest investment of venture capital funds to date obtained by the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its technology transfer company, UNeMed Corporation.
NeuMedix Health Group (www.neumedix.com), a biotechnology venture capital firm based in Sydney, Australia, has invested approximately $2 million in the work of Tsuneya Ikezu, M.D., Ph.D., a professor in the UNMC Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience.
The money will be used to further Dr. Ikezu’s research on finding a compound that will block the enzyme’s function with a high degree of specificity and subsequently prevent the damaging effects of the enzyme’s overactivity thus preventing the onset of dementia.
“The University of Nebraska Medical Center has an international reputation in producing quality research and Dr. Ikezu has done an impressive amount of research in this particular area,” said Michael Issakidis, NeuMedix managing director. “We hope that by our investments, we can assist hundreds of thousands of individuals and their families in achieving a better quality of life.”
UNeMed first filed a patent application on the enzyme when Dr. Ikezu discovered it in 2002 and expects the patent to issue later this summer. “The reward of UNeMed and Dr. Ikezu’s diligence over the past six years is paying large dividends,” said Michael Dixon, Ph.D., vice president of UNeMed. “Everything has come together nicely and we are pleased to be able to attract additional research money to this valuable research as well as establish a partner to help translate the results of this research into the clinic.”
Dr. Ikezu’s lab developed a transgenic mouse model to show that the gene known as TTBK1 induces memory impairment. The mouse model study was published in the December issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The finding revealed that TTBK1 is a potential therapeutic target for neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
“This enzyme can be a therapeutic target of neurodegenerative disorders,” Dr. Ikezu said. “We are all excited about the publication and the venture capital funding. It will allow us to initiate a drug screening program to regulate this enzyme activity in the brain.”
Due to the complex nature of the project, negotiations and planning between NeuMedix and UNeMed took nearly a year to complete. "I think that the fact that NeuMedix was willing to make such a large investment after completing a lengthy due diligence process speaks volumes about the merit of the technology," said Jack Hartwigsen, Ph.D., senior licensing consultant for UNeMed and project manager. The research will take place over the next four years at which time, it is anticipated that it will be ready for clinical trials.
“We are optimistic that a lead compound can be identified through this drug discovery endeavor,” Dr. Ikezu said. I really appreciate all the lab members contributing to this project, support of the Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, and UNeMed for identifying the sponsorship.”
UNMC is the only public health science center in the state. Its educational programs are responsible for training more health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution. Through their commitment to education, research, patient care and outreach, UNMC and its hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center, have established themselves as one of the country’s leading centers in cancer, transplantation biology, bioterrorism preparedness, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, genetics, biomedical technology and ophthalmology. UNMC’s research funding from external sources now exceeds $82 million annually and has resulted in the creation of more than 2,600 highly skilled jobs in the state. UNMC’s physician practice group, UNMC Physicians, includes 513 physicians in 50 specialties and subspecialties who practice primarily in The Nebraska Medical Center. For more information, go to UNMC’s Web site at www.unmc.edu.
-30-