Lys Therapeutics develops pharmacological treatments that utilize advanced drug formulation techniques to target neurovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. The company focuses on improving patient outcomes by directly intervening in the underlying mechanisms of these debilitating conditions.
Funding
$5.5M raised to dateRaised to date based on public sources. This may differ from the amount the company actually raised and is based only on what is publicly available on the internet.
Founders
Product
Problem
Many neurological disorders, including stroke, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's disease, are characterized by a dysfunctional blood-brain barrier (BBB), leading to neuroinflammation and neuronal death. Current treatments often fail to address the underlying BBB dysfunction, resulting in limited efficacy and significant side effects.
Solution
Lys Therapeutics is developing first-in-class biotherapies targeting the restoration of BBB integrity to treat neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Their lead drug candidate, LYS241, is a fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody designed to counteract pathological mechanisms associated with BBB dysfunction. LYS241 acts by preventing the binding of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) to NMDA receptors (NMDAr) in blood vessels, without disrupting the normal function of NMDAr. By inhibiting this interaction, LYS241 halts downstream cellular pathways that lead to tight junction degradation, endothelial cell damage, and subsequent neuroinflammation. This approach aims to protect the brain from further neurodegenerative cascades and improve patient outcomes.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes patients suffering from neurovascular diseases such as ischemic stroke, and neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, as well as the clinicians treating these conditions.
Features
- LYS241 is a full-length, Fc silent, fully humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody
- Designed to restore blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity
- Targets the interaction between tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and NMDA receptors (NMDAr)
- Does not interfere with the physiological function of NMDAr
- Reduces ischemic damage and promotes tissue recanalization in preclinical stroke models
- Demonstrates therapeutic efficacy in preclinical models of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease
- GMP-compliant production is underway in preparation for clinical trials
- Intravenous formulation for acute/single use
- Subcutaneous formulation for chronic/repeated administration