Developing new medicines for the aging brain and longevity
Turritopsis Bio is a development-stage biopharmaceutical company building novel drugs and methods for treating neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory disorders and associated diseases linked to aging, cognitive decline and reduced longevity.
Our name comes from Turritopsis dohrnii, a simple jellyfish that can reverse aging by reverting to an earlier life history stage, and it reflects our belief that the brain's current resilience can be protected, enhanced and supported.
In a similar strategy, our technology aims to rejuvenate brain chemistry, cellular vitality and cognitive function by preventing and repairing inflammatory and neurodegenerative brain injuries that accumulate with age, and at an accelerated rate with diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Turritopsis Bio employs innovative biochemical and molecular science to map how and why neurons fail, to guide development of new drugs, formulations and methods for potent restorative treatment of distressed neurons in the brain. Turritopsis' new drug design and formulation work aims to develop new drugs for direct brain delivery, to mediate neural rescue, recovery, repair and regeneration within the brain. Turritopsis' integrated discovery initiatives for repairing and reversing central nervous system (CNS) and cognitive degeneration associated with aging are coordinately conceived and managed by an experienced team of drug developers, scientists, legal advisors and regulatory experts.
The challenge
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, affect tens of millions of people worldwide. Few approved treatments are available, and none dramatically alters the dire course of these diseases.
Age is the largest risk factor, common to virtually all neurodegenerative disorders, and aging populations are sharply increasing.
Most existing drug candidates for treating neurodegenerative disorders are aimed at a single target. However, the actual biology of neurodegenerative disease is too complex to be remedied by single-target therapies. Neurons fail due to multi-mechanism disruptions, including impairment of energy metabolism, immune and inflammatory insults, disruption of waste processing and removal, and impairment of signal-response biochemistry vital to neuronal survival and function.
As we age, all these critical mechanisms deteriorate in concert. Therefore, medicines that address only one of these mechanisms fall far short of revitalizing brain biology and function.
Turritopsis' approach: treat the whole environment of the neuron
Our programs are built around a set of shared goals for the aging brain:
Protect neurons and their functional inter-connections.
Suppress harmful neuroinflammation.
Boost and restore energy metabolism critical to neuronal function.
Prevent buildup and facilitate clearance of toxic waste products that accumulate with age and neural injury.
Restore balance to biochemical and molecular pathways that trigger neurodegenerative disease, to prevent neural reprogramming, inflammatory injury and cell death, and restore healthy signal-response biochemistry in the brain.
We follow emerging research on immune pathways and on the possible role of persistent infections in some forms of neurodegeneration.
Our platform
Turritopsis' discovery pipeline focuses on layered, interconnected assets to optimize clinical success and ensure early financial returns.
Next-generation incretin-class therapeutics with proprietary delivery technology
Incretin-class medicines act on receptors found in the brain that influence cellular metabolism, function, inflammation and cell survival. Effective delivery of therapeutic drug levels to specific targets within the brain is the central challenge to treating neurodegenerative diseases. We are developing new molecules coupled with proprietary delivery systems, designed to reach targeted regions of the brain more directly, providing for clinically effective brain dosing while avoiding off-target side effects.
Immune suppression and antiviral strategies
Turritopsis is coordinately developing adjunctive antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs and methods for complementary use with incretin-class medicines to more effectively control neuroinflammation and injury in the brain caused by CNS viral infection and other factors.
Reversal of brain aging and rehabilitation of cognitive and motor functional decline
Age is a principal risk factor in all neurodegenerative conditions, whether they involve ordinary age-related functional loss (cognitive, sensory and motor decline) or more aggressive loss of function, as in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Turritopsis' discovery platform focuses on prevention and reversal of degenerative changes in the brain, using novel drugs and methods to maintain and restore healthy brain function. The company's novel drug and drug delivery technologies are designed to protect and rehabilitate neurons by preventing or suppressing harmful neuroinflammation, restoring healthy energy metabolism, and preventing or eliminating harmful waste buildup in distressed neurons and other brain cells. Each of these adverse mechanisms that trigger or potentiate neurodegenerative disorders is directly linked to aging, and their reversal and rehabilitation will effectively set the clock back on human brain health and performance.
Note: specific molecules, formulations and methods are proprietary and confidential pending publication of multiple patent applications, and are not described here.
Partner with us
We welcome conversations with research collaborators, clinical and academic partners, strategic partners and investors who share our view that the aging brain can be protected and rehabilitated.
Contact us at roy@turritopsisbio.com.
Meet our team on our Our Team page.
Turritopsis Bio is a development-stage company. All product candidates are investigational and have not been approved by the U.S. FDA or any other regulatory authority for any use. Nothing on this site is medical advice or a claim of safety or efficacy. This page contains forward-looking statements about our research, programs and plans; actual results may differ materially.