The startup has developed a predictive and quantitative drug discovery platform focused on creating therapies for neurodegenerative diseases caused by protein misfolding. This technology enhances the clinical translation of drug candidates, facilitating earlier diagnosis and treatment of related ophthalmology and metabolic disorders.
Funding
$59.9M 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
Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS are characterized by the misfolding and aggregation of proteins, leading to neuronal death. Traditional drug discovery approaches have struggled to effectively target the fleeting, toxic protein oligomer intermediates that drive these diseases. The elusive nature of these oligomers has made them difficult to assay, analyze, and target.
Solution
WaveBreak Therapeutics has developed a drug discovery platform that targets the fleeting protein intermediates, specifically neurotoxic oligomers, central to neurodegenerative disease pathways. By harnessing biophysics and studying the behavior of misbehaving protein pathways, the platform quantifies the rules by which these pathways are regulated. This allows for the design of novel small-molecule medicines that interrupt the molecular mechanisms driving the formation of toxic oligomers, addressing the root cause of neurodegeneration. The platform replicates the interconnected biochemical network that occurs in the brain, enabling the study of a process that was previously hidden from view.
Target Audience
The primary target audience includes researchers and pharmaceutical companies focused on developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS.
Features
- Identification of molecular mechanisms and biophysical rules governing protein misfolding and aggregation in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ALS.
- Development of translational preclinical models that express the same highly conserved amyloid assembly processes that occur in human disease.
- Precision assays that express the same dynamic process that occurs in human disease.
- Design of novel small-molecule medicines to inhibit the neurodegenerative disease process.
- Development of biomarkers to measure the on-target effect of drugs on the progression of toxic oligomer intermediates in clinical trials.