Nemosia wins CHF 150,000 to advance the early detection of neurological degeneration
30.08.2021
Nemosia is developing the first successful NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) tracer for the early detection of neurological degeneration. The Zurich-based startup’s positron emission tomography (PET) tracers diagnose neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease or multiple sclerosis before a person experiences any visible symptoms. By detecting subclinical signs of disease onset and progression, the ETH-Zurich spin-off will allow early detection and help advance drug development, efficient patient recruitment, and personalized therapies. Nemosia will use the CHF 150,000 to prepare for the commercialization of their solution.
 The Nemosia co-founders (from left to right): Awa Diagne (CEO), Dr. Hazem Farouk (Director Clinical Development), Dr. Ahmed Haider (Director R&D), and Daniel Tay (Director IT & Analytics)
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Neurological degeneration is one of this century’s greatest medical challenges. Most of the time, these disorders are diagnosed only when symptoms appear—at a stage that leaves no chance for early treatment or even a cure. As the population ages, the number of patients suffering from neurological degeneration grows, increasing the burden on individuals, caregivers, governments, and national health care systems. In 2007, Switzerland’s spending on Alzheimer’s alone was estimated at over CHF 6 billion, and the worldwide spending is predicted to increase to trillions of dollars by 2030.
Nemosia envisions that in the next 10 years, brain scans would be part of the general public’s health check-up routine, even if there are no visible symptoms of neurological disorder. Their initial target indications for their first NMDA tracer are multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. They also have a second cannabinoid receptor tracer in their pipeline, which is targeting cancer and ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease).
PET is a non-invasive imaging technique that is more sensitive than an MRI and capable of quantifying processes at the cell and molecule level. Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, and it is known to bind to NMDA receptors. Nemosia’s PET tracers can be used to image targeted receptors in the brain, which act as biomarkers and drivers of disease progression. This approach allows the biotech startup to quantify processes at the cell level long before there are structural changes in the brain. With their innovative solution, Nemosia can advance the early detection of diseases, drug development, and therapies.
Zurich-based Nemosia was founded by Awa Diagne (CEO, left), Prof. em. Dr. Ametamey (Chief Scientific Officer), Dr. Hazem Farouk (Director Clinical Development, second from left), Dr. Ahmed Haider (Director R&D, second from right), and Daniel Tay (Director IT & Analytics, right). The startup is a Venture Leader Biotech 2021.
In the upcoming months, Nemosia plans to raise a CHF 3 million Seed round, kick off clinical development activities in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, and complete their advisory board with industry experts.
The ETH-Zurich spin-off will use the CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick for toxicity and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) studies to prepare commercialization of Nemosia’s precursors and tritiated ligands. “Venture Kick has been an amazing experience for us: Not only did the funding allow us to procure the materials to conduct proof of concept but Venture Kick also supported us with expert coaching to strengthen our business strategy,” said Awa Diagne, Nemosia co-founder and CEO.
Nemosia envisions that in the next 10 years, brain scans would be part of the general public’s health check-up routine, even if there are no visible symptoms of neurological disorder. Their initial target indications for their first NMDA tracer are multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. They also have a second cannabinoid receptor tracer in their pipeline, which is targeting cancer and ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/Lou Gehrig’s disease).
PET is a non-invasive imaging technique that is more sensitive than an MRI and capable of quantifying processes at the cell and molecule level. Glutamate is the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, and it is known to bind to NMDA receptors. Nemosia’s PET tracers can be used to image targeted receptors in the brain, which act as biomarkers and drivers of disease progression. This approach allows the biotech startup to quantify processes at the cell level long before there are structural changes in the brain. With their innovative solution, Nemosia can advance the early detection of diseases, drug development, and therapies.
Zurich-based Nemosia was founded by Awa Diagne (CEO, left), Prof. em. Dr. Ametamey (Chief Scientific Officer), Dr. Hazem Farouk (Director Clinical Development, second from left), Dr. Ahmed Haider (Director R&D, second from right), and Daniel Tay (Director IT & Analytics, right). The startup is a Venture Leader Biotech 2021.In the upcoming months, Nemosia plans to raise a CHF 3 million Seed round, kick off clinical development activities in collaboration with Harvard Medical School, and complete their advisory board with industry experts.
The ETH-Zurich spin-off will use the CHF 150,000 from Venture Kick for toxicity and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) studies to prepare commercialization of Nemosia’s precursors and tritiated ligands. “Venture Kick has been an amazing experience for us: Not only did the funding allow us to procure the materials to conduct proof of concept but Venture Kick also supported us with expert coaching to strengthen our business strategy,” said Awa Diagne, Nemosia co-founder and CEO.