NeuroVive Pharmaceutical and to-BBB, the Dutch drug brain delivery company, are entering into a joint program to develop therapies for stroke and other acute neurodegenerative diseases by combining their technologies.

NeuroVive Pharmaceutical is engaged in research and development of nerve cell-protecting and regenerative cyclosporin-based pharmaceuticals for the treatment of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other neurological diseases. The Company's first product NeuroSTAT®, is a novel, cremophor-free, cyclosporin-A lipid emulsion.

"The collaboration with to-BBB opens up the possibility of treating brain disorders beyond TBI. There is a tremendous unmet medical need in treating patients with acute neurodegeneration such as stroke, cardiac-arrest-induced brain damage and spinal cord injuries, where one can expect the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to significantly prevent drug penetration to the central nervous system (CNS)", says Dr Eskil Elmér, CSO of NeuroVive.

Pieter Gaillard, CSO of to-BBB, adds: "The BBB is indeed a significant obstacle in the treatment of CNS disorders. to-BBB's proprietary G-Technology® can safely enhance drug delivery to the brain and we are excited to address this with NeuroVive's cyclosporin-based pharmaceuticals."

"Currently there are no approved pharmacological or cellular primary neuroprotective treatments for stroke and spinal cord injuries. Consequently, the need to develop treatment for acute degenerative disorders has never been greater than it is today. The deal with to-BBB has the potential to generate drugs for large markets in CNS diseases such as stroke", says Mikael Brönnegård, CEO of NeuroVive.

"We are very pleased to collaborate with NeuroVive," says Willem van Weperen, CEO of to-BBB. We are convinced that synergies in research and clinical platforms as well as business and commercial strategies between to-BBB and NeuroVive will result in a very strong partnership that will benefit patients with these devastating CNS diseases".

NeuroVive is funding the initial development up to preclinical Proof of Concept, after which the two companies have agreed to develop and commercialize the product jointly.

Source:
NeuroVive Pharmaceutical AB
to-BBB