Neuro

AXONIS Therapeutics is developing first-in-class therapies that enable neurons to resist degeneration, restore excitation/inhibition balance and regenerate, in order to rescue nervous system functions. Their lead drug candidate, an oral KCC2 (CNS-specific chloride transporter) enhancer, acts as a multi-modal neuromodulatory therapy for spinal cord injury, neuropathic pain and other neurological disorders.

IRegained is developing an in-home, clinician-directed digital rehabilitation device that assists stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors to regain unassisted use of their upper extremities, with a specific focus on hand usage. The product can be used in a rehab clinic, or a patient’s home via remote guidance from therapists. The device provides gamified exercises that encourage the user to practice hand motions that leverage neuroplasticity to build alternative neural circuits around the damaged area of the brain, thereby helping recover motor control.

NeuraStasis is developing an electrical stimulation device to delay the effects of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The thesis behind this technology is that noninvasive electrical stimulation can preserve brain viability and help protect patients from a lifetime of disability. NeuraStasis’ initial addressable market focuses on AIS patients at stroke centers between diagnosis and revascularization. NeuraStasis reduces length of stay and long-term disability expenditure, providing significant value to providers and payers.

PSYONIC produces bionic prosthetic hands for amputees. The product provides industry-leading reaction times, touch feedback via vibrations, and is robust to impacts. It is covered by Medicare, with little to no out-of-pocket costs to users.

Origami is discovering oral drugs to halt neurodegeneration. Their approach involves eliminating the toxic proteins that are the underlying cause of neurodegeneration using protein degraders to restore normal function. Origami’s discovery platform leverages our proprietary human disease models to select the drugs with the best chance of clinical success.

Cordance Medical is developing a non-invasive cap that uses ultrasound and microbubbles to reversibly open up the blood-brain barrier directly at the site of diseased brain tissue. This enables real-time molecular characterization of neurological diseases via liquid biopsy that will be used to improve patient outcomes by informing therapy selection, improving drug delivery, and enabling precision medicine.

Encora is developing a wearable device that uses non-invasive, vibratory stimulation to the wrist for acute hand tremor relief. Over eight million Americans suffer from debilitating hand tremors but are not adequately served by the current treatment options. Current options include pharmaceuticals, which have relatively low efficacy and significant side effects, or brain-stimulation surgery, which is highly invasive. By comparison, Encora’s device is non-invasive, effective, and safe.